Resurrection Sunday: The Risen Life

For the last 29 years that I've been the pastor of Christ Community Church, I've spoken on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is, 29 different sermons on the resurrection of our Lord. And the topic of the resurrection is all throughout the scriptures. And so you can never exhaust the topic of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord. But I thought on this Sunday, this Resurrection Sunday, I would change it up just a little bit and talk to you about the effects of the resurrection upon the believer.

In other words, what does it mean to live the risen life? If you're a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you have been buried with him in the likeness of his death and raised with him in the likeness of his resurrection, that's Romans chapter six. And so that's the case. What does a risen life look like? Christ said in John 14, 19, that because I live, you too will live. In other words, in John 14, that is the eve of the crucifixion. And our Lord is comforting his men because they are distraught about the coming crucifixion, the death of their of their savior.

And so he wants to comfort them and he comforts them by telling them that because he lives, they, too, will live. And they will walk, according to Romans six, in newness of life. A resurrected life is a new life. And before John 14, there was John 11. And in John 11, there's a resurrection. There's a resurrection of Lazarus. Now, I don't know how how long Lazarus lived in Bethany. My guess is he lived there his entire life. And I don't even know how old Lazarus was. But the Bible does tell us in John chapter 11 that the Lord loved Lazarus.

And everybody knew that the Lord loved Lazarus and Lazarus loved the Lord. And Lazarus believed in the Lord. And so when you come to John chapter 12, these words are spoken in verse number nine, the large crowd of the Jews and learn that he, Christ, was there. And they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom he raised from the dead. Now, I want you to notice something.

That nobody ever left Jerusalem or any other part of Israel to go to see Bethany to go to see Lazarus in Bethany. They never went to see him because he loved Jesus. They never went to see him because Jesus loved him. They never went to Bethany to see Lazarus because Lazarus believed in Jesus. But all of a sudden now everybody wants to see Lazarus. Why is that? Because he was once dead and now he lives. And Christ said in John 11, verse 25, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even if he dies.

That everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? So Christ proved his power over death by raising Lazarus from the dead. But it's interesting that nobody ever went to see Lazarus in Bethany because he believed in Jesus or because he loved Jesus. They only went to see him once he was raised from the dead. Now, I want you to think about that. Why? Because Christ performed a plethora of miracles during his time on this planet. He did them because they were his messianic credentials proving that he was the Messiah.

But I want you to notice something that every miracle that Jesus performed in the physical realm is symbolic of everything he does in the spiritual realm.

For example, in John chapter two, Jesus turned water into wine. And the whole purpose behind doing that, because it's the very first miracle that Jesus performed.

You would think that if he was going to perform one miracle first and make a good first impression, he'd raise somebody from the dead.

But he didn't. He turned water into wine. And if we were to study John chapter two and study that miracle, you would realize that the whole purpose behind the miracle was the reason Jesus came, because he came to take the dirty lives of people and cleanse them as if they were the finest of wine. Why? Because he would take the water that was used for the cleansing of utensils, take that dirty, murky water and turn it into fine wine at this wedding, because that was the purpose for his coming to take a dirty life and to cleanse it.

We know that even further, because as you read on in John chapter two, the very next story is what the cleansing of the temple in Jerusalem. And then the very next story after that is a story of Jesus and Nicodemus, where he says he must be born again, he must be sprinkled with clean water. He must be cleansed from his sin. So John begins by telling you the reason Jesus came is to clean up your life, to cleanse it from the filthiness of sin and give you a brand new life. So when you come to John 11.

And Lazarus is raised from the dead, Christ is showing you what new life in Christ looks like. For instance, when Christ healed the blind person physically so he could see, so too Christ in the spiritual realm heals our blindness, that we can see the glories of heaven and the beauty of Christ in all of his glory. So we can see the truth. Well, the same is true when it comes to raising dead people spiritually who are dead in their trespasses and sins. For instance, in the book of Ephesians, Ephesians chapter two, Paul says these words, Ephesians two, verse one, and though you were dead in your trespasses and sin, in which case you are dead.

But you formally 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 formally lived in the lust 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 were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ.

In other words, he gave us new life. In other words, he gave us a brand new life. For instance, second Corinthians five, 17.

If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. All things are passed away. Build all things, not some things, all things that become brand spanking new. Why? Because you are a new creation. You've been born again. You've been raised from the dead, spiritually speaking. And so now all of a sudden when you come to John chapter 12, and we don't know how long it was between John 11 and John 12. We know that Christ would leave Bethany. He'd go to Ephraim. He'd go to Samaria. He'd go to the upper part of Galilee.

He'd come back down, make his way up through Jericho to come to Bethany again in John 12. So it could be a number of weeks. Maybe even a few months. But he makes his way back to Bethany, has supper with Mary, Martha and Lazarus with his disciples, along with Simon the leper, because Matthew tells us that they were at Simon the leper's house in Bethany. But then all of a sudden people want to make the trek from Jerusalem to Bethany, not just to see Jesus, but to see Lazarus, whom he raised from the dead.

Now listen to what it says. It says these words in John 12. But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also. Wow. Because on account of him, many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus. What happens to a life that's been spiritually resurrected? It causes people to believe in Christ. Nobody went to Bethany because Lazarus believed in Jesus or because he loved Jesus. But they certainly went to Bethany because Lazarus had new life. And when you have new life, everything changes.

He was an anomaly. He was completely different. Why? Because once he was dead. But now he lives. An irresistible person to the community becomes an inescapable problem to those in authority. And that's exactly what happened with Lazarus. Jesus took a dead man and gave him life. And the Pharisees wanted to take a living man and put him to death. The question comes, who is looking to put you to death? Because you live the risen life. Lazarus had new life. When you become a believer in Christ, you have new life.

The reason I'm preaching on this is because we have a plethora of people, a voluminously amount of people that go to church on Sundays and say they believe in the resurrection of Christ. If that's the case, they would live the risen life. But their lives are no different than before they said they believed in the resurrection of Christ. So do they truly believe? If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Christ says through the pen of the Apostle Paul in Romans 10.

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 mouth, man confesses unto salvation. But with the heart, man believes unto righteousness. In other words, everything about the person's life changes. Because he has experienced a resurrection. He once was dead. And now he lives. And the only reason he lives is because he's been brought forth from the dead by the voice of the one who's called him the Messiah, Christ himself.

And when Christ calls a spiritually dead person from the dead, the grave, spiritually speaking. That man, that woman receives new life in Christ. And they are no longer the way they used to be. If your life is the way it was before you said you gave your life to Christ, you have the wrong life, you don't have new life in Christ. That's for certain. So what does the risen life look like? Today, I want to explain to you what the risen life looks like, and you can match yourself according to the standards of the scriptures.

What does the Bible say about the risen life? And there are many things that I could share with you this morning, but I'm only going to share five of them with you. And they're very easy to remember.

Just take the word risen and write it down the left hand side of your paper. OK, if you're taking notes, if you're not taking notes, just make sure you have a photographic memory and you can remember everything I say. OK, what does the risen life look like? Number one, the risen life looks like this.

It rejoices in or rejoices always in the Christ. That's the risen life. The risen life rejoices always in the Christ, Paul said in Philippians four, verse number four, rejoice in the Lord always. And again, I say rejoice. In first Thessalonians 5 16, he would say rejoice always.

In Romans 14 17, he said the kingdom of heaven is not eating and drinking, but as righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. In other words, the kingdom of heaven is about you receiving the righteousness of Christ. Once you receive the righteousness of Christ, you're at peace with Christ. And if you're at peace with Christ, you have the joy of Christ. It's that simple. And the risen life rejoices always in the Christ. Listen to what Paul says in second Corinthians chapter five, excuse me, second Corinthians chapter six, verse number four.

Five and 10, he says these words. In everything, commending ourselves as service of God in much endurance and afflictions and hardships in distresses and beatings and imprisonments in tumults and labors, in sleeplessness and in hunger. Verse 10, sorrowful, yet always rejoicing. So here's a guy who experiences beatings, who experiences snake bites, who experiences shipwrecks, who experiences rejection, who experiences all kinds of difficulties, and yet he says always rejoicing. Why? Because he's rejoicing always in.

The Christ, a depressed, discouraged, despondent Christian is a paradox. Why? A.J. Mason said it this way. I love what he says. She's the Christian who remains in sadness and depression. Depression really breaks the commandment of God. In some direction or other, he mistrusts God, his power, his providence and his forgiveness. So true. If you have been raised with Christ. There is no reason to be depressed. There is no reason to be discouraged. There is no reason to be downtrodden. Why? Because of what Christ has done.

He has given you new life and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Therefore, you rejoice always in the Christ. The apostle Paul experienced so much difficulty, and yet amidst all the exceeding sorrow that he experienced, he was always rejoicing. It doesn't mean he was giddy and happy, but he means that he was filled with the joy. Of the Lord. How about you? Is that the way you are? Do you understand what it means to live the risen life? Remember, John Chapter 20. The resurrection of our Lord to was empty.

The women came, Mary stayed. It says. These words in verse 11, but Mary was standing outside the two weeping, and so as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting on at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been lying, they said to her woman. Why? Are you weeping? She said to them, because they have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid him. When she said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there and did not know that it was Jesus.

How does she not know? Because he was in his glorified body and he only reveals himself to those whom he chooses to reveal himself. Jesus said to her, same thing. Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking? Supposing to be the gardener, she said to him, sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you've laid him and I will take him away. And Jesus said to her, Mary. She turned and said to him in Hebrew, Rabboni, which means teacher. And Jesus said to her, stop clinging to me for I'm not yet ascended to the father, but go to my brethren and say to them, I ascend to my father and to your father and my God and your God, Mary Magdalene came announcing to the disciples.

I have seen the Lord and that he had said these things to her. You see, the resurrected Christ. Comforts the mournful. How? By his presence. Mary, stop clinging to me. Because you're clinging to me doesn't allow me to do what I came to do, and that is to die, rise again and ascend to my father. If he ascends to my father, guess what? You won't be able to cling to me locally because I'm going to live inside of you eternally. And my presence will always be with you. Follow John chapter 23, he comforts the mournful by his presence and then he commissions the fearful with his purpose.

Remember, the disciples are gathered together in the upper room for fear of what might happen to them. And Jesus appears and says, peace be unto you. He says these words in John 20, 21, as the father sent me, so send I you. So he takes the fearful, right, and commissions them because of the purpose he entrusts to them. So he comforts the mournful by his presence. He commissioned the fearful with his purpose. And then he convinces the doubtful. With many infallible proofs. Because one disciple wasn't there.

That was Thomas. Where was he? He was so discouraged, so despondent that he refused to assemble with the others who were redeemed. And he missed the opportunity to see Jesus. Mark it down. Whenever you choose to not assemble with the redeemed, you will always miss something about Jesus. Many won't come today because it rained. They're going to miss out. Thomas missed what the other 10 received. Right, the commissioning from our God with the purpose behind his mission. But he doesn't just. Comfort the mournful with his presence, doesn't just commission the fearful with his purpose, doesn't just convince the doubtful with his proofs.

But he challenges the hopeful. With his promise, he says these words, therefore, many of the signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which is not written in this book, but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name. The Bible says the fruit of the spirit.

Is joy rejoice always in the Christ? That's what a risen life looks like. That's number one. Not only does the risen life rejoice always in the Christ, but the risen life instructs and inspires others about the Christ. In other words, you can't help but tell other people what you have experienced, this new life in Christ. So you're going to instruct others. And in that instruction comes great inspiration. How do we know that? Luke chapter 24, if you got your Bible, turn to Luke chapter 24, Luke chapter 24.

Yeah, that famous journey on the Emmaus Road to disciples. The spondent about the fact. But they not understanding everything there was about the resurrection of Christ. So Christ shows up. As only Christ can, they don't know it's the Christ. He just asked them what they're talking about. And they're like, where have you been? Don't you know that all is taking place in Jerusalem this past week? Is your head in the sand? Don't you understand anything? And Christ says to them, what things?

And they begin to rehearse the week's events. Then Christ says these words, 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. Now, remember, they don't know it's the Christ. They just know that there's some guy off the road who has no idea what's happening because he's got his head buried in the sand and doesn't know anything about the Christ. And so Christ says to them, Oh, foolish and slow of heart.

How do you not to believe? So he begins to instruct them about himself. About the Messiah. Verse 28, and they approached the village where they were going, and he acted as though he were going further. But they urged him, saying, stay with us, for it's getting toward evening and the day is now nearly over. So he went in to stay with them. When he had reclined at the table with them, he took the bread and blessed it and breaking it began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him and he vanished from their sight.

So they didn't recognize that this was Jesus until he broke bread with them that evening. Now, listen to what it says next. They said to one another, were not our hearts burning within us while he was speaking to us on the road while he was explaining the scripture to us? They are giving testimony to the fact that they did not know it was Jesus. But whoever was explaining to them the scriptures caused their hearts to burn ablaze. Because scripture had been given to them, explained to them about who?

The Christ. You see that? Jeremiah 23, 29, is not my word like a fire. There's something about the word of God that burns in the soul of the risen individual. So much so that he wants to instruct and inspire others to follow. Look what happens next. And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem and found gathered together 11 and those who were with them saying the Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon. In other words, through the instruction came inspiration. Why? Because once you're given the word of truth, it moves you to act in obedience.

And the risen life instructs and inspires others about the Christ. Now, think about that if you're a mother today. If you're a mother, you have children in your presence. You have a responsibility to instruct and inspire them about the Christ. Think of Lois and Eunice, Timothy's mother and grandmother. Timothy's father was a Greek. But Second Timothy three tells us that Timothy had learned the scriptures from his early childhood.

And he understood the truth and was saved and became the great protege of the Apostle Paul. Think of Jacobet, who instructed Moses about the coming Messiah in the future plans of Israel. And how Moses learned not to fear the king's edict. He was 11 because his parents didn't fear the king's edict. And therefore, he could choose to suffer the affliction with the people of God instead of enjoy the passing place of God. Think about the pleasures of sin for a season. Think about Hannah, their son Samuel.

She began to instruct and inspire him about the plan that God had for that little boy. How God would use him. You see, if you're a mother, you have a huge responsibility. If you're a father, same responsibility as yours, but you're the leader of your wife and you're the leader of your children. And you instruct them and inspire them in the ways of God. That's your responsibility, because that's what the risen life does. The risen life doesn't close the book and walk away from the book. The risen life doesn't open the book on Sunday and close it Monday through Saturday.

The risen life lives to instruct and inspire others about the truth of the living God. That's what we do. We're going to all the world and make disciples and teach the disciples. What? All the things that Christ commended them. That's our responsibility. We became proclaimers of the truth. Of the living God. That's why Paul said, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it's the power of God into salvation to the Jew first and to the Greek.

I'm not ashamed of the gospel. There's power in the gospel. Why? Because when I instruct people, the gospel inspires them to follow the truth of the gospel. That's why you teach people about the about the Christ. You go back and tell everything about the crucifixion of the Christ, the resurrection of the Christ. Everything was predetermined. Read Acts 2, 22, 24. Not only was it predetermined, it was all prophesied. Just read Psalm 22, Psalm 16, Psalm 110. Read. Jeremiah, Isaiah, everything that was predetermined was was prophesied.

Everything that was prophesied was was pronounced by Christ in John chapter two. When he said, destroy this temple in three days, I'll raise it up again. And that which was was pronounced by Christ was predicted by Christ in John five. Why? Because in John five, he says that all authority has been given to him to raise people from the dead. That which is predicted was proclaimed in John 10, 18, when Christ said, no one takes my life from me. But I laid down my own initiative, and if I lay down my own initiative, I can take it up again.

Not only was it proclaimed by Christ, but it was performed by Christ in John 11 when he raised Lazarus from the dead. That was promised by Christ in John 14, 19, when he said, because I live, you too will live. It was personified in John 20 when he raised himself from the dead. It's provided in John 20, 20, 31, when he said, look, if you believe in these things, you'll have life in Christ. And that which was provided was proven in Matthew 27. Remember at the crucifixion, there was a great earthquake.

And many souls were raised from the dead. Why? Because at Christ's resurrection, there was a great earthquake and he was raised from the dead. So it was proven by others being raised from the dead. It was preached all throughout the book of Acts and prescribed in Romans 10, 9 and 10. To instruct and inspire others. About the Christ. That's what we do. The word of God, as it says in the first Thessalonians 2, 13, powerfully works in those who believe.

It doesn't powerfully work in those who don't believe. But it does in those who do believe. The risen Christ. Gives new life to those who believe in him. Those who have died to themselves have been crucified with Christ, buried with him in the likeness of his death, raised with him in the likeness of his resurrection. We now have a risen life. That risen life is marked by the fact that we rejoice always in the Christ. We instruct and inspire others about the Christ. And thirdly, you seek those things that are pleasing.

To Christ. You seek those things that are pleasing to Christ, Colossians 3. Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth. For you have died in your life and sitting with Christ in God. When Christ, who was our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory. Those who live the risen life. Seek those things that are pleasing to Christ.

They set their mind on things above, not on things below. They set their affections on Christ. They don't set their affections on the things of the world. Galatians 6 says he's been crucified to the world. You've died to the world. You've died to self. You've died to sin. You've died to those who oppose the Christ to live for Christ. And to honor him. As Paul says in or the writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews chapter 12, you you fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher. Of your faith. Who for the joy set before him.

Despised the shame. And live for the glory of his father. You're going to say consider him, consider Christ. Why? Why? Because in considering him, you will not grow weary and faint. In other words, you can continue on. You can persevere through difficulties. You can keep bearing up under pressure. Why? Because you consider the Christ who bore up under all that pressure he faced and Christ lives in you, the resurrected Christ lives in us. Christ in you. The hope of glory. Therefore, you seek those things that are pleasing to the Christ.

Crisis in Matthew six, six, verse number 33, seeking first the kingdom of God in his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you, but seek first his kingdom.

The risen life doesn't set its affections on things below. Why? Because the risen life is so heavenly minded. They are no earthly good. That's why the heavenly mind can function below because it's focused above. If you can't function down here, it's because you're not focused up there. If you're not focused vertically, you'll never function horizontally. You'll feel miserably. But the risen life keeps seeking those things that are above, sets their affection on things above, seeks those things that are pleasing only to Christ.

How about you? What are you seeking? What are you pursuing? The risen life rejoices always in the Christ, instructs and inspires others about the Christ, seeks those things that are pleasing to Christ, and then therefore embraces, embraces the pursuit of knowing Christ, embraces the pursuit of knowing Christ. Remember what Paul says in the book of Philippians, Philippians chapter three. Verse number eight, I count all things to be lost in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord, everything else is rubbish.

Everything else means nothing except knowing Christ, my Lord. He says, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ. Verse 10, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of his sufferings being conformed to his death. Those who live the risen life embrace the pursuit of knowing Christ. They want to know the Christ. They can't get enough of Christ. Paul's whole life was a constant pursuit. And this is a guy who writes 13 epistles.

But he never knows his Christ enough. Because the more you know him, the more you want to pursue him, the more you realize what you don't know about him and you're you're you're driven to pursue him. Was the great leader Moses who said in Exodus 33, let me know by ways that I may know the.

So I'm going to say this on 42, my soul pants for the Oh, God, Psalm 63, my soul thirsts for the Hosea six. The Lord says, I delight in the knowledge of God. Second Peter 318 grow in the grace and knowledge of your God.

David says the Solomon and second Chronicles 28, verse number nine, know the God of your father. Why? Because second, that's the only is one for some race says that when the Lord Jesus Christ appears, he will enact his vengeance on all those who do not obey the gospel and who do not know the Lord.

But the risen life. Embraces the pursuit. Of knowing Christ. Paul said, I want to know the power of your resurrection. I want to know the fellowship of your suffering. I want to be conformed to your death. In other words, Paul knew that the intimacy that he would have with the Lord came when he experienced suffering for the sake of the Lord. That's how much you wanted to know is God. He wanted to know him in such a way that he would suffer for his God and experience the grace and mercy because he can go to a faithful, merciful high priest who can sympathize with all of his weaknesses.

And he could cast all of his cares upon that one because that's the one who cares for his soul. And Daniel said in Daniel 11, 32, that those who know their God. Display strength. And do great exploits, do you know your God? Do you display strength? Do you do great exploits for God? That's the knowledge of God. Those who pursue God and knowing him realize that he rubs off on you in such a way that you're able to experience the power of the living God through your life because your chief pursuit in life is to know him.

The risen life rejoices always in the Christ, instructs, inspires others about the Christ, seeks those things that are pleasing to Christ, embraces the pursuit of knowing Christ. And lastly. But not last, last on the list, but not last entirely. And that is this. The risen life needs nothing. But the Christ. The risen life needs nothing else. But the Christ. Colossians 2, 10, you are complete in him. In other words, second, Peter tells us that we are partakers of the divine nature of God.

Paul tells us the first Christian so that we have the mind of Christ so we can think as he thinks, because we know his mind based on the truth of the word of God.

Therefore, we don't need anything but the Christ. That's why the psalmist said, the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. When you understand the good shepherd, the chief shepherd, when you understand the great shepherd of the sheep. You want for nothing else. Because as the psalmist says in Psalm 103, Psalm 103, verse number five, that God is the one who satisfies your years with good things, so your youth is renewed like the eagles. And then over in Psalm 145, verse 14, the Lord sustains all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to you and you give them their food in due time. You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. And then in Psalm 34, verse number eight, oh, taste and see the Lord is good. How blessed is the man who takes refuge in him? Oh, fear the Lord, you saints. For to those who fear him. There is no. Once. No one. And they says the young lions do lack and suffer hunger, but they seek the Lord should not be in want of any good thing. The psalmist would say in Psalm 8411, no good thing does the Lord withhold from those who walk uprightly.

And those who walk uprightly are those who live the risen. Life, how about you? You're here today on Resurrection Sunday. You're here to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. Have you experienced new life in Christ? If you have. You will rejoice always in the Christ. You will instruct and inspire others about the Christ. You will seek those things that are pleasing to the Christ. You will embrace the pursuit of knowing the Christ. Why? Because you need nothing else but the Christ. That's the risen life.

We trust that you have that life. Let's pray together. Father, we thank you for today, the opportunity you give us to be together as an assembly of redeemed. And we pray, Lord, that you'd use your word in our lives, that we might follow and serve and honor you. If there be one today that doesn't know you, that doesn't and hasn't experienced new life in Christ. Our prayer today is that they would come to know Christ as Lord and Savior, the resurrected king. Who turns lives upside down for the glory of your kingdom.

In Jesus name, Amen.