God Raised Jesus From the Dead
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BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN
CHRIST JESUS:
ONE OF MY FAVORITE
HEROES IN AMERICAN HISTORY
IS THOMAS JEFFERSON.
THOMAS JEFFERSON, YOU WOULD
QUICKLY RECOGNIZE AS
THE AUTHOR OF THE DECLARATION
OF INDEPENDENCE.
BUT FEW PEOPLE
REALIZE,
FEW PEOPLE KNOW, THAT
THOMAS JEFFERSON ALSO
PUBLISHED HIS OWN VERSION
OF THE BIBLE.
IN HIS VERSION OF THE BIBLE,
HE INCLUDED ALL OF THE
MORAL AND ETHICAL CONTENT OF
SCRIPTURE AND THE WORDS OF
JESUS. BUT
HE ELIMINATED EVERYTHING
SUPERNATURAL.
IN FACT,
THE LAST VERSE IN
JEFFERSON'S BIBLE
READS LIKE THIS:
"THERE THEY LAID JESUS
AND ROLLED A GREAT STONE AT
THE MOUTH OF THE SEPULCHER
AND DEPARTED."
THE GOLDEN RULE IS PROMINENT
IN
JEFFERSON'S BIBLE, BUT THERE
IS
NOT ANY RESURRECTION.
A GREAT AND
INFLUENTIAL MAN AND I WOULD
EVEN ADMIT ONE OF MY
HEROES IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
BUT THOMAS JEFFERSON,
UNFORTUNATELY, HE WAS NOT
A MAN OF FAITH.
LIKE HIS NAMESAKE IN TODAY'S
GOSPEL LESSON,
HE WAS A DOUBTING THOMAS.
HE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT JESUS
WAS GOD
BECAUSE IT DID ... NOT ...
MAKE ... SENSE.
EVEN SO, I DO AND I THINK WE
ALL DO THANK GOD FOR
ALL THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT
JEFFERSON BROUGHT
TO OUR NATION; ESPECIALLY THE
BILL HE WROTE
ESTABLISHING RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
AND
HIS STRONG SUPPORT OF
SEPARATION OF
CHURCH AND STATE.
BUT SUPPOSE
JUST FOR A MINUTE THAT BILL,
THAT LAW,
GRANTING RELIGIOUS FREEDOM,
HAD NEVER BEEN PASSED.
OR, WHAT IF, MAYBE
NOT EVEN IF WHAT HAD BEEN
PASSED, WHAT IF
IN THE FUTURE ...
WHAT IF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
IS REPEALED?
WHAT IF SOMEWHERE OR
SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE
YOU ARE FORBIDDEN,
FORBIDDEN OF TELLING
SOMEBODY ABOUT JESUS?
IT HAS HAPPENED IN THE
HISTORY
OF THE CHURCH, NOT JUST IN THE
BOOK OF ACTS BUT ELSEWHERE
AS WELL THROUGHOUT HISTORY.
SO IT BENEFITS
US TO CONSIDER THE RESPONSE
THAT GOD GAVE
THE APOSTLES ... THE RESPONSE
THAT GOD LET THESE APOSTLES
SHARE WITH THE AUTHORITIES
THAT TOLD THEM
NOT TO TALK ABOUT JESUS.
THEIR MESSAGE REMAINED:
"GOD ... RAISED ... JESUS
FROM ... THE DEAD.'
THIS IS, OF COURSE, THE
EARLY HISTORY
OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
SHORTLY AFTER
THE RISEN JESUS ASCENDED INTO
HEAVEN,
TO BE RECEIVED AT THE RIGHT
HAND OF GOD WITH ALL
AUTHORITY AND MAJESTY AND
MULTITUDES ... THOUSANDS WERE
CONVERTED ON THE DAY OF
PENTECOST.
AND OVER THESE NEXT WEEKS
MORE AND MORE PEOPLE
BELIEVED IN THE LORD JESUS
EVEN THOUGH
THE LEADERS OF THE JEWISH
PEOPLE, THE JEWISH
RELIGIOUS LEADERS WERE
OPPOSED TO THE MESSAGE.
AND THEY EVEN DIRECTLY FORBID
THE APOSTLES
FROM SPEAKING ABOUT CHRIST.
EVEN SO, MORE AND MORE
PEOPLE CAME TO
PRAISE GOD'S SELECTION BY
EVEN GRANTING THOSE
APOSTLES THE ABILITY TO
PERFORM NUMEROUS MIRACLES
AND THEN THE WORDS OF OUR
TEXT HAPPENS.
THE HIGH PRIEST
ARRESTED THE APOSTLES
AND PUT THEM
IN JAIL.
WHY WERE THEY
UPSET?
IT WENT BEYOND
JUST THE JEALOUSY THAT THESE
PEOPLE WERE NO LONGER
FOLLOWING THE JEWISH HIGH
PRIEST. NOW THEY
WERE FOLLOWING THE APOSTLES.
IT WAS MORE THAN THAT.
IT WAS THE SAME REASON THEY
WERE OPPOSED TO JESUS.
JESUS TOLD THEM THEY WERE
SINNERS!
AND THAT THEY NEEDED A
SAVIOR.
JESUS TOLD THEM THAT THE SON
OF GOD ...
IMMANUEL ... CAME TO THIS
EARTH
TO DIE FOR THEM. THAT WAS THE
ONLY WAY
TO GET A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP
WITH GOD
AND FREE SALVATION FROM GOD
WHO CAME TO EARTH
AND WHO ROSE FROM THE DEAD.
IT DID NOT MAKE SENSE TO THEM.
AND THEY WOULD NOT ACCEPT IT.
THEY THREW THE APOSTLES
IN JAIL. AND HOW DID THAT
TURN OUT FOR THEM?
HOW DID THAT TURN OUT FOR
THOSE WHO PROHIBITED THE
APOSTLES FROM TEACHING? YOU
SAW THAT IT DIDN'T.
IT'S SO IRONIC THEY SENT THE
TEMPLE GUARDS
BACK TO THE PRISON THE NEXT
MORNING
TO GET THE APOSTLES OUT OF
PRISON TO PUT THEM ON TRIAL.
AND LO AND BEHOLD, WHILE THE
GUARD WAS OUTSIDE THE DOOR,
THE PRISON CELL WAS EMPTY.
THEY MUST HAVE BEEN PUZZLED.
PUZZLED! HOW DID THESE GUYS
GET OUT? NOW I HEAR THEY'RE
PREACHING IN THE TEMPLE AND
THEY WERE DEFINITELY PUZZLED,
BUT EVEN THAT DID NOT
LEAD THEM TO RECOGNIZE THE
TRUTH OF
THE MESSAGE.
THE JEWISH LEADERS
REMAINED ADAMANT IN THEIR
ANIMOSITY
TOWARD JESUS AND HIS
FOLLOWERS.
"WE GAVE YOU STRICT ORDERS NOT
TO TEACH IN THIS NAME.
YET YOU HAVE FILLED JERUSALEM
WITH YOUR TEACHING AND ARE
DETERMINED
TO MAKE US GUILTY OF THIS
MAN'S BLOOD."
FOR THAT HIGH PRIEST,
THE NAME JESUS
WAS WORSE THAN ANY
FOUR-LETTER CURSE WORD.
HE WOULDN'T EVEN
USE THAT NAME JESUS. HE
CALLED HIM THE ONE AND
THAT NAME. HE REFUSED TO
SPEAK THE NAME THAT IS ABOVE
EVERY NAME. THE ONLY NAME
UNDER HEAVEN
GIVEN TO PEOPLE BY WHICH
WE MUST BE SAVED. HE WANTED
TO AVOID THE GUILT BY WIPING
OUT THE MESSENGERS.
FRANKLY WE LIVE IN A LAND
THANKFULLY ...
WE LIVE IN A LAND
OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY.
HOW GRATEFUL WE ARE FOR
FREEDOM TO WORSHIP AND
SHARE JESUS' NAME!
WE DON'T HAVE TO BE AFRAID OF
POLICE OFFICERS
STORMING THROUGH OUR DOORS
AND HAULING ALL OF US OFF TO
PRISON THIS MORNING.
AND FOR THAT,
I'M IMMENSELY THANKFUL.
BUT, IN AMERICA TODAY, MODERN
AMERICA TODAY,
THERE WILL BE TIMES WHEN,
NOT JUST MAYBE,
THERE WILL BE TIMES WHEN
JESUS' ENEMIES
CHALLENGE US FOR SHARING
THE GOSPEL.
WE MIGHT BE TOLD, OR AT LEAST
WE'RE AFRAID OF BEING TOLD,
"YOU CAN'T FORCE YOUR
MORALITY ON ME!"
OR, "YOU CAN'T PROVE
THAT JESUS WAS ANY MORE THAN
JUST A GREAT TEACHER."
OR PERHAPS THERE MIGHT EVEN
BE
A GOVERNMENT GRANT THAT'S
OFFERED OR AN
EMPLOYER TO GIVE THE JOB
UNDER THE CONDITION:
YOU CAN'T TELL PEOPLE
ABOUT JESUS
AND SHARE YOUR CHRISTIAN
FAITH
IN THIS GRANT OR ON THE JOB.
AND TOLERANT, OPEN-MINDED
PEOPLE
CAN BECOME VERY
NARROW-MINDED WHEN
THE CHRISTIAN FAITH THAT IS
SHARED CAN BE
ONLY ONE WAY TO HEAVEN. AND
THAT WAY
ANY WAY YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE,
MAY NOT BE CORRECT UNLESS
IT'S FOLLOWING GOD'S
MORALITY, GOD'S LAW.
AND I FIND THAT DOUBTING
THOMAS IN ME
WANTS TO YIELD. SO OFTEN
IT'S EASY TO THINK
AS LONG AS NO ONE ELSE TRIES
TO CONVINCE ME
OF THEIR BELIEFS, I DON'T
NEED TO TRY AND CONVINCE
ANYBODY ELSE.
OUR MINDS
MAY TRY TO CONVINCE US
TO REFRAIN FROM SHARING
WHAT'S BEYOND OUR
UNDERSTANDING,
IN BIBLE STUDY TODAY WE
TALKED ABOUT THE TRIUNE GOD -
THE TRINITY.
AND MAYBE BECAUSE I CAN'T
EXPLAIN THAT,
I WON'T TALK ABOUT IT.
HOW EASY IT IS TO FIND A
REASON NOT TO SHARE
THE MESSAGE. IT ISN'T FUN TO
ADMIT,
"I AM GUILTY OF THIS MAN'S
BLOOD!"
IT ISN'T FUN TO TELL SOMEBODY
ELSE THE LAW
BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT I NEED
TO TELL MYSELF
THAT LAW THAT I'M A SINNER.
SO GOD GRANT US THE STRENGTH -
GOD GRANT US THE STRENGTH
TO ... THAT OUR MESSAGE
REMAINS THE SAME.
GOD RAISED THIS JESUS
FROM THE DEAD. THAT INCLUDES
SHARING THE MESSAGE OF
THE LAW TO SHARE WHY HE
DIED
THAT IN HIM WE HAVE
REDEMPTION
THROUGH HIS BLOOD.
THE FORGIVENESS
OF SIN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
RICHES OF GOD'S GRACE.
AND IF ANYONE
EVER PROHIBITS US FROM
SPEAKING OF
THE ONE GOD RAISED FROM THE
DEAD,
MAY WE REPLY AS THE APOSTLES
"WE MUST OBEY GOD RATHER THAN
HUMAN BEINGS."
IT IS QUITE A LEAP OF FAITH
TO STAND UP TO AUTHORITY IN
THAT WAY.
WHEN GOD'S WORD COMMANDS
WE MUST DO EVEN WHEN
FORBIDDEN
BY HUMAN AUTHORITIES.
WHAT GOD'S WORD PROHIBITS,
WE WILL NOT DO
EVEN IF HUMAN AUTHORITY TELLS
US WE MUST.
WHILE THERE IS NO AUTHORITY
ON EARTH, NO GOVERNMENT
EXISTS
EXCEPT THAT WHICH GOD HAS
ESTABLISHED,
CHRISTIANS ARE BOUND TO OBEY
GOD RATHER THAN AUTHORITY.
WHEN THE AUTHORITY OVERSTEPS
ITS BOUNDS,
AND OPPOSES THE ONE THAT IS
GIVEN BY GOD,
THAT GAVE THEM THAT AUTHORITY.
AND SO, WHAT DID THE
CHRISTIANS DO IN OUR TEXT?
WELL, THE APOSTLES HAD NO
CHOICE.
THEY WERE BOUND; THEY WERE
OBLIGATED. THEY WERE
UNDER ORDERS FROM JESUS TO
PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL.
THE GOOD NEWS. AND AS THEY
DID, THE HOLY SPIRIT
GAVE THEM THE WORDS THAT
THEY SHOULD SPEAK.
AND AFTER THE HOLY SPIRIT'S
WORK TO MAKE DISCIPLES.
AFTER THEIR SUPERNATURAL
ESCAPE
FROM PRISON, THE ANGEL ...
GOD EVEN SENT AN ANGEL TO
REMIND THEM ABOUT THEIR JOB.
"GO, STAND IN THE TEMPLE
COURTS
AND TELL THE PEOPLE THE FULL
MESSAGE
OF THIS NEW LIFE.
CLEARLY, GOD
WANTED, AND WANTS, THIS
MESSAGE SHARED.
THAT JESUS LIVES, AND JESUS
RULES
ALL THINGS. JESUS EVEN RULES
THE BARS
OF THE PRISON. HE EVEN RULES
OVER THE JAIL CELLS
AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD
FREED THEM
AND ORDERED THEM TO FOLLOW
THROUGH ON
THE GREAT COMMISSION.
HE PROCLAIMED
THAT ALL POWER HAD BEEN GIVEN
TO HIM AND THEN HE PROMISES
TO BE WITH US. AND WHAT A
SPECIAL BLESSING THAT IS
WHEN WE CONSIDER THE
POSSIBILITY OF MEANING TO SAY
WE MUST OBEY GOD RATHER THAN
PEOPLE.
WE MUST STAND UP TO HUMAN
AUTHORITY
WHATEVER IT IS, EVEN IF IT'S
IN OPPOSITION OF A FRIEND
OR A NEIGHBOR.
JESUS IS WITH US
IN THAT SITUATION AND HE WILL
TAKE CARE OF US.
WE'RE COMPELLED FRIENDS
TO SHARE THE GREAT TRUTH OF
JESUS
THAT GOD RAISED JESUS FROM
THE DEAD.
ADD THE HUMAN FEELINGS
THE JEWISH LEADERS HAD
FORBIDDEN SHARING JESUS' NAME,
CONSIDER ONE MORE THING.
HOW THE APOSTLES CONTINUED
TO SHARE THE GOSPEL. RECOGNIZE
THE APOSTLES DID NOT RIOT.
THEY DID NOT
PICK UP ARMS AND BEGIN TO
FIGHT WITH THE GUARDS.
BUT RATHER, THEY OBEYED THE
LAW WHILE STILL
MAINTAINING AND SHOWING
RESPECT FOR THE
AUTHORITIES THAT WERE IN
OPPOSITION TO GOD.
THEY TRUSTED THAT GOD WOULD
PROTECT THEM.
WHEN THE AUTHORITIES SENT
SOLDIERS
TO TAKE THEM BACK TO TRIAL,
THEY WENT ALONG
TRUSTING THAT GOD WAS WITH
THEM.
AND THEN LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT
THE APOSTLE'S WORDS:
"THE GOD OF OUR FATHERS
RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD --
WHOM YOU HAD KILLED BY
HANGING HIM ON A TREE.
GOD EXALTED HIM TO HIS OWN
RIGHT HAND AS PRINCE AND
SAVIOR THAT HE MIGHT GIVE
REPENTANCE AND FORGIVENESS
OF SINS TO ISRAEL."
[ACTS 5:30-31]
THAT'S QUITE AN EXAMPLE THERE.
EVEN IF WE STAND UP
AND WE OBEY GOD RATHER THAN
PEOPLE,
WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT IN
A WAY THAT MAKES OTHER PEOPLE
MAD AT US OR MAKE OTHER PEOPLE
FIGHT OR TAKE OUR LIVES.
WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT IN A
WAY WHERE WE LOSE OUR JOBS.
WE CAN BE WISE ABOUT IT
AND SHARE EASTER.
TELLING THEM THE REASON FOR
THE HOPE THAT WE HAVE.
THIS BEAUTIFUL AND
HARD-HITTING DECLARATION
SHOWED THE HEARERS THEIR
SINS.
THAT YOU CRUCIFIED HIM.
YOU KILLED HIM BY
HANGING HIM ON A TREE.
AND YET GOD RAISED HIM
FROM THE DEAD.
WELL THEN THE MESSAGE: THE
MESSAGE WAS REPENTANCE
AND FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
AND THAT'S THE SAME MESSAGE
THAT GOD GIVES TO YOU AND TO
ME. IT WAS AND IT IS
JESUS MESSAGE AS WELL AND
PROCLAIMING IT IS
OUR PRIVILEGE, IS OUR HONOR,
IS OUR
SOLEMN RESPONSIBILITY.
HE ALSO SAYS
"WE ARE WITNESSES OF THESE
THINGS,
AND SO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT,
WHOM GOD HAS GIVEN TO THOSE
WHO OBEY HIM." [VERSE 32]
THE APOSTLES HAD SEEN
THE CRUCIFIXION AND HAD
SEEN THE EMPTY TOMB AND THEY
SAW THE RISEN LORD
AND THEY TOUCHED HIM.
AND THEY CELEBRATED
THE TRUTH THAT HE WAS A MAN
AND BECAUSE OF THAT THEY WERE
WITNESSES. WITNESSES SHARE
WHAT THEY KNOW.
YOU AND I ARE WITNESSES AS
WELL.
WE MAY NOT HAVE TOUCHED
JESUS. THESE EYES
MAY NOT HAVE PHYSICALLY SEEN
HIM.
BUT GOD'S WORD HAS SHOWN HIM
TO US ...
HAS REVEALED HIM TO US, AND
WE PUT OUR FAITH
IN THE TRUTH THAT THIS WORD
OF SCRIPTURE SHARED.
THE RISEN LORD AFTER DYING
FOR OUR SINS
SITS IN GLORY RULING ALL
THINGS.
THAT'S OUR MESSAGE TO SHARE.
I WILL ADMIT
THERE IS NOTHING QUITE LIKE
THE FEAR THAT GRIPS YOUR HEART
WHEN THE CUBAN IMMIGRATION
OFFICIAL
KNOCKS ON THE HOTEL ROOM DOOR
YOU'RE STAYING IN AT 10 p.m.
AT NIGHT,
AND TELLS YOU TO OPEN UP. AND
THEN HE GOES ON TO TELL YOU
HOW YOU'RE BREAKING YOUR VISA
BECAUSE YOU'RE TEACHING A
BIBLE STUDY.
WELL WHEN THAT HAPPENED TO ME,
THE HOLY SPIRIT MUST HAVE
GIVEN ME THE WORDS TO SAY AND
THE WORST FEAR WAS WHEN I
MUMBLED SOMETHING IN SPANISH,
I'M NOT SURE WHAT I SAID.
AND THE GUY I WAS TALKING TO
DIDN'T UNDERSTAND A WORD
BECAUSE HE VERY SLOWLY SPOKE
IN SIMPLE SPANISH:
TOMORROW YOU'RE COMING TO MY
OFFICE.
YOU HAVE AN APPOINTMENT.
SO HE LEFT.
EARLY THE NEXT MORNING THE
OTHER MISSIONARY,
PASTOR SPRAIN AND I WENT TO
THE OFFICE
WITH ONE OF THE CUBAN PASTORS
AND WE WERE REMINDED THAT
TOURISTS IN THE COUNTRY, WHICH
WE WERE,
ARE NOT AUTHORIZED, UNDER THE
LAWS OF THE LAND,
TO PREACH, OR TO TEACH,
A BIBLE STUDY.
SUCH ACTIONS VIOLATE
THE TERMS OF OUR VISA.
AND WE SAT THERE AND
WE RECOGNIZED THE LAW.
AND THEN THE CUBAN PASTOR
SPOKE, AND HE SAID:
"WHEN THEIR FRIENDS
ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING,
EVEN A RELIGIOUS THING, THEY
CAN GIVE AN ANSWER, RIGHT?"
THE OFFICIAL SAID, "YES",
AND SO WE KNEW THAT THE
GOSPEL DOOR
WAS STILL OPEN FOR US.
SO I WASN'T THROWN IN JAIL.
WE WERE RELEASED WITH
THAT WARNING AND WE CONTINUED
TO SHARE THE GOSPEL.
ALSO OBEYED THE LAW OF THE
VISA.
BUT DOING IT IN A WAY THAT
CONFORMED WITH THE LAW
OF THE LAND.
FRIENDS,
YOU CAN FIND YOUR WAY TO
SHARE JESUS
WITH THOSE AROUND YOU. THINK
OF WHAT THE HIGH PRIEST
ANGRILY COMPLAINED ABOUT.
HE ACCUSED:
"YOU HAVE FILLED JERUSALEM
WITH THIS TEACHING!"
WAS THEIR MESSAGE. RIGHT?
BUT THIS ANGRY COMPLAINT
"FILLED JERUSALEM
WITH JESUS!" WAS ACTUALLY
A HIGH COMPLIMENT
FOR THE DISCIPLES.
EVERY CHRISTIAN CAN TRY
TO EMULATE THAT.
DO AS THEY DID.
FILL THE VALLEY WITH THE
FULL MESSAGE OF NEW LIFE:
FILL THIS COUNTRY WITH JESUS!
GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD!
MAY THAT POWER STRENGTHEN US
TO FOLLOW THROUGH.
AMEN.