Introduction:
The Question That Changes Everything.
Imagine for a moment that it never happened.
No stone rolled away.
No linen cloth folded in an empty tomb.
No nail-scarred hands reaching out in resurrected power.
What if Christ had not risen?
That question isn’t just theological—it’s personal. It strikes at the very core of our faith, our preaching, our hope, and our eternity. The resurrection of Jesus is not just a chapter in our belief system; it is the foundation of everything we hold dear.
This morning, we don’t gather merely to reflect—we gather to rejoice. Because Jesus did rise from the grave, and that single truth changes everything.
The Apostle Paul addresses this question: What if There Was No Resurrection?
Scripture:
1 Corinthians 15:14-20
14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses ( Liars) about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
If Christ Be Not Risen? (As the Apostle Paul said)
- The resurrection of Jesus is the hope that I have.
- The centrality of my life.
- The basis of all I have dedicated my life to.
- The foundation of every message that I have ever preached.
- It is the very reason that I stand here today!!!
If Christ Be Not Risen?
The
John 14:19 Because I live, you also will live.
My very hope of living depends on the resurrected Christ.
Illustration - I listened to the story once of a Christian Man and a Muslim woman who were sitting next to one another on a flight. They discussed their faith and all their similarities. They agreed that they loved the morality of Jesus and the ethics in His teaching, but the difference maker was found in the different beliefs concerning the resurrection. ( Muslims do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died on the cross of Calvary, or that He rose from the grave.)
The Ten Commandments gave us a moral and ethical standard, so we didn’t need Jesus for that.
I Follow His Teaching, His Morals, His Ethics, But That Is Not Where My Hope Lies
My Hope is Not In
- His Morals
- His Ethics
- His Teachings
My Hope Is In
- His
The Resurrection of Jesus is the one thing that makes our Faith unique.
I have stood at the head of countless graves, including my child, my mother, and my grandmother, being assured and assuring people that, because of the resurrection of Jesus, we too can see our loved ones again.
Based on Our Faith Today In the Resurrection, Many Things Have Been Done.
Sermons Have Been Preached By Great Preachers
Men like-
Dr. Charles Stanley
Oral Roberts
Dr. Adrian Rogers
Dr. EV Hill
John Wesly
Charles Spurgeon
Reinhard Bonkey
Billy Graham
If The Resurrection Be Not So
- We have just been thrilled by men with simple gifts and eloquence concerning that which did not happen
- Publications Have Been Created books, songs, hymnals lessons, and outlines.
- We have worked to share the Gospel Around The World Through- Bible Distribution & Missionaries Television, Radio, and The Internet
- We have gathered as a Church for thousands of Years
- We have built churches and held crusades and events all over the world
- We have given invitations for Salvation and have told people that if they would come to Christ, their sins would be forgiven
But if Christ Be Not Risen, it has all been in Vain!!
But If Christ Be Not Risen, Death Still Has Its Sting, and The Grave Still Holds Its Victory
Paul Believed This So Deeply That He said in our main text -
If Christ Be Not Risen-
1. Our Preaching Is In Vain
2. Our Faith Is In Vain
3. We are All Liars.
4. We all remain condemned.
It is on this matter today that we sink or swim/live or die.
How Do We Answer This Question, “IF Christ Be Not Risen?”
What Proof Do We Offer That He Has Risen?
1. I Offer - The
Tomb
I’ve traveled to and spoken in eleven countries across three continents, sharing the Gospel, and in all of them, we inevitably ended up at some point visiting a tomb.
I’ve visited the catacombs of Vienna, Austria. I’ve visited the tombs of numerous saints and even the tomb of Martin Luther in Wittenberg, Germany. In all of these places, they say, here are where their bones lie. I’ve seen the bones of 10,000 saints, nobles, and religious leaders under St Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, Austria.
This morning I could take you to Cairo in Egypt. You could see where the bones of Muhammad lie. We could travel to Iraq and see where both Jews & Muslims believe the bones of Ezekiel lie. Still, I could also take you to another tomb today in Jerusalem, and at that tomb, you would find an open door, you would find that there are no bones, and you would see an empty tomb. - May I present to you that Jesus is unlike all others because His Tomb is Empty?
2. I Offer - The
Who Rejoiced
Matthew 28:5-6,8 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Vs 8 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
3. I Offer - The Restored
Of Thomas
John 20:25-29 So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” 26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
We don’t have a Faith of Feeling but rather a Faith of Believing.
4. I Offer - The
of Peter
Peter had been caught in the moment of fear before the crucifixion and denied Jesus.
After the Resurrection, Jesus was specific with His instructions concerning Simon Peter.
Mark 16:7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”
The Resurrected Savior was inclusive and not exclusive. (Go Get Peter)
If I may, He said, He messed up, but go get him, He denied me, but go get him, he is alone and afraid, go get him.
5. I Offer - The
Church
1 Corinthians 15:14 vs 14, and if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is vain, and our faith is in vain.
With every Salvation, we see the evidence of a Gospel preached that was not in vain.
Throughout this auditorium and around the world, millions have believed in this 2000-year-old message, just like Simon Peter.
Today, we are given the opportunity to make that same choice. (I Believe In The Life Giving Power of The Resurrection of Jesus Christ)
I present to you that our preaching and our faith are not in vain. The Evidence is all around us!
The most compelling evidence of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is a life transformed by His saving grace.
Conclusion -
Response Questions
1. Do you believe that Jesus rose from the dead, and have you placed your trust in Him?
2. Are you living like someone whose hope is in a Risen Savior?
3. Do you feel that you have gone too far in sin and that there is no way out?
4. Do you feel alone, abandoned, or forgotten?
(Come to Jesus)
Invitation:
1. If you’ve been living in doubt, come.
2. If you’ve failed like Peter, come.
3. If you’ve never experienced the power of the resurrection, come.