Outline:
1. Our world is dying.
2. God’s greatest victory came through what looked like defeat.
3. The Resurrection of Jesus gives us the power to persevere to victory in the midst of defeat.
• Freedom from selfishness and power to sacrifice self and pursue righteousness.
• Your guilt over past mistakes does not determine your participation in his power today.
• Your current flaws and weaknesses are not too much for the Risen Savior to heal and mend.
• Because Jesus lives, our pain is not wasted.
Scripture References:
• Acts 2:14-21
• Isaiah 34:4
• 2 Cor. 4:10-11,16
• Prov. 24:16
• 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
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"And they lived happily ever after"
Why is it that so many fairy tales we tell end with those words?
Because inside that is all our hope. We all want to live happily ever after. We all want a future that is getting better and better and everything in our lives ends with a bright and beautiful sunset.
But is that really how it goes? yes as christians we believe in final victory - but the way that life unfolds here and now is very mixed.
in reality life often feels like a complicated combination of victory and defeat.
A much more realistic vision of the world is found is J. R. R. Tolkiens stories.
One of the repeated themes of the Lord of the Rings and all the stories of middle earth is that the light beauty of the world is slowly fading. There are repeated glorious victories over evil - and yet over the ages evil always finds a way to creep back in to the world.
The ones to sense this most of all are the elves, because they never die, unless they are killed.
For thousands of years, they fight evil and beat it back for a while - and then it comes back, and back to war they go.
Their view of the world is very different from those whose life comes to an end.
"together through the ages of the world we have fought the long defeat..." -- remove?
Tolkien is a lot more realistic about the world. He understands that life is a complex mix of victory and defeat.
You may feel like things are going well. Your life may end in a happily ever after.
And it may not. You may hit difficulties you never expected. And even if you get all you ever wanted, you will find in the midst of it all a constant battle with sin, weakness and pain.
The same goes for the world as a whole. Yes we see many good things and good changes take place in the world today. But also we see a decline, a decay, a downward trend in human fallenness and evil.
Heres the thing about Tolkien's characters - they admit that they are in a fading world and evil always comes back - but they never give up and never stop fighting.
And in many ways their courage and their character shines through even more beautiful as they bravely face battles they know they can't win.
Where do we get the power to witness and experience repeated evil, struggles, temptations and sins - and yet keep on standing strong and continuing to live a life of giving and service to God and others?
Where do we get the hope and confidence to keep going in obedience to God when we don't see any immediate benefit and all cost?
Answer: the resurrection of Jesus.
1. Our world is dying.
One of the best resurrection sermons ever preached was preached on the day of Pentecost by Peter.
If you remember, the disciples were all gathered and waiting together after Jesus had ascended back up to heaven.
During this time the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak the message of Jesus and his salvation in various languages to all the people that happened to be in the city at that time.
This created quite a commotion in the city and many people thought these disciples of Jesus were drunk because of the fact that they were speaking in different languages.
Peter gets up to address the crowd and clarify what is really going on.
Acts 2:14-21
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
18 even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
20 the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
No they are not drunk. What is taking place before you is something massive and important - something all you KNEW was going to happen some day.
The Jewish prophets were constantly speaking of the future - what they called "the day of the Lord" - this was the end of the world as we know it - it was a time of judgement, of reconing, a time when God comes to set all things right.
The prophets were a little unclear EXACTLY how this was to happen.
But they knew that before God makes all things better, they were going to get worse.
Before this world will be renewed, it will be judged.
Before there would be a new world, the world as we know it would come to an end.
19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
20 the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
There are layers of meaning here. But one thing is clear - there will come a time when the world will be unmade - when creation will turn into uncreation,
Isaiah 34:4
"All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree."
Inherently we know this to be true - this is why we tell so many stories about the end of the world.
The end of the world will not come because we drove too many diesel trucks or because we over crowded the planet - it will come because God will return to judge all.
The Bible makes very clear that the death and decay of the world is the ultimate result of our choice to sin - our choice turn away from God, from his ways to follow our own ways.
The history of the world demonstrates humanity doing amazing things - science, technology, medicine, agriculture - so many problems solved. This is a reflection of the fact that we are created by God in his image, for his goodness, beauty and truth.
At the same time as we see all the good of history we see the evil and decay growing more and more. The past 150 years have scene advances in technology and science unlike ANYTHING else in history - and yet its also been the bloodiest 150 years - war, conflict and death.
There is no sense in talking about resurrection hope unless we first grasp the reality of death that is at work all around us.
This world and everything in it has an expiration date.
And it is coming.
At some point, God will arrive personally to pour out judgement and the chaos that will undo this world and judge sin and death.
But this is only a sub - theme in Peter's sermon - the dominant theme of the sermon is the hope of salvation.
How do these two things go together?
2. God's greatest victory came through what looked like defeat
Acts 2:22-36
22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.25 For David says concerning him,
“‘I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.
27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One see corruption.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne,31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
35 until I make your enemies your footstool.”’
36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
What is Peter saying here?
The day of the Lord had arrived in JESUS.
All of the signs that God has truly arrived to bring about judgement and restoration WERE PRESENT in the life of Jesus.
But here's the plot twist - instead of turning the whole world upside down, melting down the skies and executing judgement on all sin and evil - something totally unexpected happened - Jesus was condemned by the authorities, he was crucified and he DIED on the cross.
You may say that was one grand failure.
But Peter says something different - that Jesus was delivered over to death "according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God..."
This was not a fail, it was God's plan all along.
How ?
What about the promised end of the world - chaos - judgement and justice on sin?
Another important note on understanding the prophets - they speak intentionally with layers of meaning.
God's judgement on the whole world IS indeed coming.
But before it is unleashed on all creation, God himself arrived in Jesus - but instead of pouring out judgement on the whole world - he poured it out on himself.
When Jesus hung on the cross it says a supernatural darkness covered the land, the earth shook and split open.
Jesus' death on the cross looked like the greatest defeat of history - but in it was concealed God's greatest victory.
God poured out death on Jesus because Jesus was the only one who could take its full force and yet overcome it in the end.
24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it"
Jesus a man - could experience judgement and death in our place.
But Jesus as God - CANNOT be finally overcome by death.
Death had a grip on him - he experienced darkness and judgement in the truest sense - BUT DEATH COULD NOT HOLD HIM.
Example of Aslan's death for Edmond in Narnia - C. S. Lewis illustrates this well in the scenario of Aslan's willing death in the place of Edmond. The clear event the took place was his death to set Edmond free, but that is not all. Aslan explains that there is a deeper magic at work than than even the Witch new about -
"But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation. She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backward.”
Things are not always as they seem. And the resurrection of Jesus proves that most clearly.
As Jesus experienced death there was a deeper power working the whole time, like a dormant volcano that was preparing to erupt.
death could not hold him.
"32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing."
This Jesus, who has paid the cost of our sin and has beat death - God the Father exalts as the reigning and all powerful Lord and Messiah of all people everywhere.
The disciples thought they lost their teacher, their rabbi when he died on the cross.
And in some sense they did.
But in the resurrection they gained a might SAVIOR who down shares with all of us HIS OWN VICTORY over sin and death.
3. The Resurrection of Jesus gives us the power to persevere to victory in the midst of defeat.
The reality of the resurrection gives us a totally different paradigm to view our lives through.
As one of our Old Testament professors says, "God is working victory through situations that look like defeat."
“I am a Christian, ...” Tolkien writes in one of his letters, “so that I do not expect ‘history’ to be anything but a ‘long defeat’—though it contains . . . some samples or glimpses of final victory.”
Those of us who love literature and theology may think of Tolkien a life that is as powerful and successful as it gets. But that is NOT how his life actually played out and felt to him.
Tolkien's life was hard. Orphaned as a child. Faced struggles growing up.
He loved his kids and his family. He battles the challenges of raising a family, paying bills, illness - had to take various jobs that took him away from his great passion of writing and literature - to provide for his family.
i would adjust slightly tolkiens words here - when we look at inside the christian life - we see that victory is present in and through our lives even in the midst of suffering and defeat.
Jesus takes away our sin, he takes away our guilt, he takes away our banishment - he invites us to follow him, to be restored to our Father in love - but he doesn't always take away our pain and our trials.
The Resurrection of Jesus gives us the power to persevere THROUGH defeat and weakness TO victory.
The whole christian life is lived in cycles of death and resurrection.
the resurrection turns the expectations of the world upside down.
• his followers are not powerful
• they are not knowledgeable or wealthy or elite
• they are persecuted they are driven from their homes
• and yet in the midst of it all they persevere
• they grow
• they spread
• and they change the world
2 Cor. 4:10-11,16
10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day."
Where do we get the power to witness and experience repeated evil, struggles, temptations and sins - and yet keep on standing strong and continuing to live a life of giving and service to God and others?
Where do we get the hope and confidence to keep going in obedience to God when we don't see any immediate benefit and all cost?
We fix our hearts and our lives on the risen and victorious Jesus.
Because Jesus is risen from the dead - we don't need to see success in our own lifetime and by the work of our own hands - our success is in the fact that we are aligned with him - with what HE is doing in the world.
four practical expressions of this -
• Freedom from selfishness and power to sacrifice self and pursue righteousness
Our age is dominated by individualism.
Almost every decision we make is driven by the question, "what's in it for me??"
Everything in the world says you do you - live for yourself.
Doing the RIGHT thing becomes more and more inconvenient.
Who cares? No one is watching?
don't worry about yourself - give yourself and serve him and love others - and he will sustain you.
You can joyfully and confidently give your life away - to love him to serve others in his name, to spend yourself - because he is working his victory through our lives in more ways than we will ever know.
Because of the resurrection - Your life of giving yourself away, fighting for righteousness even when no one is watching - is infinitely more valuable than the trap of living for self.
Christians have shown this to be true for two thousand years. Caring for the sick, sacrificing personal comfort - losing much - and gaining the world.
• Your guilt over past mistakes does not determine your participation in his power today.
The book of Revelation says that Satan is the accuser who stands day and night to accuse us before God.
Our past mistakes and failures can constantly haunt us. We may feel like failures.
The resurrection gives us the freedom and power to admit it -YES we ARE failures. But the risen Savior is here to build something beautiful out of our ashes.
Because Jesus is risen, I can know that God can redeem and use my life in beautiful and powerful ways.
I can truly admit the failure of my actions, and yet I know that the risen Savior is alive and present in my life to work something new
• Your current flaws and weaknesses are not too much for the Risen Savior to heal and mend
Can I really change?
Will my flaws eventually overtake my life?
Our journey of spiritual growth is humbling. it often feels like failure and like weakness.
Loosing my patience with my kids.
Lacking self control in my entertainment or money choices.
Conflict with others around me.
We are deeply flawed even though we follow Jesus.
The resurrection gives us the hope and power to admit, to face our current flaws - and know that those flaws do not own us and these flaws do not determine who we are - and most importantly - that these flaws CAN change and be overcome with time.
Prov. 24:16
"for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity."
why does the righteous rise again??
Because he knows that his redeemer lives
The more we are willing to be humbled, to admit our weakness, the more we learn to depend and lean on the Lord.
We move through defeat, through weakness - to victory as we look to him.
• Because Jesus lives, our pain is not wasted.
Some people live their lives in devotion to God, seeking him and following him.
And yet at the end, their life does not end in powerful success and joy.
Sometimes its a sad ending. Sometimes there is a lot of pain. loss. unplanned difficulties.
What does our pain mean?
Does it mean i messed up somewhere along the way?
Why do some people have to suffer more than others?
We don't always know.
But because of the resurrection, we KNOW that our pain and our suffering is NEVER a dead end.
the whole rhythm of our lives is following Jesus through death, through defeat - to resurrection, to victory.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
9 he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
The resurrection teaches us to live in a reversal of expectations. It gives us hope and confidence to have peace in the midst of situations that don't always make sense.
cycles of death and resurrection
When we are aligning ourselves with the risen Savior - we KNOW that all our efforts will eventually prevail - even if we ourselves don't see it happen in our lifetimes.
Every instance of our suffering, as we lean into him and his purposes - is redeemed in more ways than we know. He is writing a story you will be amazed at in the end.
