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Crucifixion & Resurrection

How to Be Witnesses of the Resurrection What the Resurrection Does To Us

By Pastor Craig Ledbetter

Luke 24:33-49

I. Introduction (Lk 24:48)

A. There were many reasons why Jesus had to rise from the dead

  1. To conquer death itself - he had conquered sin on the cross (Heb 2:14; 1Cor 15:54-57)
  2. To enable Him to reign once again over all from heaven
  3. To be the catalyst so that Christians would become something known simply as “witnesses of the resurrection!” (Acts 1:8; 2:29-32; 3:15; 10:39)

B. The disciples, like most normal people, didn’t just “become” what

God wanted them to be

  1. Preaching hadn’t completely changed them
  2. Miracles hadn’t transformed them completely
  3. Miraculous protection didn’t effect the necessary changes in that fearful group of struggling disciples
  4. No. There needed to be something else that would do the work in their hearts, as well as in our hearts, even today
  5. That something, was Christ’s resurrection! It fully transforms!
  6. The way that you know it is working is when you OPEN YOUR MOUTH (Rom 10:9-11) in testifying what God has done!

II. Message - What the Resurrection Does to People (Luke 24:33-49)

A. Be

Humbled

  • the greatest make-over needed (Lk 24:33-35)
  1. To talk about soccer, you need to have a lot of pride, and savvy
  2. To talk about Jesus, we need to step down a notch - out of the way
  3. People listen to the Gospel from people who are humble - and so God humbles us, and even KEEPS us humble
  4. Do you realise what God did with Jesus rising from the dead?
    • He stirred up a bunch of women to believe in Him at the tomb - these at least got Peter and John moving out of hiding
    • He used two young nobodies of disciples to get the disciples thinking
    • He later used a killer like Saul of Tarsus to show that they should be witnessing to EVERYBODY, great and small!
  5. Real Biblical humility is coming to the place where:
    • You no longer are confident in your own wisdom
    • You have repented of ignoring God’s word simply because it is not in the fashion that you think it should be

If delivered in a Book instead of a video game 2) If presented by a little child instead of a Dr. 3) If preached by a Texan instead of Dubliner 6. Aren’t “Christians” just funny? We “claim” to believe, but then we really DON’T!

  • You can’t be saved, unless you believe in the resurrection
  • If you believe in the resurrection, then you believe God keeps His promises
  • If God keeps His promises, then you have no right, nor need to complain
  • God will take good care of YOU!
  1. It is very humbling when a child just believes that Book from cover to cover! I am so glad people with PhD’s like Dr. Kent Hovind believe that Bible. But it is so much more effective when a nobody comes through the fires of life with a old King James 1611 Bible under their arms - real humiliating to all the Bible rejecters! AMEN!

B. Become

Aware (Lk 24:36-41)

  1. Of our need to personally deal with Christ on a one-to-one basis
  2. The resurrection of Jesus fully demonstrates:
    • Jesus is Lord - God, truly God!
    • Jesus sets the pace - expects us to keep following
    • Jesus makes the rules - has some high expectations of us
    • Jesus deserves ALL worship
  3. It also makes us aware that whatever Jesus SAYS is important
    • Jesus had over and over said this would happen
    • Jesus should be believed, and fully trusted!
  4. It also makes me aware of just how little faith each of us have
    • The “apostles” were terrified, frightened, troubled, and zillions of thoughts were racing through their minds
    • When a Christian considers the resurrection, it ought to make him aware of just how much work Jesus has yet to do in us (Philp 1:6)

C. Become

Fully Committed (Lk 24:41-44) - this is what we need to work on

  1. Not just to “Jesus”, but to His WORDS - so, what did He SAY? And ARE you going to OBEY (Mt 28:19,20)!
  2. Not just to the New Testament, but also the Old Testament - look at the reference to MOSES! I’m more committed than ever to the WHOLE counsel of God
  3. Because of the resurrection, we can be fully committed
    • It changed brawling Peter into a PREACHER
    • It changed a killer like Saul into the greatest missionary ever
    • It changed the whole know world (Acts 17:6)

D. Live

A New Life (Lk 24:45-48) - Quit living just the same old life

  1. Jesus did everything according to plan
  2. He had a great and glorious purpose to His life
  3. It is Jesus who gives a Christian their PURPOSE too - to preach:
    • To Preach is to tell what Jesus knows

The past - under the blood 2) The present - nothing more to do, but surrender to Him 3) The future - going to get very rough

  • To preach is to tell what YOU know - to be a witness of these things

Every person needs to have witnessed God’s GRACE in their life at salvation, reaching down and saving a wretch like you (Ps 40) 2) Every Christian needs to have witnessed the answers to prayer 3) Every Christian needs to have witnessed another sinner coming by faith the Jesus and getting saved - that’s worth watching!

E. Get

Empowered by the Infinite Power of the Holy Spirit (Lk 24:49; Rom 8:11)

  1. None of us are sufficient for this task without the Holy Spirit
  2. With all the head knowledge in the world, we cannot change the world like it needs to be
  3. We need the Holy Spirit to FILL, and FULLY EMPOWER us to preach, and teach, and BE the kind of Christians God set out to make us the day we got saved!
    • Comes through the pages of this Book
    • Comes by invitation only - in prayer
    • Comes to people wanting to be holy - The HOLY Spirit
    • Comes for a purpose - not selfish, but for the glory of God
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