Well, it was a bit of a magical night. After a long, long drought, the Phillies had actually won the World Series. How amazing is that? We were in our loft at 11th and Arch. We heard the cars go by, honking their horns. We were watching the crowd begin to gather. Crazy as it is, Luella and I could not resist; we ran outside too, made our way to Broad Street, and there with hundreds of thousands of fans, jumped up and down like everybody else was doing, screamed like everybody else was doing, high-fived people we did not know.
An Amazing Celebration
It was an amazing celebration. I don't know if I'll ever be a part of the celebration like that here on earth. It was really quite incredible. A couple of days later, fairly early in the morning, I walked down Broad Street. It was a bit sad. Inside of me, I felt a little bit of a letdown. I wanted to hear the crowd again. I wanted the celebration to go on. The streets were quiet. It's very interesting if you look at 1 Corinthians 15, surely a celebratory passage, a passage that not only lays out a theology of the resurrection, but ends with words of celebration, but it doesn't actually end there.
The apostle Paul wants us to think about what needs to happen after the celebration. 1 Corinthians 15, this great treatise on the resurrection, actually doesn't end with a note of celebration; it ends with a call. Listen to this verse again. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (ESV) We have not properly understood the resurrection of Jesus Christ if we think that what the resurrection calls us to is moments of religious celebration.
Oh, it does that, but you haven't properly understood the resurrection unless you understand the empty tomb is meant to form, for you, a lifestyle. The resurrection is not just something you celebrate. The resurrection is something you live. And I think of those words that Jesus said to Martha, "I'm the resurrection and the life." And then he looks her in the eyes, and he says, "Do you believe this? Do you believe this? Do you believe this? Do you believe this?" Oh, I don't mean today. How could you but not believe it today?
But, if I watched you on Tuesday night, would I say, "Wow, the way this person thinks, and acts, and responds could only happen because they've embraced the resurrection of Jesus. This man's relationship to his wife is formed by the resurrection. This parent's zeal is formed by the resurrection. This person's engagement in his neighborhood is formed by the resurrection. This person is at his university with a resurrection mentality. This worker works as someone who believes in the resurrection." Jesus would say to us this evening again, "Do you believe this?"
Do you? Paul details that lifestyle. Here's the first thing: It's a lifestyle of unusual stability. "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable." Is your life a picture of that kind of stability? Is it firm and anchored in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ? Or, are you blown by the winds of circumstances, blown around by the difficulties of relationship, blown around by the harsh realities of life in a fallen world, blown around by disappointment, blown around by temptation? The empty tomb teaches you three things about God upon which you can build a stable life.
Here's the first thing: That empty tomb is an argument that your God is faithful. Everything He promises, He will do. Those promises made way back in the garden, that the scourge of sin and death would be rectified by a Messiah who would come; God was faithful to that promise. That stone could not hold His Son because the world was crying out for life, eternal life. Enough of death, life must come. You live in a world where much of what you face will not be faithful to you. Your dearest, best friend will fail you; institutions of man will fail you; your dreams will die, but there's One who will never, ever, ever fail.
A God of Awesome Power
He is faithful to everything He promised. That empty tomb is empirical evidence of His faithfulness. But that's not all. Your God is a God of awesome power. He not only has faithfulness to His promises, but He has the power to deliver everything He's promised. Have you ever made a promise, noble as it was, that you wanted to deliver, and you just weren't able to? The answer to that is "yes" in case you're searching for an answer. You've had that experience. There is no limit to the power of God, and I can't think of anything that is a more magnificent demonstration of power then power over death.
This ultimate, final enemy, this horrible interruption that God is able to defeat that, that God Almighty in the person of the Son, the Lord Jesus, can literally get up out of grave clothes and walk alive. What is amazing about that is Scripture tells us that that resurrection power is now ours as His children because that God of power now lives inside of us by His Spirit. Oh, my goodness! Do you ever feel weak? Do you ever feel like life is too big, too overwhelming, too confusing, too confounding?
There is power in your Lord. There's a third thing the open tomb teaches. That not only is God faithful, and not only is He powerful, this is very sweet - He's willing. Who of us could stand before God and say, "Based on what I've spoken, based on what I've chosen, based on what I've thought, based on what I've desired, based on what I've done, I deserve Your acceptance, and I deserve Your gift of life?" None of us, none of us. You ought to be blown away by this picture of the willingness of God to give the gift of life to arrogant, rebellious, self-righteous people like us.
He was willing, and with great zeal, He controlled the events of human history; He controlled the very forces of nature, so at a certain point in time, His Son would come, would live a perfect life, would die that substitutionary death, and would rise again, conquering death. Why? Because God is willing. You have reason to stand; you do not need to give way to fear and doubt. You do not need to yield to temptation; you can stand on the rock, saying, "My God is faithful; my God is powerful; my God is willing; I will stand."
Paul's not done. He says, "...always abounding in the work of the Lord." It's not only a lifestyle of unusual stability; it's a lifestyle of life-long activism. I love the words here, "...always abounding." To abound is to be enthusiastic, and hopeful, and motivated, and driven, and courageous. Don't expect to ask a person how they're doing, and to have them say this, "Well, I'm abounding." That probably means they're not. There's something beautiful in this, that I actually believe that life is possible, that if the dead can rise, then what would we be afraid of?
I believe that the sexually addicted can be delivered; I believe that rebellious children can become submissive; I believe that broken marriages can be healed; I believe that fearful people can know courage; I believe that the depressed can rise to live with joy again. Why do I believe that? Because I believe in life because I believe in the resurrection, and I'm going to move forward. Enough of survival! Why does a person survive? Because they don't expect many good things to happen. We believe in victory; we believe in life; we believe in life abundant; we believe in transformation; we believe in deliverance; we believe in resurrection.
We believe. You can't believe that can be passive. It is irrational. The open tomb should flip the switch for you. It should make you courageous, and hopeful - an activist. This is not a bunker; this is an army on the march. That's what the church of Jesus Christ is meant to be. Parents, you don't give up on your children because you've had a series of bad days, because you believe in the empty tomb. Husbands and wives, you don't give up even though you face the marital tension, because you believe in the empty tomb.
Because You Believe in the Empty Tomb
Neighbors, you don't give up on your neighborhood, because you believe in the empty tomb. You don't hide your faith at your university; you believe in the empty tomb. You're an activist; you're forward moving; you believe. But, there's a third thing. Not just unusual stability and lifelong activism, but the resurrection must be for you, a worldview, knowing that in the Lord, your labor is not in vain. I would say it to you this way, "The empty tomb of Jesus Christ must be the lens through which we look at and interpret all of life."
And so, we don't believe that what God calls us to is in vain, because the resurrection invests all that God calls us to with meaning and purpose. Think of all the things that happened up to this moment. Think of all the sacrifices that were made; not one of those was made in vain. Think of all the priests, and all the judges, and all the kings, and all the believers in the Old Testament. Think of all the situations, and all the locations, and all the circumstances; none of that was in vain. It was marching to this moment where the stone would rollaway, and Jesus would come out and deliver life, eternal life.
It was not in vain. In the same way, our view of the world is this - yes, this is a fallen world. Yes, there is, in this world, suffering and hardship, but life has come, and life has been delivered. We believe that because of the gift of resurrection life, our labor is never in vain. Now listen to what I am going to say; I'm going to be pastoral with you. The reason Paul ends this way is, under the inspiration Holy Spirit, he knows our hearts. And he knows that, this side of heaven, there is a war fought on the turf of our heart every day.
It's a war between faith and doubt. It's a war between courage and fear. It's a war between disappointment and hope. It's a war between temptation and righteousness. And Paul would say, "Won't you root your heart in this one truth: Your God is faithful; your God is powerful; your God is willing; He has conquered sin and death." And because of that, you can stand with stability. You can move out with courage, and in the face of the darkest of nights, you can have hope. Do you believe this? Do you believe this?
Do you believe this? Maybe you're here tonight, and you say, "Paul, I don't know if I've ever believed this. I don't have that kind of stability. I don't have that kind of activism. I don't have that kind of hope." Well, Jesus came to give you life. Cry out in humble need to Him. He's faithful; He will not turn you away. He's powerful; He can transform your heart. And He is willing; He says, "You come, and I will not turn you away." Let's pray: Thank you, Lord, for the beauty of Your truth. Thank you for the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thank you that You are faithful, and powerful, and willing. Transform us by Your grace, we would pray. In Jesus's name, amen.
