If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you’re familiar with the miraculous account of Christ’s resurrection. It brings hope for salvation, assurance for eternity, and comfort in times of grief or loss. But has it changed how you live? In this message, Dr. Stanley explains the impact Christ’s resurrection can have on your thinking, conversation, and conduct. His power over the grave can transform every aspect of your life. Learn more about the blessings that accompany our salvation.
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next on InTouch the impact of the
resurrection now you’ve heard the
message of the resurrection of Jesus for
years and years and years you could
quote some of the scriptures and you
could tell me standing by the graveside
of one of your loved ones that you could
tell me what it meant to you so you’ve
thought about it over the years let me
ask you a question what you know about
the resurrection of Christ how has it
impacted your life in any way to change
your thinking your behavior your conduct
is we would say your conversation what
differences are made well I think about
the awesome message of the resurrection
of Jesus Christ
surely if you understand it it has made
some difference in your life where are
you going to spend eternity how you
treat one another how you worship God
your own private devotions what
difference has it made that you have
believed that Jesus Christ the Son of
the Living God came into this world
lived it out died on the cross
resurrected sits at the Father’s right
hand what difference has that made in
your life so what I’d like to do is to
just review a few moments those things
that you say you believe our beliefs
about the resurrection of Christ starts
with the fact that Christ the rose from
the dead he’s alive at the Father’s
right hand let’s know what he says in
Hebrews chapter 10 verse 12 he having
offered one sacrifice for sins for all
time sat down at the right hand of God
we believe that he was the all
sufficient
so one sacrifice for the sin of the
whole world a second thing we say we
believe is this then we are forgiven and
eternal they secure in him many people
don’t believe that there’ll be many
people today sitting in churches and
celebrating the resurrection of Jesus
Christ who do not believe there
eternally secure they believe that their
conduct will determine whether they go
to heaven a hell or not and imagine what
kind of insecurity that is you go to
church you sing these wonderful hymns
and then somebody says you go into
heaven and you have to say I hope so
and maybe so I think so sometimes I
think I am and sometimes I think I’m not
the insecurity built into a person’s
life because they don’t want to say in
the Word of God then of course the
scripture says having also believed you
were sealed in him with the Holy Spirit
of promise who’s given to us as a pledge
of our inheritance God says when you
trust in him as your Savior you were
sealed that not sealed by our conduct
sealed by the Holy Spirit the third
person of the Trinity a third thing we
say that we believe as a result of the
resurrection is that we’re going to live
forever
he says for example that verse that most
of us learned first in the Bible for God
so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son that whoever believes in
him would not perish but have
everlasting life
isn’t it interesting how we can quote
verses and to say that we believe them
but when we divide them up and look at
the words we think we’ll everlasting
well I don’t know about that well how if
it’s not everlasting life what is it how
long is it you can’t answer it the Bible
listen leave us with a lot of questions
the Bible answers all the questions that
we have that are relevant for living a
godly life and relevant for giving us
assurance that we go into heaven
then we say for example we believe that
we are also going to experience about of
the resurrection that’s part of the
message of the resurrection and so as we
look at these verses over and over and
over again he said this body is sown a
perishable body raised an imperishable
body in first Corinthians 15 that
fifteen chapters an awesome chapter
about the resurrection many people spend
a lot of time thinking about how they
look
their hair their dress their shoes their
this there that never and some men just
it’s not just we’re probably just as bad
but it’s coming a day when you won’t
have to worry about how you dressed
listen to this it is sown a perishable
body raised imperishable eternal perfect
that’s the promise of the Resurrection
then somebody says well what about this
idea of heaven what’s it going to be
like
well the Bible does not leave us without
a whole lot of questions about that
because if you read the book of the
revelation and some of the things that
Jesus said in the Gospels we know a
little bit about what Heaven’s going to
be like but the most important thing is
what he said in John 14 verse 3 I’m
going to prepare a place for you and I
will come again and receive you to
myself that where I am there you may be
also now listen to that I’m going away
to prepare a place for you he didn’t say
I’m just going away and he didn’t say
I’m just gonna go prepare place he said
I’m gonna prepare a place for you that
is with God it is the will and purpose
and plan of God that every single one of
us have relationship with him that makes
it possible for us to enter heaven
sinless holy righteous before Almighty
God because that’s the reason he came
and then he says for example also
in the 14th chapter John he says heaven
is our home listen I’m going to prepare
a place for you I’ll come again and
receive you to myself that where I am
there you may be also
think about this our relationship to
Jesus Christ is intimate warm and
personal He loves us
he forgives us he cleanses us he
forgives us over and over and over again
because he knows we’re not perfect can’t
be perfect in this life but we can by
faith be one of his children we can by
faith have eternal security and all of
these promises in the scripture that we
say we believe about the resurrection
and the result of it what kind of effect
has that had on your life because all
these things that you believe it true so
let me ask you the question what
difference that these truths make for
you on Monday morning our Friday night a
Sunday afternoon or any time the truth
of God’s Word should make an eternal
difference in the way we live the way we
speak the what we wear where we go what
we do with our life because he came into
our life to make a change make a
difference not just some little
difference but eternal difference so if
you had to say to some unbelieving
friend of yours let me tell you the
difference that Jesus has made in my
life where would you begin what would
you say if you had to say to an
unbeliever in response to that question
tell me now that if you’re a Christian
what difference has it made in your life
the difference isn’t visible it’s all
about the Holy Spirit who say listen who
brought about salvation in your life and
the Bible says sealed you as a child of
God that’s who we are
and so it certainly has made a
difference in our life and so the
question is
what’s the difference well let me give
you a few verses you can think about
them in your own life and ask yourself
the question has Christ in my life made
this difference and in 1st Peter chapter
1 verse 15 here’s what he says be holy
yourselves in all your behavior now I
don’t think most Christians use the word
holy except maybe holy day or some
people who believe in the holy sacrament
a holiness what about being holy does
that mean does that mean being sinless
no it doesn’t well it says be holy and
must be being sent us no or John was not
a written if we confess our sins he’s
faithful and just to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness
it’s our goal to be and live a holy life
yes
is that a sinless life no but it is a
life listen carefully it is a life
committed to the person of Jesus Christ
it is a life indwelt by Jesus Christ it
is a life whose name is written in the
Lamb’s Book of Life in heaven it is a
life committed to Jesus it is a life
that attempts to live but the truths of
the Word of God
perfect absolutely not because we live
in a human body
but he says our goal should be to live a
holy life you say well if I told
somebody I want to live a holy life they
just laugh at me let them laugh well you
say well what do I have to do to live a
holy life what does the holy life mean
does it mean sinless no but here’s what
it means an absolutely genuine desire
and heartfelt attempt to walk by the
ways of our Lord to be obedient to him
in every aspect of our life that’s what
a holy life is all about not perfect
none of us are gonna be perfect but the
but the desire of our heart is to live
in keeping with a pattern of Jesus
and what he requires of us loving our
neighbors giving sharing sharing your
testimony and you go all the way through
the scriptures all the things he
requires of us perfect no holy yes holy
holy holy is the Lord God of hosts a
hole in life not a sinless life but a
godly life a life committed to being
obedient to God
following his ways in every way that’s a
holy life and I think most people have
decided when they got saved they came it
can’t be perfect nobody’s perfect and so
we come up with this excuse nobody’s
perfect so you know I’m just gonna live
life and I go to church on Sunday and I
give a little bit every once in a while
and try to love one navin be kind of be
good but perfect know what about
attempting to be obedient to God
holiness is God’s goal for every single
one of us then I think for example what
is your message as a believer for
example if somebody said to you tell me
what you believe what would you say now
think about this for a moment you
trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior that
is you have put your whole eternal
future in his hands you have accepted
what he said as truth and you had asked
him to forgive you of your sins you
trust the image your personal Savior
originally when you were saved and so
you’ve settled that issue in your life
and so if somebody said well well tell
me what is your message as a Christian
what would you say what’s your message
is a Christian what do you have to say
so remember this you don’t have to think
this up you somebody says what I hear
these people talking about giving a
testimony I can’t give a testimony don’t
teach you how right quick is how to give
a test so on
you say to that person here’s my
testimony for God so loved me that He
gave His only begotten Son that if I
trusted him as my personal Savior I
would have the gift of eternal life and
I have it I have it
not because I’m good not because I
deserve it but because he promised it
and I believed him in other words what
you’re not thinking about is what all
the things that you and I believe about
the resurrection of Jesus Christ should
absolutely transform our life we should
each one of us be a beacon to the people
around us and we work with and live with
a beacon of the truth of Almighty God
they should hear it from our lips they
should see it in their walk they should
see it in our conduct our conversation
they should see something that they
cannot quite figure out what it is and
you have the awesome privilege of
telling them so listen to this question
that ought to be very convicting are you
listening to say men when is the last
time you said to anybody let me tell you
how to have a personal relationship of
Jesus Christ let me tell you how to be
saved
let me tell you how you can be sure when
you die you’re going to heaven whom have
you ever told how to have what you
already have the blessings of eternal
life the goodness and mercy and kindness
of Almighty God year after year after
year after year after year after you and
never tell anybody else the source of
your joy of your assurance your
confidence that one of these days when
you die you go into heaven how can we
keep it to ourselves
can you imagine how loud the disciples
shouted when their new Jesus Christ not
only rose from the dead but when he
ascended do you think they just didn’t
sit mm-hmm
though they didn’t they were shouting
all over the place because what he did
in that ascension have firmed everything
he ever taught him watch this
you and I have the Word of God it’s true
from cover to cover we have written
authentic promises of Almighty God we’ve
not seen him ascend to heaven but we’ve
seen this awesome truth about him and
we’ve seen his commands and we’ve seen
all these verses of Scripture that’s
told us about him we have this awesome
foundation you you have the truth in
your heart you you have within you what
it takes to move a person from walking
on this earth to go into heaven you have
it within you as a follower of Jesus you
cannot afford to keep it to yourself he
said go into all the world and preach
the gospel you say well we send Michigan
I can’t send somebody and take the place
we’re talking to somebody that I live
next door to or work with we have a
divine obligation to tell it like it is
everybody we can
then we have this wonderful opportunity
of serving him in the power of the Holy
Spirit and so somebody says well I don’t
know exactly what to say listen
carefully when you were saved the Holy
Spirit the third personal eternity came
to indwell view and the Bible says he
sealed you as a child of God that still
cannot be broken that your security is
not in your conduct your security is in
the indwelling presence of the Holy
Spirit he not only has seal as as a
child of God he has empowered us that is
he has equipped you to do whatever God
has called you to do
and when he said go into all the world
to teach and preach the Word of God that
does not mean that all of us have to go
to some other country but that we are to
share the truth of the gospel with the
people around us and we listen to this
you have the third person of the Trinity
the Holy Spirit of God who first all
convicted you of your sin showed you the
truth gave you the faith enabled you to
be saved and then indwelt you and will
end well you all the way to glory in
order to do what to equip you to give
you the courage and the confidence and
the assurance and the strength and the
energy and the power to share the truth
of God’s Word Tel Aviv oh you are
equipped God place this on Jesus in your
life and you live every day and you
don’t tell anybody
you said well I came to hear a pleasant
message about the resurrection this
morning
its pleasant to those of us who are
obedient to those who are not that
shouldn’t be pleasant it should be
because I love you enough to tell you
the truth and God loves you and he wants
you to be everything he created you to
be and I think about the truths that we
know and when I think about the fact
that he’s given us the Holy Spirit to
equip us every day you wake up with him
you go to bed with him you live your
life at every day with the awesome power
of the Holy Spirit that is the third
person of the Trinity God the Father Son
the Holy Spirit listen you’re never
alone when you’ve trusted Jesus as your
Savior never alone so you have a friend
it’s with you all the time and the
question is this what kind of friendship
do you have with him now if you’re
married I said I hope you’re happily
married and if you are you know what how
wonderful it can be to have a good
relationship with somebody who loves you
unconditionally and you love them in
return well Jesus came to live within us
through the Holy Spirit they give us
that awesome sense of fullness
completeness we may live alone but we
don’t have to be lonely because we
always have him and we have a message
that the world desperately needs to hear
and when I think about how often we talk
about many other things I think about
the presence of the Holy Spirit and the
fact that you and I have the privilege
of praying and changing anything
we can pray to Almighty God with the
power the confidence and assurance that
changes anything and everything that
fits his will for a life
so I think on this resurrection day that
we were celebrated this is a good time
to examine our hearts to thank God I
sure enjoy it a lot
I’m blessed the Lord what do you expect
of me I’ll tell you what he expects he
expects you to give yourself away to him
by giving yourself away to others in
sharing the best news the world has ever
heard that’s what he expects in that
amazing how the devil has put fear in
people’s lives about talking about Jesus
when he is the most important person who
has ever existed who loves you
absolutely unconditionally who has
blessed you beyond your description and
all he’s asking of you is tell him till
her shared with him don’t wait any
longer just tell them you know somebody
who needs to be saved and let me just
say this if you care about them you will
tell them you say but suppose they don’t
listen that’s not your responsibility
suppose they don’t want to hear it
that’s not your responsibility our
responsibility is to tell it their
responsibility is to make a choice you
have the truth it’s not to be kept but
to be shared my prayer to God is that
you will and you may be seated here this
morning you’ve never trusted Christ as
your Savior you know a lot of Christians
nobody’s ever said much to you you came
along today or you may have come invited
by somebody else and today you know in
your heart this is the moment in time
when your eternal future will change do
not walk out of this place
without having made a decision you say
what decision is that it’s this simple
with all the sincerity of your heart god
I’m a sinner Lord I’m asking you to
forgive me of my sin I don’t deserve it
but I’m asking you to forgive me and
today in this place seated right here
I’m surrendering in my life to you and
I’m trusting you to be for me what I
can’t be for myself I don’t think I can
live the right but I’m surrendering my
life to you right now Lord and I’m gonna
trust you to help me understand and live
it out he’ll change your life in the
next few moments amen
father we love you and praise you thank
you for your forgiveness thank you for
writing our name in the Lamb’s Book of
Life never to be erased thank you for
giving us the courage to share with
those about us who yet to be saved make
us so uncomfortable dear God we cannot
live among live around precious people
who needs your message any longer
without telling him and father I pray
that every single person here who has
never trusted Christ right now in these
moments will say Lord forgive me of my
sin today I surrender my life to you to
live for you forever thank you Father
for your awesome power to love forgive
and change in Jesus name Amen
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