The Resurrection - Audio

Big Idea - S - The resurrection is the one thing that makes Christianity unique from every other religion. Many believe in the afterlife, reincarnation, and even in the resurrection of the dead, but only Christianity celebrates the resurrection of our savior as an event that has already happened! All of Christianity depends on this one great event, but how do we know it’s true? Paul said that if Jesus was not raised from the dead, we Christians are most to be pitied because we have believed a lie! So, how do we know Jesus really rose from the dead? If we have doubts, what can we do to grow in our faith that the resurrection is true? How will my conviction about the resurrection make any real difference in my everyday life? The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection or in the afterlife at all. Their question to Jesus was intended to show how foolish Jesus was for believing in such a doctrine, more than seeking any real answer. Jesus’ response was that their failure to believe in the resurrection was a result of their failure to really understand the Scriptures, and from that to know and understand the power of God - who He is, what He can do, and what is the nature of His relationship with those He loves in a covenant relationship. If we are to grow in our confident assurance of the resurrection, that Jesus rose again and that so will we, then we must turn to the Scriptures and find the truth and conviction to firmly establish our faith. The Bible is the main path to grow in faith because it is God's direct word to us. Therefore, the Word is more reliable and more powerful than any other "proof" or evidence. All other evidence must rest on human experience and perception, and our own perceptions are far too unreliable. Only God's revelation in Scripture is absolutely reliable! Solid confidence in the resurrection will change the way we live because we know that there is much more to us than our few years on this earth. What we do in this life has great consequences in the next, and we will stand before God the great judge who will reward and punish for all eternity based on how we live here and now!