Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. Because my Savior is eternally alive, If my trust is in him, if your trust is in him, we will live forever. We call this the great hope. The Christian hope, the hope of the resurrection. He lives in his endless life.
He is the eternal God. And because I live, says Jesus, you shall live also. Welcome to the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. The Christian faith does not merely claim that Jesus Christ lived 2,000 years ago. We believe that Jesus is alive today.
Though he was crucified on a cross and buried in a tomb, Jesus conquered death and is alive forevermore. And this changes everything. Have you ever thought about how? Today, we're exploring the relevance of the resurrection as we join Pastor John Monroe for today's lesson. Among world religions, the resurrection of Jesus the Christ stands unique.
The tomb of Abraham is occupied. The tomb of Buddha is occupied. The tomb of Muhammad is occupied and visited by millions every year. But here is the uniqueness of authentic Christianity. The God Man.
Jesus the Christ not only died for our sins on the cross and was buried, he rose again that first Easter morning. The tomb of Jesus is empty. On one occasion, Jesus said to his followers, Because I live, you also will live. This is not only a historical fact and a profound theological truth. A living Savior is central to all of life.
and to all of eternity. Christianity affirms that there is a living God. And that in His mercy and His grace, He has devised and accomplished a plan of salvation.
So that each one of us Think of this: that each one of us may receive eternal. Life. And that plan of salvation has been accomplished through our Lord Jesus Christ, who is God. The Gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, all of whom wrote their Gospels in the first century, just a few years after the events regarding Jesus, they all record this astonishing fact. That the Lord Jesus, who is God, who is sinless.
was crucified. That he was put to death Not only that he died, but they all acclaim that he died for our Sends. They also all say and write Because they were witnesses of this, that he was buried. And that on the third day after the crucifixion, He rose bodily, physically from the dead. and he was seen by hundreds of his followers.
Now I realize that if you're a sceptic, as I am by nature. If you're a skeptic, you will find this claim This claim that Jesus is alive. It's rather difficult to understand. I want you to know it is true. Followers of Jesus Christ look on the cross not as a tragedy caused by the forces of evil, but rather we see the death of Jesus, the burial of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus as a tremendous victory, as a tremendous triumph.
The historical evidence, the facts are these. They're clear. Prior to the crucifixion, our Lord Jesus Christ was beaten. He was flogged. He was tortured.
Long nails were put through his hands. And his feet. He was nailed, yes, think of it, actually nailed to a rough piece of wood. And the shape. of a cross.
The Roman A Roman soldier who was there took his spear and pierced the side of Jesus. He did not realize that there was the Lord. of glory.
So there is no doubt As to the facts. that Jesus actually died by crucifixion. The Romans, the superpower of the day, were experienced executioners. These Roman soldiers were given the task to put these prisoners to death. You may remember, there were three of them, three crosses, Jesus in the middle.
And the Roman soldiers knew how to put people to death. They were skilled. in the cruel Torturous. Act. of crucifixion.
Jesus died. On the cross, no question of his death. After his death, some of his followers came and, with love and care, took his body down from that tree and laid it in a tomb, a kind of cave, and a a large stone was placed. In front. of the cave.
And after three days, Jesus Christ Who was dead, who was crucified, who was buried? arose bodily, physically, he rose from the dead. And the resurrection of Jesus then is central A central fact, a crucial fact. of the Christian faith. In fact, If Jesus Christ was not bodily raised from the dead, Christianity totally fails.
It's a myth. If it's a myth, if it's a fairy tale. If it comes from the imagination of some men who were deluded into thinking that their follower made a mess of things and ended up on a cross. If that is the case, there is no Christianity. You may think of Christianity as some nice moral teaching.
And there is ethical teaching in the Christian faith. You may think of Christianity as a way whereby we love one another, we love our neighbor as ourselves, and that is certainly part of the teaching of Jesus. But central to the Christian faith. Is this fact? Yes, a historical fact.
That Jesus Rose from the dead. That the tomb is empty and that Christ is risen. Do you actually believe that? I do. risen from the dead.
Amazing to think. But a person who was dead Bitten, put in a Cave. On the third day, By the power of Almighty God, rose from the dead.
Now, the resurrection of Jesus. It's not just a historical fact, it is that. But the resurrection of Jesus Christ is relevant for each one of us. Because they claim of Jesus. The claim of the Son of God is this.
That in his risen life His resurrected life, in his eternal life, He offers that to all who place their trust in him. Jesus says to his followers, I'm going to read it from John chapter 14. Jesus says to his followers, this. I want you to grasp this. I want this to be embedded in your very heart and your soul.
He says to them, and this is an astonishing promise.
Okay. Because I live You shall live. Also, think of that. One who not only is alive, but is eternally alive, alive forevermore. Jesus is not going to die again.
He's not going to be crucified again. He lives in his endless life. He is the eternal God. And because I live, says Jesus, you shall live also. John chapter 14.
Jesus has told his followers that he's going to leave them. They're devastated. He knows he's going to die on the cross. They have difficulty in grasping that the one they followed for several years, the one who had performed these miracles, who had given such wonderful teaching, difficult to understand that he's going to leave them, and so they're troubled. John chapter 14.
Verse 18, he says, Jesus to his disciples, we call them the apostles. I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you. to you. Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more.
No. That's true, the world isn't going to see Jesus because after his resurrection he ascends to heaven. Jesus in bodily farm is no longer there, no longer with them. The world can't see Jesus then. But you will see me.
Think of that. The world doesn't see Jesus, but you, my followers, will see me. Because I live You also will. Live. That's wonderful, isn't it?
Because my Savior is eternally alive, if my trust is in him, if your trust is in him, we will live forever. We call this the great hope. The Christian hope, the hope of the resurrection. This hope is a hope for the future. It impacts us now and it impacts the future.
Because in Jesus The hope for the future is a hope which comes from the future. Think of that. We're in time. God exists in eternity. We're in time.
And our Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal God, the Son of God, comes from eternity. And he comes into time, into space, as God incarnate, as the word dwelling among us.
So he says to his followers, the kingdom of God. Is near that in Jesus Christ. The future age has impacted this present age. And so it is. That here we are in time, but we can have a hope beyond time, beyond death.
Whatever may happen. It says Jesus, because I live, you shall live. also. That is, with the death and burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, everything has changed, if it's true. Everything has changed for you and for me.
We can no longer go on living as we once lived if this is true, that Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life.
Now I want us to think a little more of the relevance. of the resurrection. for each one of us. and of this new life. Which is offered for you.
Yes. Christ in His eternal life Offers you personally, take it personally, offers you this life. Because Jesus lives, The dead are made alive. No, Jesus was actually dead. He died.
And in the power of God, he rose. Up from the grave, he rose with a mighty triumph over his foes. He rose, a victor over the darkness. He arose. Hallelujah, Christ.
Arose. Arising from among the dead, eternally alive, and now, here is the claim of the Christian faith, that we who are spiritually dead can be offered through Christ new life. Do you say spiritually dead? Yes. Here is Paul.
He's writing to Christians at Ephesus, Ephesians 2, verse 1. He says to them, You were, past tense, you were dead. In the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world. He's reminding them that before they came face to face with the living Christ, they lived a certain way according to the course of the world, following the culture, just going along. You know what it is.
It's so easy to do, isn't it? Just live life like everyone else. Allow the culture to shape you. Allow the culture to tell you what to believe. Just go along with the flow.
Be cool. Don't do too much thinking. Following the course of the world. And he says to them, You were dead. spiritually dead.
in your trespasses and sins. Horrible to be described like that, isn't it? But that is the truth? Spiritually speaking. You are Dead.
Not just slightly flawed, looking to improve yourself in some area. Not just loss looking for direction. Not just unfulfilled in your dreams and your potential. Not just weak looking for strength. Not just unhappy, looking for more joy.
No, that's not the condition before God. Before God, you are spiritually. Dead.
Now a dead person doesn't need reformation of character. A dead person doesn't need a change of personality. A dead person doesn't need a better education or to live in a fairer and juster political and economic society. What does a dead person need? Life.
Life. Occasionally I'll speak somewhere. And I go to speak and nothing happens. The mic is dead. Very frustrating for the preacher.
You're all ready, you speak. The mic is right there and it's dead. What's needed? Life, power. Spiritually speaking, We're dead.
And what a dead person needs life. And that is exactly. What God in His grace offers to you. Let's read in verse 4, Ephesians 2 verse 4. But God Think of this.
You're described as spiritually dead, but God being rich in mercy. Mercy. That's it. I don't deserve this. I'm a Wayward person, I'm an independent thinker, I think, although I just drift along, but God.
being rich in mercy. Gets better. Because of the great love with which He loved us. It's not just that God has mercy for you, He's rich in mercy. It's not just that he loves you, he loves you with a great love with which he loved us.
That's Makes a stop, doesn't it? Do you find sometimes p people difficult to love? Do you think sometimes people will find you difficult to love? Yeah. There are people in life that we just I'm difficultly relating to, don't we?
They're not particularly lovable. We're not particularly lovable. Before God, we're spiritually dead, we're wayward. We're a ballian. Bible says in fact we're enemies of God.
We turn our back on God, we blaspheme God, we live our own life. But God who is rich in mercy. Because of the great love with which he loved us. Even when we were dead in our trespasses, are you following it? Even when you were dead in our trespasses, made us Alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved.
Isn't Paul a brilliant writer? He gets it right, doesn't he? We're spiritually dead. And I need life. Ah, but here is hope.
God is rich in mercy. God loves me with a great love. And I can be made alive. By turning over a new leaf, by joining a church. By getting baptized?
By cleaning up my act? No, no. You are made to You're made life. He says, made us alive together with Christ. By grace.
You have been saved. It's the only God Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, through the living Christ, who is alive forevermore, can give spiritual life to those who are dead. But here is the good news. There's mercy for you. You don't deserve it.
Here is good news. God loves you with a great love. It's not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. What is the proof that God loves us? The proof is Christ.
Paul Rice said, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Not just to show you how to love each other, something more basic, something more wonderful. Here is the root of the problem: that we're spiritually dead.
Society can dress you up to make you look good. I can work on, you go through therapy and you begin to work out some of the problems in your life, but they cannot make this fundamental change. It is only the living Christ who can do this, who can give you new life, who can change you totally as you come face to face with the living Christ. Who saves you and washes away your sins and gives you new life? Do you understand?
This is your problem. It's difficult for us sometimes. Between us and God is our sin that has been dealt with. Young lady was was baptized tenth grade. And I wondered what she was going to say.
And she read a scripture, a wonderful scripture. Of Jesus on the cross when he said, it is Finish. The work of salvation perfectly done. And she said I've trusted Jesus. and realize I don't work for my salvation, he's done it all.
All of it is done, finished, perfect. You think you can add? To the perfect work of Jesus Christ, you can come along and say, well, I know Jesus did this, but I need to do that. Really? No.
Absolutely not. We need mercy, we need grace. He's paid it all. He's paid the price in full. But this new life has to be personally received by each of us.
Listen to Paul. He goes on, Ephesians 2 verse 8, for by Grace, you have been saved. We often sing amazing grace that saved a wretch like me. What's grace? Undeserved favor, something you can't work for, something you don't deserve.
Do you think you deserve to be in heaven? Do you think you deserve to have eternal life? Do you think you deserve to have your sins forgiven? Absolutely not. It's all of grace.
It is unmerited, grace by definition. Is undeserved. For by grace, says Paul, you have been saved. Through faith. It's not our faith that saves us.
We are saved through faith. Faith is the instrument by which we are saved. Faith is the outstretched hand receiving the gift of salvation. Says Paul, it is the gift of God. Not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
No boasting before God. No one's saying I deserve to be a Christian because I did this. Look at me, I'm a preacher, look at me, I sing for Jesus Christ, I've been in the choir for 20 years. Look at me, look at all the money I give. To the needy, to the poor?
Absolutely not. No boasting. Why? Because God in Christ has done Everything. What what are you to do?
What am I to do? I have to admit I'm sinful. And to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, put my trust in Christ. who on the cross died for the sins of John Monroe. That's grace, that's mercy.
was buried and who rose again, the living Christ. And he will forgive your sins. He'll wipe them out, however bad they are, and they're pretty bad, aren't they? Eternal life. Is absolutely free.
It's all of God's grace. It's all of God's mercy. And it's offered to you in Christ and in Christ alone. You see, when you come to Christ, I don't want you to do that. I want you to put your faith in Christ.
You come with empty hands. Sup your boss thing? Stop telling us about your achievements, impressive although they are. No, you come with empty hands. You come not to give God anything.
You come not to make a little speech and say, Well, I'm going to try and do better, I'm going to do the best I can, and I'm going to stop doing such and such, and I'm really going to do this. I might every week go to church and you know God how difficult that is, but I'm going to do it. No, no, no, no. You're silent. You have really nothing to say.
You have nothing to bring apart from your sin. We come spiritually helpless, spiritually dead, and looking to Christ who died and who. rose again and who still says because I live You shall live also.
So, because Jesus lives, the dead are made alive. Secondly, because Jesus lives, our lives are transformed. I love this. Our lives are changed, spiritually changed. We call that transformation of the person.
You come to the living Christ. How can you stay the same? That's like somebody getting married and then living as a single person. No, it's changed. Things are changed.
This is a living relationship. You're in Christ. There is a fundamental change. Paul puts it this way. Ephesians 2 verse 10.
For we are His workmanship. Created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. I watched as five young Men and women. A couple of tenth graders. Students A recent graduate.
And I thought how wonderful. They are God's workmanship. You are God's workmanship. Think of how God works in our lives behind the scenes. This is the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe.
There's still more to hear when John returns in just a moment, so stay with us. From matters of truth and identity, to the subjects of love and grace, our world seems more confused than ever. but to find truth and certainty about who we are and find peace, we must turn our attention away from the world and look to the Word of God. To help you do that, John wrote a booklet titled Eternal Security, Finding Certainty in a Chaotic World. Through this special resource, John shares his personal testimony, along with a careful examination of Scripture, to offer us clarity on matters of eternity.
Get your copy today by visiting our website at theverdict.org. While you're there, consider making an investment in this Bible teaching ministry. Whether it's $5, $50, or more, your gift today helps cover the cost of sharing these gospel messages to listeners around the world. And if you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to the Verdict Podcast, featuring John's weekly podcast exclusive called Avizandam. It's available wherever you get your podcasts, or simply go to our website.
Again, that's theverdict.org. The verdict is a ministry of Calvary Church in South Charlotte. We're located on the corner of Highway 51 and Ray Road. If you've been looking for a church home or a community to help you grow in your walk with Christ, We invite you to join us for our Sunday services. For more details about Calvary and our service times, visit theverdict.org.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well What's your verdict? Do you believe Jesus Christ rose from the dead according to the scriptures? If you're skeptical, I ask you to consider the historical evidence. Read the account of the four gospel writers. Yes.
Jesus actually rose from the dead and is alive forevermore. I'm praying. that you will have a personal encounter with the living Christ. To know him is to know life eternal. Only Jesus risen from the dead can say, I am the resurrection and the life.
Believe in him. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
