The Tomb is Empty

The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding the concept of victory and what it means when Jesus said, "It is finished." They discuss the resurrection and the impact it has on our lives. The speaker highlights the need to wake up to our own sinfulness and the importance of sharing the gospel with others. They also talk about the promise of a better, immortal body through the resurrection. The speaker encourages listeners to be steadfast, anchored in their faith, and to abound in the work of the Lord. that you do not leave the services today without knowing exactly what it means to have victory. Exactly what it means when Jesus Christ said, it is finished. How does that relate to you and I? And Paul writing in 1 Corinthians 15 gives a very lengthy explanation about the resurrection and what happens with the resurrection and he answers a bunch of questions about what's going to happen to our body in the resurrection and what's the resurrection like and because of Christ's resurrection. And so there's a whole lot that is there, but I just want to meet you in the summary verses of this this morning. But I want us to start with v. 34. In chapter 15 and v. 34, Paul writing to the church at Corinth tells them this, Awake to righteousness and sin not. For some have not the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. And I want us to answer the question this morning. Because it is finished, since the tomb is empty, since Jesus Christ is not there, how should this affect us today? And Paul tells us here in v. 34, the first thing that needs to be done is that we need to wake up. We need to wake up to what is going on. But wake up specifically, first of all, he mentions there, to our sinfulness. When we talk about our sinfulness, it's because of our sinfulness that Jesus Christ had to die in the first place. It's because of our sinfulness that with the wages of sin has been pronounced upon each and every one of us. And it's because of our sinfulness that we cannot have a relationship with God. And so he tells us there in this first verse that since the tomb is empty, we need to wake up to our own sinfulness. But we also need to wake up to other salvations. There's a lot of people in society today, there's a lot of people even here in the United States that do not know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. As a matter of fact, I was reading an article last night that was very shocking because I made the statement a while back that America is quickly not becoming a Christian nation any longer, that we are on the major decline. And Gallup Survey does a lot of research and a lot of polls. And I was reading an article last night that made the statement that Gallup Poll has done a recent survey just last year of Christianity and the decline of the church. And for the first time in the history of the United States of America, less than 50% of our population actually attend a church on a regular basis. Less than 50% attend. That's all denominations. That's all walks of life. But you see how quickly it is declining? And folks, because of the resurrection, we need to wake up. We need to wake up and realize that as Paul says here, there are some that have not the knowledge of God. And so we need to make sure that we get them the knowledge. We need to make sure that we get them the gospel. As a matter of fact, that is our whole entire commission is to go into the world and preach the gospel, share the gospel, baptizing them, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. But not only because of the resurrection and because the tomb is empty and because it is finished should we wake up, but we should also make sure that we wise up. He says in v. 51, he says, Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed. Because the wages of sin is death. Paul says, I want to show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed. Death brings improvement into our life. Death is actually not this thing that we should be afraid of, this thing that we should be scared of because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Death actually brings us a better body, an improved body, an incorruptible body, a body without any pain. He tells us in Revelation that one of these days, all of our pain, all of our sickness, all of our sorrows are going to be wiped away because of this new body. But not only does death bring improvement, but death brings incorruption. He tells us here, for this incorruptible must put on incorruption. This mortal must put on immortality. Every one of us from the time that we were born for the purpose of death. We're all going to die because the wages of sin is death. But however, guess what? Because of the resurrection, because of what we're celebrating today, we are promised a body that is immortal. We're promised a body that is going to live for all of an eternity. And so, not only do we need to wake up and let people know this, but we need to wise up and understand what that resurrection means for us. But the third thing that we need to do is we need to witness up. We need to witness up. He says in verse 52, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed. And then he goes in in verse 57 and he says in verse 53, for this corruption, he explains this, must put on incorruption. This mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying which is written, death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God in Christ, but thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be you steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. For as much as you know your labor is not in vain, but it is in the Lord. And so we need to witness up. He says there in verse 57, but thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. See, Christ defeated the sting of death. You say, what is the sting of death? Every one of us fears death. Every one of us is not looking forward to death. I know death is a reality, but I'm not ready to die. I'm not ready to end my life. I'm not ready to see my life come in. I still have plans. I still have dreams. I still have aspirations. I still have grandkids to watch to grow up and to enjoy. But notice what he says. Sin is what gives death its power. It's because of sin that brings about the fear of death. But seeing the empty grave, guess what? We don't have to fear death. We don't have to fear because Jesus Christ has forgiven sin when He cried, It is finished. He made the payment for our sin. But not only did Christ defeat the sting of death, but Christ also defeated the sin, the strength of sin. And what gives us sin? The sin comes by the law. Paul said, I would not have known that I was a sinner if it had not been for the law. No law equals no condemnation, but because God said this is what you have to do in order to be holy as I am holy, guess what? The law shows each and every one of us that we are sinners and that we are not holy. But praise God, Jesus Christ lived a holy life. He lived a sinless life. He did not break the law. He did not come to do away with the law. He came to fulfill the law. When He cries, It is finished, guess what? He fulfilled the law. So you and I may not be able to keep the law, but guess what? We can have the righteousness of Jesus Christ by trusting and believing in Him. But Christ also defeated the servility of life. He said, But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. See, we don't have to fear death. We don't have to be defeated by death. We don't have to be defeated because we're all sinners and have all come short of the glory of God because Christ Jesus gives us the victory. And that's when He said, It is finished. That's what it is about. It's when we need to wake up. We need to wise up. We need to witness up. But last of all, we need to work up. We need to work up. Look at what He says there in verse 58. He says, Therefore, my beloved brethren, be you steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. The first thing that He says there is be you steadfast. Folks, we need to be adamant. We need to be adamant. We need not to be declining in Christianity today. We need to be rising in Christianity today. We need more and more people that are committed to Jesus Christ, that are following Jesus Christ. We need to be steadfast. We need to be hanging in there with everything that we have. It's not the time to turn our back on faith. It's not the time to turn our back on Jesus Christ. We need to be adamant. But we also need to be anchored. We need to be anchored. He said not only be steadfast, but He says be unmovable. Be unmovable. We need to put our anchor. Our anchor is in Jesus Christ. He is our foundation. He is our rock. He is the anchor. The Bible says He is the anchor of our hope. That expectation of that incorruptible body that I'm going to one day have. That eternal life that I'm going to have with Jesus Christ is the anchor. Because of Christ, I know there's going to be a resurrection. Because of Christ, I know there's going to be an eternity. And so folks, we need to be anchored in that. We need to know that our salvation and our service does not come through our works. It comes through the works of Jesus Christ. He has freely given it to us. He also says be you steadfast, adamant. Be you unmovable, anchored. But then He says always abounding. We need to be abounding. What does it mean to abound? It means to go up and above. What are we abounding in? He says in the work of the Lord. For as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Folks, we need people today because of the resurrection, because it is finished, that is working for Jesus Christ. If less than 50% are attendant service, and the old rule that I learned way back yonder in seminary that I haven't proved wrong yet, that 20% does the actual work of the church, the 80-20 rule, 20% do all of the work, 20% do the offerings, and the church has declined by over 50%, how much are actually working for Jesus Christ? How much are abounding in His work? And sad to say, we're seeing this played out all across America. We're seeing that today people turn out. We see Easter and the celebrations of Easter, and everybody is excited. But what happens next week? What happens tomorrow when we go back to our jobs, when we go back to our families, when we go back to our loved ones? Are we abounding in the work of Jesus Christ? And so two questions that I have for you this morning. Is the empty tomb of value to you? Does that tomb and the phrase, it is finished, does that have any value this morning in your life? And Jesus Christ says, if you have value in it, if it is important to you, then He told us that we have to die before we can live again. We have to die. Paul said, I have crucified myself. Therefore, nevertheless, not I live, but Christ lives in me. And we need to do the same as Jesus Christ. He said, if you want to be My disciple, deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Me. We need people today that will deny themselves, that will wake up. Wake up. Wise up. Witness up. And work. Because Jesus Christ is coming again. And guess what? It is sooner than it has ever been before. He is coming back. And when He comes, He says to be absent from this body is to be present for the Lord. He said, as appointed unto man wants to die, but after that, the judgment. And we're going to stand before Him. So, everything, which judgment you stand at, the judgment seat of Christ for saved, or the great white throne judgment for the lost, you're going to stand before Jesus Christ. And you're going to give an answer to how valuable the resurrection was for you. How valuable is it to you this morning as we stand and have a verse of invitation this morning. Are you awake? Are you witnessing? Are you working? Are you living Jesus Christ? Is it important to you, or is it only important one time a year when it comes around that we celebrate the...