What If There Had Been No Easter?

What movies listen closely to Adrian Rogers. Jesus wanted to stay for three days and walked out like a butterfly bursting from a cocoon leaving the grave clothes and that to Jesus Christ came forth. The question comes so close.

Jesus Christ is still in a great suppose Jesus did not rise from the dead. I will tell you six tragic things. It would be true if Christ is still in that great welcome to love worth fighting between the dynamic biblical teaching pastor and author Adrian Rogers.

This is the gospel of Jesus Christ died for our sin.

He was buried, and rose again the third day, but what if death had come. Jesus had stayed in the tomb first Corinthians 15 gives a tragic account of our lives without the risen Savior.

If you have your Bible turn there now beginning in verse 12. As Adrian Rogers answers an important question. What if there had been no Easter, no Jesus Christ stated to. What if Beth had conquered if it had been no Easter well. The apostle Paul deals with a questionnaire beginning in verse 12. Listen to it first read this chapter 15 verse 12 night if Christ be preached, that he rose from the dead house. I some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead, but if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen and of Christ be not risen.

That is our preaching vein and your faith is also vein J and where found false witnesses of God because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ, whom he raised not if so be that the dead rise not for the dead rise not that is not Christ raise and of Christ may not raise your faith is laying here yet in your sin, they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable, but now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slip the greatest escape artist of all time was a man named Harry Houdini.

He died in 1926. Some of you may never have heard of him but he was the sensation of his time. It seemed there was no way to imprison Harry he would be put in the best dailies in a few moments he would be out they would put handcuffs on them.

They seem to fall away, they would sew him up and canvas bags out.

He would come they would rivet him in huge milk can but out.

He would come, he would be sealed in boilers and welded in out. He would come. It would be put in a coffin change around that coffin, dump it in the river out. He would come. Some thought he had supernatural powers. He had the flexibility of annealed. He had the mind of a genius. Did the lives of a cat Fulton Orser said that man could escape from anything but our memories but in October 1926 Harry Houdini that he had experimented with contact with the day necromancy, clairvoyance, fortune-telling, and he felt that all of these were fakers and he would expose them, and they hated him, but he still wondered.

Can anyone truly escape from death.

He told his wife gave her secret code word that all my birthday. I will try to contact you sensitize your mind. Be ready for contact. They had a coworker. She on his birthday would light a candle and sit before his picture one year. He did not contact or two years, three years four years 567-8910 on the 10th.

You should extinguish the candle and never tried again, old death held Harry he did not escape Jesus went into the tomb. He stayed there three days and he walked out like a butterfly bursting from a cocoon leaving the grave clothes in that tomb.

Jesus Christ came forth.

He is a risen Savior. He did what Harry could not do, but the question, a thing unthinkable.

So close. Jesus Christ is still in that brain. Suppose Jesus did not rise from the dead. I will tell you six tragic things. It would be true if Christ is still in that grave number one preaching would be profitless.

What we're doing today would be an exercise in futility. Look, if you will, in verse 14 here of our text and if Christ be not risen, then, is our preaching vein. Both your wasting your time I am wasting my time.

If Jesus Christ is still in the grave. This is a very profitless thing that we're doing now. Preaching is vain.

It is empty. If Christ is still in a great liberal preacher who does not believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ on go get an honest job they want preacher said it's amazing he said and I quote, speaking of Jesus, his body lies in a nameless cerium to but his deathless spirit goes marching all somebody article that man's credentials Jesus Christ is alive or that man is an imposter and he is a fake and a fraud and has no business in anybody's ministry. This is the gospel that Christ died for our sins that was buried, and rose again the third day without that the man has no gospel to preach our time back when haircuts were $0.50 back in the olden days, preacher, when in the barbershop and got a haircut and he started to pay the Barbara pastor I'm not going to charge the pastors and they said no. I will come listen to you preach and I'll take it out and preaching best is that I don't have any $0.50 sermons. Barbara said that's okay, I'll come twice today that a sermon that does not believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As far as I am concerned is a profitless worthwhile exercise in futility number two. Not only is preaching profitless but it Jesus Christ is still in the grave faith would be food.

Listen again to verse 14 head of Christ be not risen as our preaching vein and your faith is also vein why would that mean well why put weight in a dead Maasai Missy faith is no better than its object the dead man can save anyone. Our faith in Jesus Christ is not worth anything.

If Jesus Christ is doing great. How do we know that he is the son of God.

We know that he is God incarnate. The Bible says is shown to be the son of God with power, the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ is alive is a line teacher asked the students to write an essay on the greatest living man. One student wrote an essay on Jesus Christ who teaches said son that's a good essay but I said living man the students and teacher. He is a lie is a lie we don't put our faith in a dead Maasai is declared to be the son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead Romans one verse Paul, but he still in grave preaching is profitless. Faith is published. Number three. The disciples are deceivers. If Jesus Christ did not rise. Look, if you went in verses 15 and 16 ball goes on with his argument and says if Christ be not risen, yea, and we are found false witnesses of God because we have testified of God that he raised the price, whom he raised, not up. If so be that the dead rise not for if the dead rise not, then, is not Christ rated now notice what he say look again in verse 15. We are found false witnesses not get the whole thing. Paul is not saying of Jesus is still in the grave, and we mistake is one thing to be mistaken friend. It's another thing to be a false witness what Paul says is if Jesus Christ is still in the grave they were telling a lie.

Now you have to ask yourself this question, a full were the disciples live where they deceivers for so long, why would they do see why would they lie when you say people live for day once again that they have a Jesus Christ is still in the grave. How did they die.

They died as martyrs. They were tortured they were persecuted they were burned at the state they read in the mouths of lions.

They were stoned, they were crushed they were humiliated. Now listen to me, hypocrites and martyrs are not made of the same stuff people paralyze to get out of trouble not to get into trouble. A man may live for long, but the vitamin will willingly die for life. They know it's a lot these people say listen, we have seen him skim with him to tell me that Simon Peter was a con man that John the apostle was a crook that the apostle Paul wrote most of the New Testament was a known perjurer and a deceiver and a false witness, and these men would die for a lot because no but if Christ is still in the grave. Preaching is profitless fate is foolish. The disciples would be deceivers now let's look at the next thing. If Jesus Christ is still in a grave sin would be software. Sin has one notice in chapter 15 verse 17 and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain, ye are yet in your sin. All of us of sin is not a one is not sin. Not a lot but if Jesus Christ is in the grave. You are a sinner by birth, by nature, by practice, by choice and you have no hope of forgiveness apart from the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. God cannot just overlook your sin. If God were ceased to judge sin. God would cease to be holy if God were to merely overlook same God would topple from his throne. Holiness, God never let sin go unpunished. Your sin will be pardoned in Christ are punished in hell but it will never be overlooked but if Jesus Christ is still in the brain. That means that God did not accept the sacrifice of Calvary and we know that Jesus Christ is the son of God.

We know that Jesus Christ was not just a religious fanatic. Jesus Christ was not just someone with a martyr complex who happened to get crucified and that's it. How do we know that God accepted the sacrifice of Calvary the resurrection.

The Bible says he was delivered five offenses and raised again for justification.

Living he loved me dying he saved me buried he carried my sins far away rising he justified freely forever. No resurrection, no Savior, no Savior, no forgiveness.

His death without his resurrection cannot save anybody. He was delivered five offenses. The Bible says he was raise for our justification but if Christ is still in the grave, none of us have half the hallelujahs hope of heaven because Christ is still in the brain and we are yet in our sins and the wages of sin is death the soul the Senate it shall surely die.

Now if anything had been lacking in his beautiful life, in his sinless atonement. God would've left the father will let them integrate IMAX if Jesus Christ be not raised in that has dominion death has dominion. Look, if you will not only since Auburn the death has dominion. Looking first rent is 15 verse 18. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ have perished Babylon one of father mother brother sister child forget they don't. They perish, that's it. It is over death has dominion. If Jesus Christ is still in a brain. Life is nothing but a cruel joke. All any of us can look forward to is getting sicker. Finally winding down to the grave being cremated or covered with dirt playing greedy microbes eat away at our flesh.

That's that's death has dominion the dead Parish are you to tell me something is wonderful as a human life. Something as glorious as the bond between humans has no more meaning than that, just to die and back to the ground and that's it. That's what we're looking forward to does not have dominion.

Christ is risen, have not perish, he is alive go to Roman go to the catacombs catacombs of those underground tunnels more than 600 miles of these underneath Rome dug in the soft clay about 8 feet tall about that. Why, maybe 5 feet wide in places Mitch is in the side where the pagans and the Christians would bury their dead beneath the ground.

You can walk through those catacomb for some 60 different ones there in Rome I been in on a number of occasions.

You can read the inscriptions that the pagans left there for their dead.

You can see is no hope, only despair. Listen to some of them live for the present hour. Since we sure nothing is another. I will lift up my hands against the gods who took me away at the age of 20 glide done no harm. There is another once I was not. Now I am not I know nothing about it and ask no concern of mine. Another driver cursed me not as you pass for I am in darkness and cannot answer that's pagan day when he read some of the inscriptions of the Christians. How different they were here lies Marcy put to rest in the dream of peace, Lawrence J's sweetest son carried away by the angels call. He went in peace, victorious in life, victorious in peace and victorious in Christ, what a difference.

Jesus makes how great to know that there is a God who, in the form of man the Lord Jesus Christ grappled with the iron bars of and is victorious and I'm here to tell you that death does not have dominion because Christ rose now number six. If preaching is profitless if disciples are deceivers. This faith is futile friend. If sin is sovereign. If death has dominion.

Then the future is fear the future would be fearful.

Look, if you will, in verse 19.

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. A wise man once said, if Jesus Christ is still in a grave. Nothing really matters. But if Jesus Christ came out of that grade nothing but really matters. Would you agree that I do if Jesus Christ walked out that grade you see friend without the resurrection were just poor deluded fools we are of all people most miserable and in the future is for Jesus Christ is the one who walked out of that grave and he took the sting out of sin. He took the bread out of death. He took the gloom out of the great and he has given us a hope that is steadfast in children so I'm in a dive. Jesus doesn't come soon you're going to dive Jesus Duncombe soon. What is your future is a fearful nod of Jesus rose from the dead every since been forgiven. Are you sure that Jesus Christ is in your heart.

If so, then I want to tell you friend preaching is profitable. Faith is feasible. Disciples are dependable. Sin has been subdued.

Death has been defeated and the future is fabulous. We know where we're headed.

The truth of the ages is that Jesus Christ came out of a great only foolishness, doubts, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus lives. The question is do you you may have existence, but you don't have real life and you know Lord Jesus Christ, may I lead you in a prayer, and in this prayer you can receive the gift of eternal life for the resurrected Jesus Christ, who was delivered for our offenses and raise our justification and shown to be the son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead. Now is Christ risen, you pray this prayer Lord Jesus, thank you for dying for me. Thank you for paying my send it with your blood on the cross. I believe it and I receive it now by faith I accept you into my heart into my life is my Lord and Savior. Forgive my sin cleanse me, save me, I give my life to you and I receive you as my Lord and Savior, the Lord Jesus, I belong to you. I will not be ashamed of you. I will live for you. The rest of my life I'm weak or strong, so begin now to make me the person you want me to be and give me the strength now to make this in your name I amen amen and if you prayed to receive Jesus just now, let us celebrate with you the invite you to our find God's love page at our website to find answers, you may need about your newfound faith.

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