Alive in Me

Today on Summit life with Judy Greer. No matter how much addiction you feel sin is destroyed your body, your sin has destroyed your relationship, you call on the name of Jesus.

They could release a power that can restore what sin has broken. It means how addiction does not have the last word in your life church in Raleigh, North Carolina. I'm your host Molly benefits guys were finally here. We have arrived at the joy of the resurrection in our series title instead of me killing me. This is been a pretty heavy teaching series, but today we find Jesus alive and is not just alive, he's alive for a purpose you and me if you've missed any part of this teaching series work you like to share with others.

You want to visit us online@jidehere.com but for now, let's not waste any time right. The final chapter of Matthew were met with couch story of the resurrection. Matthew 28 after the Sabbath day is the first day of the week was naughty, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to Butte soon there was a violent earthquake because an angel the Lord descended from heaven and approached the chain he rolled back the stone and he was sitting on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow.

The guards were so shaken by the fear of him that they became like dead men in the angel told the women don't be afraid because I know that you're looking for Jesus who was crucified. But he's not here for he is risen. Just as he said, and see the place where he lay in the angel said go quickly and tell his disciples he is risen from the dead and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee you will see him there. Listen, I've told you so.

Departing quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy that is a very key phrase were to come back to in just a minute with fear and great joy. They ran to tell his disciples the good news of his resurrection verse nine. This just then, Jesus met them and said, greetings and great by the way, it's that the word cut rate day which scholars say is a very common word almost laying it would be like us going up to somebody and say what's up. The reason I point that out is because people have this false image of the resurrected Jesus is walking around this holy glow this are you, though, everywhere he goes. But that's not true. Jesus was raised in the same way that you live. He was a man that you could relate to a man that you could talk to a man that you could trust amendment you could confide in. He was a friend so they came up to him and he took hold of his feet and they worshiped him.

When they recognized him. Then Jesus told them. Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee because Galilee is a place where I am going to reveal myself to them about the women that showed up at the tomb that morning were not exactly sure what to expect.

We know that they were worried about that really heavy stone that sealed the entrance of the tomb. It can't function like a lot. Back in those days instead no idea how they were going to move it. They were probably worried about this cranky Roman guard contingent that was there guarding the tomb because hey the Romans didn't really like Jews to begin with and be these guys are literally bent on the graveyard shift which means there would be a pretty pretty foul mood, so they were probably worried about them. They weren't sure what to expect but what is certain is that the women who showed up there that morning were not expecting resurrection just reimburse one where it said that they came to view the tomb that would be like saying we went to go to the graveside and mourn the gospel of Mark tells us of a broad perfume to anoint the body that's like us, bringing flowers to put on a grave they'd come to mourn and to show respect for the dead, they weren't sure what to expect but the one thing that absolutely did not expect was an empty tomb with the stone rolled away and an angel chill accent on the top is my daughter might say that he had a hand it to these ladies.

They love Jesus enough that they want to be near him even in death, even when it's inconvenient and dangerous.

But even these women.

These faithful women that we see and be faithful to Jesus.

Week after week. Even they did not expect the resurrection. Nobody expected no body, but that is exactly what they found. Now archaeologists aren't exactly sure where the tomb of Jesus is they got it narrowed down.

They believed one of two possible locations.

One is called the traditional site. It's a it's a small enclosure hewn out of rock just outside of the border of what they call the old city. The other is a tad farther away is called the garden tomb and it looks to me more like what is being described in the Gospels. I've had a chance to go to both.

I've stood inside of both of them. They are a little different. The traditional one is narrower the garden. One is pretty spacious.

But what I can tell you that they both absolutely have in common is that there is nobody in either one of them. Nobody was ever found.

Nobody has ever been found and that is the most significant piece of evidence that Matthew puts forward Matthew 28 the empty tomb is a significant piece of evidence because producing a body would have been the easiest way to in this movement before it started right. And that's a way that you tell a resurrection story just produce the dead body. But despite the fact that it was put inside a tomb. Everybody knew about, despite the fact it was brought about Roman soldiers, despite the fact that it was sealed by heavy stone.

Nobody was ever produced.

Why, why will look at what happened instead look at what they said and severs 11 as they were on their way. Some of the guards given to the city and reported to the chief priest everything that it happened after the priest assembled with the elders and agreed on a plan to give the soldiers a large sum of money and they told him say this is disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were sleeping. If this reaches the governor's ears and we will deal with him and will keep you out of trouble. They took the money and did as they were instructed in this story is been spread among Jewish people.

To this day they lied and they said that the disciples came and stole the body away instead of producing a body because I did have one patient will just say that the disciples came and stole. Now that's a very unlikely story because how does this group of fishermen overcome an entire Roman contingent of guards, but even more significantly, you need to ask yourself does the disciples behavior. From this point forward. Is it consistent with what you would expect from them.

Had they been lying you see the Christian movement spread to the world faster than anybody would have ever expected by a group of people.

Blue-collar people with no resources, no real education and no public stature compelled forward by their claim and only by their claim that they had seen Jesus risen from the dead, and by the way when they say that they have seen Jesus risen from the dead, they were talking about in some spiritualized metaphorical sense like you know grandma still with us like she's watching down from heaven.

Are you still living through his teachings.

Like Gandhi, they met an actual body that went into an actual tomb that was guarded by actual Roman soldiers, a body that was there on Saturday night at about Roman soldiers will mail with the bed and a body that was going on Sunday morning when I all got up there talking about an actual resurrected body in this caused them. Verse eight to go out with fear and great joy. You can see from this point forward with these apostles and these earliest Christians that these two emotions is what characterizes them is what fills the writings of the New Testament and what is what shows us. I will tell you why these stories can't be either a lie or a legend that grew up over time.

Those are the two most common objections to the resurrection going ones of the disciples were lying down to is that there is that correct you believe this, but as the story got repeated and later generations through oral tradition, the supernatural elements just got mixed in it until the fish stories.

Hannah grew until Jesus was the son of God, who raised from the dead, but these two emotions.

I would show you are not consistent with either their stories fear unexplained emotions, fear, fear did mean like you were afraid because your grandma was mad at you but fear met a sense of all because Jesus was more than just a religious leader who help people find peace and fulfillment. Jesus was God who would come to earth just like he claimed he was the son of God with control over the weather, and over demons and disease and death joy joy because of the resurrection was true, it meant that God was not against them, God was for them that God had not come as a foe to condemn you come as a friend to save and everything that they were afraid of Jesus and overcome on their behalf. These emotions which again characterize the testimony and the writings of the early church are only going to make sense if they actually believe that Jesus rose from the dead, fear and great joy are not consistent with either a legend or a lie right. For example you want in a case study here will quake prescriptive 15, which is scholar say probably the earliest document in our New Testament earliest written prescriptive 15. Here's what Paul says briber is what I received I passed on to you as a first important first importance means this is the core of everything the central Christian teaching is not be nice to your neighbor and love your neighbor doing others. You have been doing to you is are important things but the core Christian claim is that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, which is another name for the apostle Peter and then to the 12. After that, he appeared more than 500 of the brothers and sisters that at the same time.

Plus, there was another thousand that joined them by video at the North Jerusalem extension campus, but this is the 500 of the broadcast, most of whom are still living there. Some have fallen asleep many appeared to James, then all the other apostles and last of all he appeared to me also. Now the book of first Corinthians is one of the four letters of Paul called the impregnable quartet. If you're nerdier wanting to take notice of how incredible quartet, which no scholar, conservative or liberal denies was written actually by the apostle Paul, and around 50 to 5580, which means that less than two decades after Jesus died, belief in the resurrection was common among Christians and considered to be the core Christian claim.

When Paul wrote this verse six. He points out that most of the 500 people would see Jesus after he resurrected were still alive and you could check with them if you have questions about what is more, Paul says that this belief is something that he received which means he didn't come up with it. It was taught to him by Jesus and the apostles who believed that before he did. In addition to that scholar say that the rhythmic way that Paul goes that little thing Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and was buried, and rose again on the 30 according to Scripture, the rhythmic way. He says that indicates that he is reciting a creed or uphold him. Think a song that was used in the worship of the early church. This is a song they probably saw not Christ died for our stanza was buried in a tomb. He rose from the dead and was seen by 500 and I probably round lot better Greek but you get the idea he's quoting the song like a quote song to you that you know he's quoting a song because this is what everybody sang in church.

The point is, the resurrection was something believed by followers of Jesus from the very beginning when someone got added in later is one of the competing stories about what actually happened to Jesus through slight changes in the oral tradition.

You can't just write this off as a legend.

It was believed by the earliest Christian from the earliest days of life for me right will rejoin his teaching in just a moment that I wanted to tell you about daily devotional from Pastor Jamie delivered straight to your inbox me morning encouragement reminders. This email is meant to focus your nice minds is in the midst of your busy day and bonus. The devotional even follow along with our teaching here on the program.

You can sign up for this free resource right now. Jenny Greer.com/resource that JD GRER.com/now let's return to today's message so Jeff asked the second question with the chief priests right that the apostles were lined. It stole the body and just made this up. They knew they were lying well and no scholar disputes this. Either Paul along with all the other apostles and these women are going to go out testifying with fear and great joy giving away their wealth in their lives freely claiming that they seen Jesus risen from the dead. Micah pointed out, you see this in the earliest writings in their testimonies before their martyr. Here's the thing, when you lie about something and you know that you're lying you doing in order to gain something right you want to gain wealth or power honor get their testimonies led them to the office and place it led them not to well up with the poverty not to honor but the shade not the protection and security, but to persecution and death, yet still they go joyfully to these things with great joy and I would say that only makes sense that they actually believe that he arisen. If they knew that they were lying that would go to those things and deprived themselves of wealth when they knew they were lying about the thing that that they were supposed to obtain the late Dr. Thomas Arnold, who is professor of modern history at Oxford University is the author of a widely acclaimed three volume history of Rome that is still considered a classic today. He said this and I quote the evidence for Jesus's life, death and resurrection has been shown to be satisfactory. According to the standards of any objective historian it holds up according to the common rules for distinguishing good evidence from bad tens of thousands of persons have gone through it piece by piece as carefully as any judge reviewing the most important case I have myself done this many times over, not to persuade others but to satisfy myself throughout my life I've made a career of studying the histories of times and events examining and weighing the evidence for what was written about each of these events and I know he says of no other one fact in the history of man which is proved by better and fuller evidence than this one.

Jesus Christ died and rose again from the dead. Honestly, I don't know how you kid with an objective you come to any other conclusion. The question that Matthew and the other gospel writers pose to us is, what are you going to do with this evidence, what are you going to do with this compelling and solid evidence that Jesus actually did raise from the data release.

The apostles believe that he did in every week in the series I've shown you how the apostle Matthew is going to place in the stories he's going to place characters that represent potential ways that we could respond to this now these are actual people that he's talking about but they put them in the story the way that he does because he wants to give us pictures of potential ways that you and I can respond were supposed to see ourselves in these characters were supposed to ask which of these potential responses which best describes me so me show you a handful of characters we see in the story. First of all would start with the women who respond as I noted with fear and great joy again.

That is fear because it's a sins of all, recognizing that this was God himself who step foot on earth joy because God had come to earth, not to condemn them but to rescue them, not as a foe to condemn but a friend to save not to bring judgment for our sin, but to bear judgment for our sin and to deliver us from everything that was overwhelming us and scaring us. If Jesus actually rose from the dead. The reason I enjoy is it meant that dealt in their lives did not have the last word. Yes, they had done things that made them worthy to be condemned as each of us had Jesus had come to bear their condemnation in their place so that there's no more condemnation for those about to are in Christ Jesus. And that meant that guilt didn't have the final word in their lives. It meant that injustice did not have the final word in their lives. Yes, we live in a world were unfair things happen and sometimes bad things happen to good people.

But Jesus rose from the dead. Admit that he was going to right every wrong and he was going to take us into a world where we would live eternally with him in peace and joy and where we would be repaid times a million for everything that we suffered on earth.

So Jesus rose from the dead to me that injustice in our lives does not have the last word Jesus rose from the dead. It means that addiction does not have the last word because when Jesus rose from the dead. He released the power they can overcome the grave itself, and that means no matter how bad that sin has wrecked her life, no matter how much addiction you feel sin is destroyed your body or sin has destroyed your relationships, it means that if you call on the name of Jesus. If you call in the name of Jesus he could release a power that can restore what sin has broken and it means hallelujah addiction does not have the last word in your life. If Jesus really raise the dead means of pain didn't have the last word in your life.

Yes, we live in a veil of tears where I've heard it said that everything that we love everything we love. We watch eventually fall apart in our lives.

Maybe it's your family you seen your family fall apart through broken relationships or maybe it's just because people die and you thought this thing that was so meaningful to me. It's just not what I what I could depend on. You watched it unravel. Maybe this year you watch somebody that you love struggle to the last months of Alzheimer's disease and you seen that last bitter struggle with somebody that you love so dearly is no longer really, even with you release the way that they were maybe a loved one is died this year. Maybe it was a child and you were approaching this moment thinking pain. It feels like pain has the last word. If the resurrection is true, it means that Jesus will take us to a place where we will be resurrected and bodies reunited with loved ones and he will wipe away every tear from her eyes, and he will take away every pain and he will heal us eternally for the resurrection is true it means a pain does not have the last word tomorrow. It means that that's true, it means despair does not have the last word because he as long as Jesus is alive. There's hope for you. It means that when you feel like you're in the darkest of nights you feel like the outlook is the bleakest.

It means that Jesus in the power of resurrection can bring the dawn of new life into that dark gray that you feel like you are in.

I love the imagery of Jesus be resurrected at dawn and he could been raised anytime, but he wanted to write, but he did it dawn because of the picture. When then we went to sleep the night before they did. So when despair tossing and turning and consumed by worry in their beds, but when that first light of the new day came up Jesus's resurrected showing that into whatever chapter of whatever darkness you feel like you're in Jesus can bring the light in the hope of new life, which means no matter how bad you think your life is and how broken our phone apart. Despair does not have the last word I may be the core of all of them is that this does not have the last word death does not have the last word because one day he is going to bring our bodies out of the grave just like his, and we will be reunited with him for eternity in our real lives are true lives the life we were created for will begin.

I love I love I love this thing about Billy Graham. This is one day one day you'll hear the Billy Graham is dead or that I might Billy Graham is dead don't you believe it he said a decade ago. I'll be more alive than ever.

I will just have changed addresses see if Jesus rose from the dead. It means that death does not have the last word because the empty tomb of Jesus has the last word on all of those things, not guilt, not paying despair, not addiction, not brokenness, not any of those things I death itself has the last word. The resurrection of Jesus is God's final word in your life when you believe that you will go out with fear and great joy with fear and great joy.

Number two. Here's a second option, you can build the chief priest to close their eyes to the evidence rather than seeking out the truth. BC pre-spray the guard to lie because they don't listen to this. Don't want the resurrection to be true.

She I think the chief priests represent those people who secretly know or at least have a strong suspicion that Jesus probably is. We say that he is, but they don't want to press into the evidence and actually figure it out. So instead they come up with reasons not to believe because they don't like the implications that would be true if he actually did Ray Schmidt and here's what I mean by that. If Jesus actually raised my dad know what it means to me that he is Lord and it means that there is not one square inch of your life for which he does not lay claim. It means you cannot pursue your own agenda you cannot entertain your own pet since you can even do with your money. What you want to do for your career. It all belongs to him every breath you take every second you live long for him and a lot of people don't want that. So they just prefer to turn their back on the evidence, or they can retain Lordship of their lives that for the chief reason for doing so that I wanted to be true. Or here's interferes but also will be true if Jesus really raise from the dead means that any reason that you come up with for boasting and thinking that your set apart from others means that is absolutely not true. The Jesus you were so bad that Jesus had to die to save you just like everybody else you know what it's hard for some people to believe as you and I spent our entire lives try to push yourself up from the pack to try to show that we were better and that were worthy and that and that we've got some kind of internal work than other people should love us and God should love us for the chief reason spent their lives doing but if Jesus rose from the dead.

It means we had to be saved like everybody else. You were so bad. Jesus had to die for you and a lot of people don't want to admit that, because it takes an extraordinary amount of humility enters you really believe in Jesus you have to express the humility that says I was so bad that he had to die to save me and I'm in the same condemned position as everybody else and I'm not any better than anybody else, I gotta be safe like the worst criminal on the planet there's anything it's true.

Jesus rose but it means that ultimately what he's doing in the world right now is good and it's you can trust the minute and a lot of people have a hard time with this one because they got something they're angry with God about you get something that God didn't do in your angry with him and your kind in nursing that anger.

But for you to confess that Jesus rose from the dead.

What that means is actually using control history and it ultimately his purpose for this, even though I didn't like it was a good one. And a lot of people can't bring themselves to embrace that and so what they do is they choose to not consider the evidence for Jesus because they don't want to admit that God may have had a plan in the midst of their pain that they just didn't like comprehend and so despite the fact that the evidence looks pretty overwhelmingly, with reasons not to believe your religion rear devotional life to send your way. The discipline of daily devotions is the perfect entry place to become a better student of the Bible and dig deeper into Scripture helps you get in the habit of daily Bible reading this particular study guide present five of Jesus's parables. We love to hear from you and get you this 10 day devotional book and will send you a copy today as our way of saying thanks for your financial $35 or more to support this ministry doing our mission today when you can only find training or go online to get and request your copy@jeanniegreer.com while you're on the website.

Don't forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter get ministering update information about resources castigating the latest blog post delivered straight to your inbox is a great way to stay connected with Summit life completely free to subscribe sampling to change fear.com I'm only minute that she will see again tomorrow Friday as we celebrate. Jesus was the cross and resurrection day of racing coming.

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