[0:00] This is the evening service at Holy Trinity on the 2nd of March 2003. The preacher is Paul Dudley. His sermon is entitled The Resurrection and is based on Romans chapter 6 verses 1 to 14.
[0:25] True or False? The very first Allied shot that was fired in anger was in Melbourne.
[0:39] World War I. True or False? There's a few trues. Any falses there? Thank you Bill. A false. But I'm sorry Bill you were wrong.
[0:53] It was true. Today is my daughter's Olivia's birthday. Today. True or False? Paul Barker you're saying? I'm afraid you're wrong Paul Barker.
[1:11] She had her party yesterday but in fact today is her birthday. Paul Barker wrong. There we go. True or False?
[1:27] Some 2,000 years ago. Early on the first day of the week. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James and some other women came to a tomb.
[1:40] With some spices they prepared. When they arrived they found the large stone rolled away. And no guard out the front of it.
[1:51] They went in. They did not find the body. They were perplexed. And while they were perplexed standing there, suddenly two men in blazing clothes stood next to them.
[2:07] They were utterly terrified. They bowed their faces to the ground. But the men said, Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here but risen. Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise again.
[2:28] They remembered these words and returned to the other 11 apostles and the rest of them. When they told the apostles it seemed like an idle tale.
[2:39] They didn't believe him. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. He stooped in. Saw the linen clothes. And went home. Amazed at all that had happened.
[2:54] This risen Lord Jesus then appeared to Peter. Then to the twelve. Then to more than five hundred. Then to James and the other apostles. Jesus rose from the dead.
[3:08] He ascended into heaven and is now seated at the right hand of God. The first into his kingdom. Jesus the King. True or false?
[3:22] Many would say, Who cares? What has it got to do with us here and now? Well for Paul the Apostle it made a huge difference.
[3:32] The fact that Jesus rose from the dead. He appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus. It was the point at which Paul saw the risen Lord.
[3:44] It was the time when Paul went from being a persecutor of the church to the apostle to the nations. It's this same Paul that has written this letter. The letter to the Romans.
[3:57] Paul didn't start the church in Rome but it is a very important letter where Paul writes to encourage the Romans. The Roman church there. To spur them on. Particularly with the false teaching around.
[4:08] And in chapter 6 which we are looking at tonight Paul looks at this problem of sin. In particular the false teachers have been going around saying that Paul's preaching on grace means that they should continue sinning.
[4:22] Because if you keep on sinning then God's grace will keep on coming towards you. Grace will increase if you keep on sinning.
[4:34] We see this in the verse 1 of tonight's chapter. You might want to have the Bibles open to page 917 as we work through this chapter. Not through this chapter through these verses.
[4:46] In verse 1 what then are we to say? Should we continue to sin in order that grace may abound? That's the question that Paul poses.
[4:56] This is the question of the false teachers. Should we keep on going on sinning so that grace may increase? But Paul gives a definite no in verse 2. By no means.
[5:07] How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Paul talks about the fact that they have died to sin. Is it coming up?
[5:33] It still doesn't want to work. I hate when technology doesn't work. Looks like Ashley you may have to push the buttons for me. This chapter hinges on this idea of two realms.
[5:46] the fact that they have moved from one realm to the other. For Paul he says here they have died to the old way of sin. If we have a look here on the overhead it is the old age the age of sin the age of death an age that came about for those who are in Adam founded on Adam and his sin back in Genesis chapter 3.
[6:15] this is the realm the dominion that we have been speaking about in the last couple of weeks the way that sin has entangled our lives the way that there is a penalty for this the penalty of death this is the realm that Paul says you have died to we have gone from that realm to the other realm thanks Ashley the new age where instead of being ruled and having sin entangled in our life it is now marked by righteousness and life an age founded in Christ Paul says these are the two realms and as Christians we have moved from one to the other in verse 2 he says we have died to this age this age of sin the power of sin the penalty of sin we have died to that and we have moved to this new age an age of righteousness where sin no longer has power
[7:17] Paul describes it in other letters the idea of taking off the old clothes and putting on the new the idea of getting rid of those rags the sin all the things that entice us in this world throwing them off and then putting on new clothes well how how do we do this how is it that we've gone from this one realm this one dominion of sin and death to life and righteousness how have we moved between these two realms in verses 3 and 4 Paul tells us how we have moved from one realm to the other do you not know that all of us have been baptized into Christ Jesus into Christ Jesus let me read that do you not know that all of us have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death so that just as
[8:21] Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father so we too might walk in newness of life how is it that we've been transferred from one realm to the other how have you moved from one dominion to the other it is through baptism I don't know whether you've been baptized or not I was baptized as a child my wife Michelle she was baptized as an adult in a freezing lake as full immersion we don't have the clear details of how people were baptized in Rome but when Paul talks about baptism here he's not just talking about the water baptism but it's his shorthand way of talking about the conversion experience of the Christians at Rome how did they move from one realm to the other it was when they were converted that's how they went from one realm to the other Paul talks about this as I said about baptism this idea of conversion is the time in the believer's life where they recognize their need of forgiveness they ask for that forgiveness they turn to God in repentance and God pours out his Holy Spirit upon them this is very significant for Paul and this chapter the idea that they have Christ's spirit in them because it is by this spirit that
[9:50] God pours into our lives and our conversion that unites us with Christ it's like the idea of having an envelope which is Christ and when Christ's spirit is poured into us it's like getting a bit of paper with your name on it and putting it inside the envelope and so wherever Christ is you are also so when Paul talks about it here about being baptised into Christ when Christ died you were baptised into his death at the end of verse 3 you've been buried with him by his baptism into his death so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father so we too might walk in newness of life you see when we're united with Christ by his spirit when he dies we die with him when he was buried we are buried with him when he rose again we rise again it is a very profound thing it's a very difficult concept at times to try and explain and try and convey but just think and ponder on it for a moment being united with Christ through his spirit
[11:11] Paul does this and helps us by trying to unpack this through verses 5 through to 7 for if we have been united with him in death like this like his we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like this we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed and we might no longer be enslaved to sin for whoever has died is freed from sin Paul spends these verses in particular 6 and 7 looking at the fact that Christ was crucified and that as we are united with Christ when he died to sin so did we that our old self that body of sin the power of sin we died when he died he freed us you see that there for whoever has died is freed from sin well in verses 8 and 9
[12:14] Paul goes on to develop more about Christ's resurrection our union with it for just as Christ was raised so we will be raised and we are raised now no longer has sin dominion over him he has conquered it once and for all he has conquered death let me read verses 8 and 9 but if we have died with Christ we believe that we will also live with him we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again death no longer has dominion over him this picture of sin and the penalty of death Christ was raised raised to eternal life death has been won death has been conquered victory has been won so too with us victory is won for us through
[13:17] Christ Paul in verse 11 therefore gives an implication he calls them to regard themselves in Christ and therefore as dead to sin and alive to God in Jesus Christ so you must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus in verses 12 through to 14 Paul gives us the implications of this particularly for the Romans in light of the fact that Christ has died paying the penalty for sin but not only paying the penalty he has taken the power of sin away because we are united with Christ and we are now alive in Christ they were not to allow sin to exercise dominion in their lives now they were to stop sinning therefore do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies to make you obey their passions no longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness but present yourselves to
[14:30] God as those who have been brought from death to life and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness for sin will have no dominion over you since you are not under law but under grace Paul is speaking to those who are struggling with sin in Rome the issue of sin should they continue sinning and Paul has put forward his argument that they were not to continue sinning he was reminding them that they have moved from one domain one realm to the other from the old age to the new age but these Romans they wanted to go back and have a little look it's like being in two rooms you can imagine it there's the room of sin and they've moved from this room of sin and death and they've gone through this gate this door into this new room and there they are the room of life but the church at
[15:38] Rome want to look back through the door they want to peek through it they want to have a good look around what are they missing out on and you can just see them leaning in looking in what's happening in there but Paul says no do not continue in sin you've moved from one realm to the other well I want to bring some points about this passage about Christ's resurrection the first point that I want to bring the first point that I want to say is is that Jesus was raised by the glory of God we can see this in verse 4 God was the one who raised Jesus as we see in chapter 8 it was through his Holy Spirit bringing Christ to life again vindicating that he was innocent raised and rewarded as ruler of everything as
[16:40] Philippians 2 says he was raised and will one day therefore be the judge of all God raised Jesus from the dead death he will never again die death no longer has dominion over him the sting of death has been taken away it no longer has victory the third point is that Jesus is able to give life we see in verse 4 and verse 8 he's the one who is able to give us life taking us from one realm to the other God well this has many implications for us let's have a look at some of these implications the first implication is is that we are adopted into the family of
[17:45] God I grew up in a good family I enjoyed growing up in my family it was a place of security a place of enjoyment but here we have this great picture because we are united with Christ we have been brought into God's family we've been adopted into his family we've been brought into his family into the Trinity this is a mind blowing thing into a relationship of love and familiarity by being united with Christ we are brought into this awesome privilege the second implication is that being united with God means that we can approach God with perfect freedom and confidence as Hebrews 10 points out because we are united with
[18:45] Christ now it means that we can speak with God now we have perfect freedom and confidence to be able to do this when we pray God hears us the third point being united with Christ means that one day we will inherit resurrected transformed eternal bodies Paul talks a lot about this in 1 Corinthians 15 we do not need to fear death one day we will have resurrected transformed eternal bodies as Romans chapter 8 through 11 through to 14 said sorry 9 through to 11 if God's spirit was able to raise Jesus from the dead he was able to do that with us as well I remember having nightmares of death as a child sharks sharks were a particularly big one growing up in the farm and having a dam sharks seemed very terrifying the worst thing we had in our dam was yabbies but sharks were terrifying
[20:02] I had nightmares of snakes and drowning death was not a particular favourite topic of mine but we do not need to fear death the sting has been taken away Christ has won the victory for us the fourth point is that being united to Christ means that we need to be conformed to the image of the Son we need to become more like Jesus this is the point of the passage that we've looked at tonight that Paul is trying to drive home we need to be people who conform to Christ's image we need to not let sin exercise dominion over us the fifth point the fifth implication is this gives us great hope a hope that enables us to endure great trials as
[21:06] Philippians three points out well these are great and encouraging facts about the resurrection great great news about Christ's resurrection and what he's achieved for us of course when we look around we still see death last year I did nine funerals of which two were babies and I found so difficult if Christ has won this victory why is death still around God in his wisdom and mercy is allowing time for people time for people to come and be a part of his family one day Christ will return and we will see in full what Christ has done for us now by faith it's this tension of now but not yet right now we are a part of
[22:09] God we are being united through the Holy Spirit this is a great privilege but one day we will see it and see it in all its glory well not all believe this many see what I've spoken about tonight as false there was a debate in late August last year in Sydney Town Hall between a Christian Dr.
[22:36] William Lane Craig a philosopher from America who argued that God's existence argued for God's existence but he was arguing against an atheist that of Peter Slazak I think is pronounced from the University of New South Wales who was senior lecturer in the School of History and Philosophy of Science one of the most crucial points or one of the most telling points in the debate was Peter's attack on the resurrection his point was simply that admitting the empty tomb there must have been a myriad of natural explanations of it being empty and his argument was why take the supernatural one there are so many other ways we could explain this he actually suggested that one explanation could be that Jesus wasn't dead when he was put into the tomb Peter
[23:36] Peter was making the suggestion that the mortally wounded Jesus found himself got himself out of the grave clothes rolled the stone away overpowered the guards and then appeared to his disciples not as one who needed serious medical treatment but as the risen lord of the universe William Lane Craig rebutted him rebutted him but he said that this wasn't a particularly likely suggestion particularly in light of the fact that the Roman soldiers were professional killers they ensured death of the crucified victims by thrusting a sword into their side many have debated the resurrection particularly in light since the enlightenment I have many books if this is an issue for you come and see me and I can give you some books on proof or the different sides to the argument for Paul the apostle this was never an issue he accepted the resurrection of
[24:45] Christ Christ and it made a huge impact on his life what type of impact will it have in your life what are the implications for the resurrection of Jesus in your life as you know we've been working through two ways to live two ways to live talks about in the fifth part the risen ruler the first point is I hope that works just yes there it is is that Jesus God raised Jesus to life again as a ruler of the world Jesus has conquered death and now gives new life and will return to judge judge I don't know if you can see the words I think that's a little dark you want to just push it again Ashley yes you can't see that that says that
[25:49] Jesus has conquered death now gives a new life and return to judge my prayer tonight is a prayer that we will see the significance of the resurrection and that it will make an impact in our lives let me pray this prayer now father we do indeed thank you that you rose Jesus from the dead that you have won the victory over death that the sting of death has been taken father we do thank you that we can be brought into your family father we do pray that you help us to live in light of this fact and pray this for your son's sake amen