This is a sermon that was given on Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020. The service was conducted in our church parking lot because of the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on public gatherings. Attendees were able to hear the speaking and music via FM radio in their individual vehicles. The Easter message is based on the Apostle Paul's words "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection..." that are recorded in Philippians 3:10.
Written Excerpts:
Philippians 3:10 (NKJV) that I may know Him and the power of His
resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His
death,
Introduction:
It’s Easter! We celebrate a risen Savior! We worship a risen Lord!
We have never done a service like this before. I have attended and/ or
participated in outdoor sunrise services before, but the reason for meeting
like we are today is a completely new and unusual situation.
There are many people living in fear these days. I do not want to
minimize or make light of legitimate concerns that people have, but I do have a
couple of “fears” of my own that are related to our current circumstances. I fear that, after watching worship on YouTube videos and after these
parking lot services, all of you are going to get used to these 15-minute
sermons! I might have to gradually build back up to 30-40 minutes once we get
back to having regular services!
And another fear applies particularly to the use of FM radio. Anyone
listening over the radio who doesn’t like what I’m saying can just reach up and
turn to another station, or turn the radio off. I remember hearing radio commercials years ago where the person giving
the advertisement would start off by saying, “Don’t touch that radio dial!” So,
here are my beginning words to you today, “Don’t touch that dial!” Seriously, I am glad we have the privilege of coming together like this
today.
I want to speak to you for a little while about a verse that is found
in the 3rd chapter of Paul’s letter to Philippians.
Philippians 3:10 (NKJV) that I may know Him and the power of His
resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His
death,
The book of Philippians was a short letter that the Apostle wrote while
in confinement in Rome. Bible historians believe that there were at least 2 separate
imprisonments for Paul, and possibly 3. Four of his letters were presumed to have been written during his first
imprisonment – Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.
Earlier in the third chapter of Philippians Paul had warned against those
who would attempt to lead them astray and back into some of the requirements of
the OT laws. He brings up the fact that some of these false teachers might boast
about their religious pedigree (we might say). So, for a few verses, Paul describes
his own “credentials” in regard to the things that some people thought were
important.
Then he makes an unusual yet profound statement. He says, “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for
the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have
suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain
Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness,
which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the
righteousness which is from God by faith;” (Philippians 3:8-9)
He considered those details about his life and accomplishments as absolutely worthless. His only desire was to gain Christ and the righteousness that
is through faith in Him. He then immediately continues with the verse that I read first (verse
10). “that I may know Him and the
power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being
conformed to His death.”
Paul plainly expresses his desire to know Christ more than anything. He
not only wants to know Christ, but he wants to know the power of His
resurrection. The word “know” usually included the knowledge gained by experience. So
Paul wanted to know Christ intellectually and experientially, and to know the
power of the resurrection in the same extent.
There are three thoughts that I want you to remember about this
resurrection power that Paul wants to know.
I. Resurrection
power is God’s power.
Eph. 1:19-20 (NKJV) and what is the exceeding
greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His
mighty power 20 which He
worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His
right hand in the heavenly places,
Eph. 1:19-20 (AMP)
And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and
unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who
believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength, 20 Which
He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His
[own] right hand in the heavenly [places],
This power, that Paul is
speaking of, is supernatural and divine. He uses multiple descriptive words in
an attempt to truly convey the kind of power he is talking about (exceeding,
great, mighty).
He is talking about the power of
God, who is infinite in power. We use terms like “almighty” and
“omnipotent” to describe God’s power. It is a power that knows no limits. It is
a power that can do whatever He pleases to do. It is a power that doesn’t
understand the word, “impossible.”
I’ve said this many times in the
past, but when the writers in the OT wanted to illustrate the almighty power of
God, they would often refer to the crossing of the Red Sea. In the NT, the
writers would refer to the resurrection of Jesus when they wanted to illustrate
God’s almighty power.
Another thing I’d say about
God’s resurrection power – since Jesus is God, this resurrection power was
inherent in himself. Yes, the Scriptures often speak
of God’s power that raised up Christ, but Jesus clearly taught He and the
Father were one. There is no separation. So, Jesus rose from the dead under his
own power. He didn’t require some mighty
superhero to come and deliver him from the tomb – He delivered himself!
Rom. 1:4 (NKJV)
[Jesus was] declared to be the Son of God with power according to
the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
His resurrection was proof that
he was the Son of God with power.
Hallelujah!
II. Resurrection power is power for daily life.
The next point I want you to remember is this: this same almighty,
exceedingly great power is available for us to draw from as we contend with the
various experiences of life.
In the Philippians text (3:10), Paul expresses a desire to know Christ now,
not some unknown time in the future. “And the power of his resurrection.” Again, it is something that Paul
wants to know now, in the present, not some future time, or only at the end of
life. He wants the resurrection power that is necessary for victory over all
the challenges of daily life.
Rom. 8:11 (NKJV) But if the Spirit of Him who raised
Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also
give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
At first this passage appears to be referring to the promise of our own
resurrection after this life is over. However, if it is taken in the context of the earlier portion of the
chapter, we see that Paul had been talking about living in the Spirit and
having the power of the Spirit to deliver us from the power of sin which had
been described in the previous chapter.
Rom. 7:24 (NKJV) O wretched man that I am! Who will
deliver me from this body of death?
Here, bondage to the power of sin is described as a “body of death.” Therefore, 8:11 can be understood as a quickening or giving of life to
one who is dead in sin. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is the power that will
enable us to live pleasing to the Lord in our daily lives.
Many other references in the NT that may not refer directly to the
resurrection, but they certainly describe the power of God through the Spirit
that is able to keep us through the hardest trials and deliver us from them.
III. Resurrection power for Christ is resurrection power for us.
Jesus raises the widow’s son… (Lk. 7:12-15)
Jesus raised Lazarus (John 11:1-44)
These are just two examples of Jesus raising the dead to life. As I stated earlier, Jesus has the resurrection power in Himself
because He is one with the Father, and He proved it by raising others from the
dead.
John 6:40 (NKJV) And this is the will of Him who sent
Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting
life; and I will raise him up at the last day."
1 Cor. 6:14 (NKJV) And God both raised up the Lord and
will also raise us up by His power.
It can’t be stated much clearer – God will also raise us up by His
power
1 Cor. 15:20 (NKJV) But now Christ is risen from the
dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
2 Cor. 4:14 (NKJV) knowing that He who raised up the
Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with
you.
1 Thess. 4:14 (NKJV) For if we believe that Jesus died
and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
John 5:28 (NKJV) Do not marvel at this; for the hour
is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice
I know that probably all of us have heard this over and over, but it is
a wonderful message of hope. It is the truth that comforts us when a loved one
dies in faith, or even our own final hours of life. So many people who do not believe in Jesus think that death is the end,
but no! It is really the beginning!
Conclusion:
Oh, how thankful I am for the victorious resurrection of Jesus! It
gives every one of us joy for the present and hope for the future.
For our closing song today, we are going to play a recording of a new
Easter song that our church choir was practicing and had planned to sing today.
We just might sing it next year, the Lord willing.
The song is titled: Out of the Grave
Let us listen to the inspiring message of this song.
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