I WILL RISE

 I WILL RISE

 INTRO Lazarus…

 

John 11:23-25 (NKJV) Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”

 

The Cross is the cornerstone of Christianity, but the Resurrection is the capstone. Without both, Christianity disintegrates into a humanistic philosophy masquerading as a religion! Here at Restoration Fellowship we proclaim the certainty of the Resurrection! We celebrate not only the Resurrection of Jesus, but the resurrection of each and every person. 

 

Tenet #6 clearly states:

 

We believe in the resurrection of those who know Christ, and those who do not; one to eternal life in heaven, and the other to eternal death in hell.

 

Daniel prophesied it. 

 

Daniel 12:2 (NKJV) And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.

 

Jesus taught it. 

 

John 5:28-29 (NKJV) Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

 

The Apostle Paul declared it before Felix, the governor of Caesarea. 

 

Acts 24:15 (NKJV) I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.

 

There will be a day when all the people of the earth will stand before God for judgment.

 

Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV) And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

 

There will actually be two different resurrections and two different judgments. 

 

Christians will be resurrected first. 

 

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NKJV) But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

 

Those who believe in Christ will stand at the Judgement Seat of Christ. This is a judgment of rewards. 

 

Romans 14:10-12 (NKJV) But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

 

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 (NKJV) For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

 

2 Corinthians 5:10 (NKJV) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

 

Those who reject Christ will also be resurrected to stand before God at the Great White Throne Judgment.

 

Revelation 20:11-15 (NKJV) Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

 

Revelation 21:23-27 (NKJV) The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

 

Jesus sums it all up in one of His last teachings to the disciples. 

 

Matthew 25:31–46 (NKJV) When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

 

Let’s be sure of one thing today. There is life after death and it will be spent in either heaven or hell. Any belief system that teaches differently is false. You can look at all of them and they share this commonality. There is not a clear teaching of resurrection and judgment. 

 

So how do we respond to this?  It is frighteningly simple. If you accept Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, then you will be resurrected to eternal life filled with rewards in heaven. If you reject Christ, then your eternal destiny is a resurrection to eternal suffering in hell. 

 

MINISTRY TIME But I have good news for you this morning. God does not want anyone to go to hell.

 

2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV) The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

 

Ezekiel 33:11 (NKJV) Say to them: “As I live,” says the Lord God, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?”

 

Hell was not created for people. It was created for the devil and his minions. God doesn’t send anyone there. People choose to go there of their own free will. 

 

Don’t be one of those. Choose today to follow Christ and enjoy all He has for you.