PREACHING THE RESURRECTION. [Acts 10v34-48]

1. All people need to be ‘preached to’.

– God has no favourites – All nations are ethnocentric – ILL: Red Indians think White men are under-cooked; black men over Cooked; Red Indians just right.

2. All Christians have a responsiblitiy to ‘preach’.

– we are witnesses of the historical fact – historical documents.

– witness of personal experience of Christ.

– “I am not a Preacher!”  – to talk, to tell, to speak, [the majority of ref.s in NT] –to explain, —-  to proclaim, to announce [in gospels, in epsitles in past tense].

3. What must be preached?

– the gospel —

=> planned by God        – God appointed him [Jesus] as Judge of the living and

the dead. [v42]

                                      – God sent Jesus [v36]

– God appointed Jesus [v38]

=> foretold by the prophets    – [v43]

=> took place in history – in Galilee [v37]

– Jesus of Nazareth [v38]

– in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem [v39]

{=> Executed (crucified) by wicked men        – they (Jews) killed him [39]

=> {

{=> Rose from dead          – [v40,42]

=> people must respond          [v44,48]

The Gospel is NOT my testimony, nor my clear reasoning, nor my philosophical argument.

GOSPEL – Christ (anointed Son of God) Crucified (by wicked men) and raised (by God).

Why do new believer often have more “success” in witnessing – the tell the gospel message – that is all they know – they DO NOT theologize.

 

4. The Holy Spirit works through what is preached.

– the Word of God and the Spirit of God always work together.

– the Word of God (preaching all of God’s Word) must include the resurrection –

it is the resurrection that demonstrates that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of

God, the chosen One.

5. All who accept the message respond in obedience.

– Being a Christian involve NEW LIFE – the resurrection offers new life – Christ can only offer life because he is living.

– Baptism is witness to new life – buried and raised with Christ – to new life, to a different set of values, to a different culture – now belong to a new community.

Preaching the resurrection means we are offering people resurrection life – for our preaching of the resurrection to be credible we ourselves must be living a resurrection life.

Philippians 3:10 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, (NIV)