Hope and Transformation Through the Resurrection of Jesus

 

Summary

In today's world, we find ourselves in a landscape not unlike that of ancient Athens, where the Apostle Paul once preached. The world is divided between those who seek pleasure and those who pursue knowledge, much like the Epicureans and Stoics of old. Yet, despite our advancements in culture and knowledge, there remains a pervasive sense of dissatisfaction and unrest. People chase after new ideas and philosophies, hoping to find peace and fulfillment, but often end up clutching at straws. This is evident in the rise of cults and superstitions, as people search for something to fill the void in their lives.

Paul's message to the Athenians was simple yet profound: he preached Jesus and the resurrection. This was not just another philosophy or theory, but a declaration of fact. Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead. This fact is the cornerstone of Christianity and the ultimate proof of Jesus' divinity. Paul, once a Pharisee who vehemently opposed Christianity, was transformed by this truth. His encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus changed his life and compelled him to share this message with others.

The resurrection of Jesus is not just a historical event; it has profound implications for us today. It proves that Jesus is the Son of God and that there is a way to know the unknown God. Through Jesus, we can have a relationship with God, who is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. This relationship demands our worship and obedience, as God is righteous and holy.

Moreover, the resurrection is a guarantee of the coming judgment. God has appointed a day when He will judge the world in righteousness through Jesus. This judgment will be based on our relationship with God and whether we have lived for His glory. The resurrection assures us that we, too, will rise from the dead and stand before God.

Yet, the message of Jesus is not one of condemnation but of hope. He came to offer us a way to escape judgment and find eternal life. By repenting and believing in Jesus, we can be forgiven and become children of God. This is the promise of the resurrection: that we can have everlasting life and spend eternity in the presence of God.

Key Takeaways:

- The world today mirrors ancient Athens, divided between those seeking pleasure and those pursuing knowledge, yet both groups remain unsatisfied and restless. The rise of cults and superstitions highlights the human quest for meaning and peace. [18:28]

- The resurrection of Jesus is a historical fact that validates His divinity and offers a way to know God. This truth transformed Paul's life and can transform ours, providing a foundation for faith and hope. [25:38]

- Jesus' resurrection assures us of a coming judgment, where God will judge the world in righteousness. This judgment will be based on our relationship with God and whether we have lived for His glory. [40:03]

- The message of Jesus is one of hope, not condemnation. By repenting and believing in Him, we can escape judgment and receive eternal life, becoming children of God and experiencing true peace and joy. [49:25]

- The resurrection calls us to repentance and faith, offering a new beginning and a relationship with God. This is the path to true life, free from fear and full of hope, even in the face of death and judgment. [54:50]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [18:28] - Modern Stoics and Epicureans
- [19:21] - The Rise of Cults and Superstitions
- [20:51] - The Search for New Teachings
- [22:04] - Paul's Message in Athens
- [23:17] - The Relevance of Christianity
- [25:38] - The Fact of the Resurrection
- [27:57] - Paul's Transformation
- [29:01] - The Urgency of the Message
- [31:11] - Jesus as the Son of God
- [33:00] - Knowing the Unknown God
- [35:26] - The Creator and Sustainer
- [40:03] - The Coming Judgment
- [49:25] - Hope in Jesus
- [54:50] - The Call to Repentance

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Acts 17:16-34
- Romans 10:9
- John 3:16

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Observation Questions:

1. What similarities does the sermon draw between the ancient Athenians and today's society in terms of their pursuit of knowledge and pleasure? [18:28]

2. How does the sermon describe the Apostle Paul's transformation and his motivation to preach about Jesus and the resurrection? [27:20]

3. According to the sermon, what is the significance of Jesus' resurrection in proving His divinity? [31:11]

4. What does the sermon say about the coming judgment and how it relates to our relationship with God? [40:03]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the sermon suggest that the resurrection of Jesus offers a way to know the "unknown God"? What implications does this have for believers today? [33:47]

2. In what ways does the sermon indicate that the resurrection assures us of a coming judgment? How should this influence a believer's life? [40:03]

3. The sermon emphasizes that the message of Jesus is one of hope rather than condemnation. How does this perspective change the way we view our relationship with God and others? [49:25]

4. How does the sermon explain the role of repentance and faith in the context of the resurrection? What does this mean for someone seeking a relationship with God? [54:50]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your own life: Are there areas where you find yourself seeking pleasure or knowledge in ways that leave you unsatisfied? How can the message of Jesus and the resurrection provide true fulfillment? [18:28]

2. Consider the transformation of Paul after his encounter with the risen Christ. Have you experienced a moment or event that significantly changed your perspective on faith? How did it impact your life? [27:20]

3. The sermon speaks of a coming judgment based on our relationship with God. How does this understanding affect your daily decisions and priorities? [40:03]

4. The message of Jesus is described as one of hope. How can you share this hope with someone in your life who may feel condemned or hopeless? [49:25]

5. Repentance and faith are central themes in the sermon. Is there a specific area in your life where you feel called to repent and seek a deeper faith? What steps can you take to pursue this change? [54:50]

6. The sermon challenges us to live for God's glory. What practical steps can you take this week to ensure that your actions and decisions reflect this purpose? [45:58]

7. How can the assurance of eternal life through Jesus' resurrection influence the way you handle fear and uncertainty in your life? [54:50]

Devotional

Day 1: The Quest for Meaning in a Divided World
In today's world, much like ancient Athens, people are divided between the pursuit of pleasure and the pursuit of knowledge. Despite cultural and intellectual advancements, there is a widespread sense of dissatisfaction and unrest. This is evident in the rise of cults and superstitions, as individuals search for something to fill the void in their lives. The human quest for meaning and peace often leads to clutching at straws, as new ideas and philosophies fail to provide lasting fulfillment. The search for meaning is a reflection of the deep longing within every human heart for something greater than themselves. [18:28]

Acts 17:21-23 (ESV): "Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: 'Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: "To the unknown god." What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.'"

Reflection: Consider the areas in your life where you seek fulfillment through temporary pleasures or knowledge. How can you redirect this search towards a deeper relationship with God today?


Day 2: The Transformative Power of the Resurrection
The resurrection of Jesus is not merely a historical event but a transformative truth that validates His divinity and offers a way to know God. This truth changed the life of Paul, who went from being a vehement opponent of Christianity to a devoted follower of Christ. The resurrection provides a foundation for faith and hope, assuring believers of the reality of Jesus' victory over death. It is a call to embrace the transformative power of the risen Christ in our own lives, allowing His truth to shape our identity and purpose. [25:38]

1 Corinthians 15:20-22 (ESV): "But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive."

Reflection: Reflect on how the truth of the resurrection has impacted your life. In what ways can you allow this truth to transform your daily actions and decisions?


Day 3: Assurance of Righteous Judgment
The resurrection of Jesus assures us of a coming judgment, where God will judge the world in righteousness through Jesus. This judgment will be based on our relationship with God and whether we have lived for His glory. The certainty of this future event calls us to examine our lives and align our actions with God's will. It is a reminder that our choices have eternal significance and that we are accountable to a holy and righteous God. [40:03]

2 Corinthians 5:10 (ESV): "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil."

Reflection: How does the assurance of a future judgment influence your current lifestyle and priorities? What changes can you make to live more intentionally for God's glory?


Day 4: Hope and Eternal Life in Jesus
The message of Jesus is one of hope, not condemnation. By repenting and believing in Him, we can escape judgment and receive eternal life, becoming children of God. This promise of the resurrection offers us true peace and joy, as we are assured of our place in God's family. It is an invitation to experience the fullness of life that comes from a relationship with Jesus, free from fear and full of hope, even in the face of death and judgment. [49:25]

1 Peter 1:3-4 (ESV): "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to embrace the hope and peace that Jesus offers? How can you share this hope with others around you today?


Day 5: The Call to Repentance and Faith
The resurrection calls us to repentance and faith, offering a new beginning and a relationship with God. This is the path to true life, free from fear and full of hope. It is an invitation to turn away from sin and embrace the life-giving relationship with God through Jesus. This call to repentance is not just a one-time event but a daily commitment to live in alignment with God's will, experiencing the transformative power of His grace in every aspect of our lives. [54:50]

Acts 3:19-20 (ESV): "Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to repent and turn back to God? How can you make this a daily practice to experience His refreshing presence?

Quotes


The world is divided up between the stes and the epicurian and the world tonight is as proud of its knowledge as the Athenians were there's no difference the Athenians were as proud of their culture and their knowledge as we are in this country this evening the people who are outside the church and outside Christ and who boast about the learning and the knowledge and the understanding and the culture. [00:19:19]

The world therefore you see is full tonight of philosophy and of culture and of superstition and of this desire for something new and some fresh excitement anything to get away from the problem anything to escape from life and its harsh reality anything that will give us peace and some hope in a world that's becoming increasingly dark. [00:20:54]

The Apostle preach to him and what did he preach well he just went on doing what he' already been doing in the synagogue and in the marketplace where people met together and discussed things he just again preached Jesus and the resurrection the same thing now the question I've got to ask is this why did he do it why am I trying to do it feebly this evening why should this still be done. [00:22:21]

The first answer is he did so because it's a fact simply because he was announcing a fact in other words you see is a reply to these people who think he's a babler and what they meant by babler was this it was a term to represent a seed gatherer there were lots of hack orators in the ancient world these men who made a profession out of philosophy and out of speaking. [00:23:24]

The fact is that Jesus of Nazareth had literally risen from the dead that he had been there in Nazareth preaching for three years that he'd been condemned by the Jewish authorities and by the Roman authorities and that he'd been nailed on a tree that he had died that they'd better him in a grave that they'd sealed the grave having rolled a stone onto its mouth. [00:24:38]

This Jesus who had died and who had been buried had gone out of the grave in the body and had appeared unto certain of his own followers in various places a fact not an idea not a concept but a literal actual hard brute fact and the apostle was at pains to tell these people in Athens that he rarely was preaching about Jesus and the resurrection simply because it was to him the most amazing and astounding fact. [00:25:14]

He had got proof positive that this was a fact on the road to Damascus he had realized that what he had been saying was a lie a denial of the truth this Jesus of Nazareth who had risen and had returned to Heaven appeared unto him giving him absolute proof that he had indeed risen from the dead and ascended to Heaven un the glory. [00:27:20]

The resurrection proves that here is the first and the only one who has risen from the dead not resuscitated but risen from the dead he's passed through death and up the other side it had never happened before here is the very first and it's a fact Paul knew it was a fact he'd seen him he'd met him Jesus had spoken to him from the glory on the road to Damascus. [00:30:34]

The resurrection is the final proof of the fact that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God the Old Testament prophets in prophesying about the coming Messiah had said that he was going to be crucified that he die but that he rise again here is one who's done it he is the Fulfillment of all the prophecies he is the Son of God. [00:31:46]

God is the Creator and the controller of everything he's made the world for himself he has started I say this time process and he is going to stop the time process he has appointed a day as there was a beginning there is going to be an end this is what Jesus taught and he's come from God he is the Son of God he's proved it in the resurrection. [00:40:15]

The times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness how do you know that says someone well says the Apostle whereof Heath given Assurance unto all men in that he hath raised Jesus from the dead that's what the resurrection means. [00:41:28]

The message of the Resurrection is this that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life the stes and the epicureans will never bring you to a knowledge of that unknown God believe in Christ tonight and you'll get to know him not only that he'll become your father you'll become his child. [00:54:50]

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Transcript
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