Memory or Miracle, Part 1

We're reading from Acts chapter 24, Paul's testimony in verses 14 through 21, and then one verse from Acts chapter 26. You'll recall that Paul is now a prisoner.

He's standing now before Felix, and this is his testimony, Acts 24, verse 14. But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets, and have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. And in this do I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offense toward God and toward men.

Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings, whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude nor with tumult, who ought to have been here before thee, and object if they had anything against me. Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council, except it be for this one thing, that I cried standing among them, concerning the resurrection of the dead, I am called in question by you this day. In Acts chapter 26, Paul is witnessing to Agrippa, and we read only verse 8. Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? And if it is incredible to you, I trust that during this hour of worship it will become very credible, and you'll believe it and you'll experience it.

Thank you. Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? And yet there are many people today who consider the resurrection of the dead incredible. When something is credible, you believe it.

Some months back we went through what the country was calling a credibility gap. When something is incredible, you have a hard time believing it. And Paul looks at this ruler and he says, why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise up the dead? The resurrection of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the dead, this doctrine is a keystone in our faith.

If Christ be not risen, then we are yet in our sins. The gospel of Jesus Christ is wrapped up in the resurrection. Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures.

He was buried. He arose again the third day, according to the scriptures. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

You talk to the average person today about the resurrection of the dead or the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and you will get two responses. A mocking smile, oh, or a shrug of the shoulders, so what? Paul faced this back in his day and we face it today. Therefore, I want to deal this morning with three objections to the resurrection that people are throwing at us.

I want to show you that these objections are not valid and that the resurrection of the dead is a believable, practical doctrine. You see, everyone here in this congregation today is either dead in sin or alive in Christ. There is no middle ground.

Now, if my friend you are dead in sin, I trust you will listen closely to the Word, because we would love to see you today raised from the dead. And if you're alive in Christ, I trust that this Word will encourage you. The first objection that is brought to us is that the resurrection is impossible.

Now back in Paul's day, the Greek philosophers had dealt long and hard with death. They had philosophized on death. They had come to the conclusion that a resurrection was impossible for two reasons.

Number one, man is made up of particles of matter. When man dies, these particles of matter are spread abroad in nature, and the root systems reach down and the decayed bodies become food for the soil, and the soil becomes food for plant life and animal life. And so when a person dies, his body is just scattered throughout all of nature.

There are those who have been blown to pieces in war. There have been those who have been buried at sea. I have remarked on another occasion, and I bring it before you now, that when they exhumed the body of Roger Williams, the great American patriot, they discovered a nearby apple tree had sent a root right through the coffin, so that everyone who was eating those apples was being given a part of Roger Williams.

Now, say the Greek scientists, now say the philosophers, do you mean to tell me that when the particles of matter are scattered all over, there's going to be a resurrection? The second reason they gave for not believing the resurrection was the fact that they thought the body was sinful. To the Greek, the sooner you got rid of your body, the better off you were. To the Greek, heaven was a place of disembodied spirit.

Don't give us our bodies back. In these bodies, we had pain. In these bodies, we had appetites that were wrong.

In these bodies, we sinned. Therefore, we don't want our bodies back. Well, you say the resurrection is impossible, but the resurrection is not impossible, because resurrection is not reconstruction.

Nowhere in the Bible are we taught that on resurrection day, when Jesus Christ shall return and take to himself his people, and then sometime later, when he raises those who are not his people, nowhere are we told that God puts the particles of matter back together again. In fact, in 1 Corinthians 15, this question is raised, 1 Corinthians chapter 15, beginning at verse 35, but some man will say, how are the dead raised up, and with what body do they come? Here's the mocking, sneering philosopher saying, tell me how God can put the pieces back together again, and Paul answers, thou fool, that which thou sowest is not made alive except it die, and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but a bare grain. It may be chance of wheat or some other grain, but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed its own body.

The cemetery is a field where seed has been planted. Years ago, they used to call the cemetery God's Acre. That's a good name, because the resurrection is the harvest, and Paul is saying, you take an ugly bulb, you take an ugly tulip bulb, and you place that ugly tulip bulb in the ground, and it dies, and having died, it brings forth life, and the life that comes up is far more beautiful than what you put down.

There is continuity, but not identity. In the resurrection body, it is a new body. There is continuity, but not identity.

You're the same person, but it's not the same body. You shake your head and say, Pastor, how can that be? Well, I've got news for you. Your body today is not the body it was yesterday.

Your body today is not the body it was five years ago. The doctors tell us that every minute, three million cells in our bodies are being replaced. This body is not the same body it was an hour ago, but I'm the same person.

There is continuity, even though there's not identity of matter. God nowhere says he's going to put the pieces back together again. God says he's going to plant the seed in the ground, and he's going to give to that seed a beautiful, glorious new body.

That's resurrection, not reconstruction. No, the resurrection is not impossible. The same God who made us and gave us these bodies can give us new bodies.

The same God who every spring fertilizes all of nature, and there comes forth out of the ground the beauty and the fullness of the harvest, can certainly take our bodies, though they turn to dust, and he can give to us new bodies for his glory. Nowhere does the Bible teach that the body is evil. Your body is not evil.

Your body is neutral. Your body was made of clay. The nature that controls the body may be evil.

The Bible calls that the flesh, the old nature, the old man. But my body is not sinful. My body is a tool that can be used by God for his glory, or it's a tool that can be used by sin and Satan and self to do damage.

But God nowhere says the body is evil. And God says to me, when I saved you, I saved the whole man. When you trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, I saved your spirit.

Your spirit was dead, and my spirit moved into your spirit and made you alive. And I'm saving your soul. Day by day, as you walk with Christ, the inner man is being renewed.

And one day, says God, I will save your body. I have delivered you from the penalty of sin, which is death. And I am delivering you day by day from the power of sin.

And one day, I shall deliver you from the very presence of sin. And you shall have a new body, like to my son's glorious body. So promises the Lord.

Now, some scientist comes along at this point and says, but just a minute, the resurrection is a miracle. And miracles violate natural law. Who said so? Miracles do not violate natural law.

Miracles simply illustrate that the lawmaker knows what he's doing. The same one who laid down natural law is able to suspend and overrule natural law. And the fact of the matter is, if we knew more about God's creation, we'd understand resurrection more.

My God is able to raise the dead. He raised his son from the dead and gave to him a glorious body. A body that walked through doors and yet ate honey and fish.

A body that appeared one minute and disappeared the next minute, and yet was able to walk with people. He was able to reach out and say, behold, my hands and my side, feel me. A spirit hath not flesh and bones as I do.

No, the resurrection is not impossible, for with God all things are possible. The second objection that comes to us is this. People say, well, the resurrection may be possible, certainly God is able to do it, but the resurrection is impractical.

What difference does it make if there's going to be a resurrection of the dead? Here I am living in the city of Chicago. I need a job or I need a place to live or I've got a problem. What difference does it make about the resurrection? Why talk to me about some far-off event when today I need some money in my pocket and some food on my table and I need some help with my problem? The resurrection, they say, is impractical.

That's why when Paul was preaching at Mars Hill to those Greek philosophers, some mocked and some said, well, we'll hear you again about this, and some just shrugged their shoulders and said, so what? I come to you on the street and I say, do you know that George Washington died? And you say, so what? What difference does it make as far as the city government is concerned or my bank book is concerned? I come to you and say, do you realize that the sun is shining? Well, it's been there all the time. I say to you, do you realize that Jesus Christ arose from the dead and one day, if you should die, you will be raised from the dead? And you say, so what? The resurrection of Jesus Christ is impractical, they tell us. Now, an argument like this is foolish.

Everybody listening to my voice right now is doing something today because of something in the future. Or you are not doing something today because of something in the future. You hop on the bus, you go downtown, you meet a student.

He's walking into Roosevelt University. You say, where are you going? Let's go get a cup of coffee. Oh, I can't, I can't, I've got to study.

You mean you'd rather study than have a cup of coffee? Oh, I've got to study. What? Exams are coming. Here's a man who is governing his life today by something that's going to happen in the future.

Every student knows what it is to discipline his life in getting ready for the future. The other day I rode past a bridal shop and the sign in the front said, Happy Weddings Begin Here. I wish they could guarantee that.

But here comes a girl and she's floating out of the shop. She's not walking, she's floating. And you say to her, my, you're happy today.

What happened? Oh, I'm getting married in two weeks. Well, isn't that interesting? I've got a lovely fellow you ought to meet. I don't want to meet him.

I've already met the boy I'm going to marry. Oh, but he's got money. I'm not interested in his money.

Here's a girl whose life today is being controlled by a future event. Don't tell me people aren't concerned about the future. People work and earn money and save money because they want to pay the rent or buy the house.

Somebody here today can reach into her purse and pull out a little bottle of capsules and you say, well, why do you carry those capsules around? I want to live. If I don't take these capsules today, I may be dead next week. Now, you get the point, I'm sure.

Our lives today are governed by the future. The present power of a future hope. Now, the resurrection is the same way.

People who do not believe that there will be a resurrection and that men will stand before God live like that. 1 Corinthians 15, once again, Paul says, if there is no resurrection, then let us eat and drink and be merry. Tomorrow we die.

Now, Paul believed in the resurrection. Paul believed that one day, should he die, he would stand before God. The Bible teaches there is a resurrection of the just and of the unjust.

When Jesus Christ returns, and that could be today, and wouldn't it be a wonderful day if He did? When Jesus Christ returns, He raises His own. He brings with Him the spirits, the souls of those who have died in Jesus. He raises bodies.

He puts body and soul and spirit together and glorifies it and takes us to heaven.