HYMNS: Because He Lives
WK7-Hope That Walked Out of the Grave
INTRO
BECAUSE HE LIVES Bill & Gloria Gaither 1971
1 God sent His son,
They called Him, Jesus;
He came to love,
Heal and forgive;
He lived and died
To buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there
To prove my Savior lives!
2 How sweet to hold
A newborn baby,
And feel the pride
And joy he brings;
But greater still
The calm assurance:
This child can face
Uncertain days because He Lives!
3 And then one day,
I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final
War with pain;
And then, as death
Gives way to victory,
I'll see the lights of glory
And I'll know He lives!
Chorus
Because He lives,
I can face tomorrow!
Because He lives,
All fear is gone.
Because I know
He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!
1. THE RESURRECTION IS THE CENTER OF THE GOSPEL
“Because He lives, I can face tomorrow…”
The word “Gospel” comes from the Greek word euangelion — and it literally means “good news” or “victory announcement.”
Not: “Here is how to improve your life.”
Not: “Here are some good morals to follow.”
The Gospel is the declaration:
“The King has won.”
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 ESV
“Because He lives, I can face tomorrow…”
Not because tomorrow will be painless.
Not because life will always make sense.
But because the battle that mattered most has already been won through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
2. THE RESURRECTION WAS PROMISED
“I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:8-11 ESV
“God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him, “‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’” Acts 2:24-28 ESV
“this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’ And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, “‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ Therefore he says also in another psalm, “‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’ For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, but he whom God raised up did not see corruption.”
Acts 13:33-37 ESV
The euangelion was not a new message.
It was the fulfillment of an ancient promise.
Quote — Augustine of Hippo
“The New Testament is in the Old concealed; the Old Testament is in the New revealed.”
3. THE RESURRECTION CHANGES WHAT WE FEAR
“Because He lives, I can face tomorrow…”
“When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”” 1 Corinthians 15:54-55 ESV
Paul is not saying death disappeared.
He is saying death lost.
Before Christ:
death was the end.
After Christ:
death became defeated territory.
“Because He lives… I can face tomorrow…”
Not because tomorrow is guaranteed easy…
but because victory has already been secured.
Quote — John Stott
“Christian hope is not optimism based on human possibility but certainty based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
4. THE CHURCH NOW CARRIES THE ANNOUNCEMENT
“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV
“When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”” Mark 16:1-3, 5-7 ESV
Quote — British Theologian Lesslie Newbigin
“The Church is not meant to call men and women out of the world into a safe religious enclave but to call them out in order to send them back as agents of God’s mission.”
That means:
we do not live defeated
we do not preach defeated
we do not worship defeated
We stand on Victory!
5. RESURRECTION HOPE LEADS TO WORSHIP
“Life is worth the living just because He lives…”
Because He lives:
wanderers can come home… Come Thou Fount
grace can transform us… Amazing Grace
peace can exist in suffering… It is Well
God is bigger… How Great Thou Art
faithfulness can be trusted… Great is Thy Faithfulness
our eyes can stay fixed on Christ… Be Thou My Vision
Everything in this series to this point stands on the resurrection.
The resurrection is not one doctrine among many…
it is the foundation underneath everything.
CLOSE
The King came.
The King died.
The King rose.
And the King is coming again.
With Jesus — walking daily with the risen Savior.
Like Jesus — living with courage, hope, and faithfulness.
For Jesus — proclaiming resurrection hope to the world.
WK7-Hope That Walked Out of the Grave
INTRO
BECAUSE HE LIVES Bill & Gloria Gaither 1971
1 God sent His son,
They called Him, Jesus;
He came to love,
Heal and forgive;
He lived and died
To buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there
To prove my Savior lives!
2 How sweet to hold
A newborn baby,
And feel the pride
And joy he brings;
But greater still
The calm assurance:
This child can face
Uncertain days because He Lives!
3 And then one day,
I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final
War with pain;
And then, as death
Gives way to victory,
I'll see the lights of glory
And I'll know He lives!
Chorus
Because He lives,
I can face tomorrow!
Because He lives,
All fear is gone.
Because I know
He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!
1. THE RESURRECTION IS THE CENTER OF THE GOSPEL
“Because He lives, I can face tomorrow…”
The word “Gospel” comes from the Greek word euangelion — and it literally means “good news” or “victory announcement.”
Not: “Here is how to improve your life.”
Not: “Here are some good morals to follow.”
The Gospel is the declaration:
“The King has won.”
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 ESV
“Because He lives, I can face tomorrow…”
Not because tomorrow will be painless.
Not because life will always make sense.
But because the battle that mattered most has already been won through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
2. THE RESURRECTION WAS PROMISED
“I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:8-11 ESV
“God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him, “‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’” Acts 2:24-28 ESV
“this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’ And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, “‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ Therefore he says also in another psalm, “‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’ For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, but he whom God raised up did not see corruption.”
Acts 13:33-37 ESV
The euangelion was not a new message.
It was the fulfillment of an ancient promise.
Quote — Augustine of Hippo
“The New Testament is in the Old concealed; the Old Testament is in the New revealed.”
3. THE RESURRECTION CHANGES WHAT WE FEAR
“Because He lives, I can face tomorrow…”
“When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”” 1 Corinthians 15:54-55 ESV
Paul is not saying death disappeared.
He is saying death lost.
Before Christ:
death was the end.
After Christ:
death became defeated territory.
“Because He lives… I can face tomorrow…”
Not because tomorrow is guaranteed easy…
but because victory has already been secured.
Quote — John Stott
“Christian hope is not optimism based on human possibility but certainty based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
4. THE CHURCH NOW CARRIES THE ANNOUNCEMENT
“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV
“When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”” Mark 16:1-3, 5-7 ESV
Quote — British Theologian Lesslie Newbigin
“The Church is not meant to call men and women out of the world into a safe religious enclave but to call them out in order to send them back as agents of God’s mission.”
That means:
we do not live defeated
we do not preach defeated
we do not worship defeated
We stand on Victory!
5. RESURRECTION HOPE LEADS TO WORSHIP
“Life is worth the living just because He lives…”
Because He lives:
wanderers can come home… Come Thou Fount
grace can transform us… Amazing Grace
peace can exist in suffering… It is Well
God is bigger… How Great Thou Art
faithfulness can be trusted… Great is Thy Faithfulness
our eyes can stay fixed on Christ… Be Thou My Vision
Everything in this series to this point stands on the resurrection.
The resurrection is not one doctrine among many…
it is the foundation underneath everything.
CLOSE
The King came.
The King died.
The King rose.
And the King is coming again.
With Jesus — walking daily with the risen Savior.
Like Jesus — living with courage, hope, and faithfulness.
For Jesus — proclaiming resurrection hope to the world.