SATAN’S WATERLOO

I Cor. 15:1-4

INTRODUCTION: From an old clipping, here is the way the news of the victory at Waterloo arrived in England. There were no telegrams or telephones in those days, of course, but everyone knew that Wellington was facing Napoleon in a great battle, and that the future of England was in great uncertainty. A sailing ship semaphored (signaled with coded flags) the news to the signalman on top of Winchester Cathedral. He signaled to another man on a hill, and thus news of the battle was relayed by the land. When the ship came in, the signalman on board semaphored the first word: Wellington. The next word was defeated, and then the fog came down and the ship could not be seen. “Wellington Defeated” went across England, and there was great gloom all over the countryside. After two or three hours, the fog lifted, and the signal came again: Wellington Defeated the Enemy. Then all England rejoiced.

There was that day, when they put the body of the Lord in the tomb, that the message appeared to be Christ Defeated…But three days later, the fog lifted.

(The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the crowning proof of Christianity – Henry Morris).

Do you believe in Easter? Easter is about…

  1. THE PERSON THAT SAVES – I Cor. 15:1-4
  1. His DEATH…Payment for sin, Rom. 6:23.
  1. Have you let the Lord Jesus pay for your sin?
  2. You will have the Wages of sin…which is death, or you will have the Gift of God…which is eternal life.
  3. Gal. 3:13, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree”
    II Cor. 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
    I Pet. 3:18, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.”
    Rom. 5:6-8, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
    7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
  1. His BURIAL…Putting away sin, Heb. 10:17.
  2. His RESURRECTION…Proof sin has been paid for, Rom. 4:25, “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”
  1. The Resurrection was God’s AMEN to Christ’s It is finished!
  2. The Resurrection issues a challenge to Science and Philosophy to Explain it; to reason and logic to Disprove it; to History to Reproduce it; and to time to Forget it.
  1. The PERSON That SAVES
  2. THE PROMISE THAT’S SURE – Rom. 10:9-10, 13
  1. The Simple Way – Rom. 10:9-10, 13. Do you believe in Easter?
  1. Vs. 9, “Shalt” = it is for sure, there is no doubt about it. Truth.
  2. Confess with your mouth…the Lord Jesus. Turn over…take over.
  3. Believe in thine heart…that God hath raised him from the dead. Trust.
  4. Shalt be saved…Transformation, vs. 10, 13.
  1. The Saving Work – I Thess. 4:14, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again….”
  2. The Sure Word – I Thess. 4:15, “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord…”
  1. There are those who say, “No one knows what takes place after death, for no one has come back to tell us.
  2. To this there is one conclusive and unanswerable reply, Christ the Son of God, has died and come back from the dead and told us what happens after death, and no one has come back to contradict Him!
  1. THE PEACE THAT SATISFIES – Rom. 5:1, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”
    Rom. 4:25, “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”
  1. For Christ
  1. Peace in Life…Rev. 1:18, “I am He that liveth…”
  2. Peace in Death… “and was dead…”
  3. Peace in Eternity… “and behold I am alive for ever more…”
  1. For the Christian
  1. Peace in Life…Jn. 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
    Isa. 26:3, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee.”
  2. Peace in Death…Jn. 14:19, “Because I live, ye shall live also”
    Psa. 23:4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
  3. Peace in Eternity…I Pet. 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”

I BELIEVE IN EASTER!

  1. For the Christless – There is no peace! Isa. 57:19-20, “I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.
    20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt”.
  1. “The wicked” = the unbeliever, the unsaved.
  2. There is a guarantee of Condemnation – Jn. 3:18, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
    Acts 17:31, “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”
  3. There is a guarantee of Damnation – Jn. 5:28-29, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation”.

CONCLUSION:

  1. Heads bowed, eyes closed, no one looking around. How many of you believe in Easter, would you raise your hand?
  2. Hold it just a minute. Now, how many of you that raised your hand, would say, Preacher, I believe in Easter with my Head and not with my Heart. I could not say I Pet. 1:3.
  3. Blessed be the God and Father…Because I need to confess with my mouth…believe with my heart…You came into this world Head first, you go to Heaven Heart first.
  4. You say, I know I am a sinner, He was delivered for your offenses, He was raised for your justification.
  5. Preacher, I do believe that Jesus died and rose again, I do believe in Easter, but I have never believed with my heart.
  6. Right now, I do believe with my heart, I want to be saved, would you step out right now and come to Him.
  7. You want to, you need to. Do You Believe In Easter? Jn. 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live.” How do you believe? With the Heart.

Want to come to this Person that Saves?

Won’t you believe this Promise that’s Sure?

Won’t you leave with this Peace that Satisfies?

DO YOU BELIEVE IN EASTER?

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