Sidney UMC - Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany/UMC Scouting Sunday - 02/13/22 - Sermon - “No Resurrection - No Christianity” (“1 Corinthians” Series: Part 5 of 5)

Sunday 02/13/22 - Sidney UMC 

Sermon Title:     “No Resurrection – No Christianity”                                               (“1 Corinthians” Series: Part 5 of 5)

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 1                                 

New Testament Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:12-20

Gospel Lesson: Luke 6:17-26

          This morning, I am finishing my five-week sermon series on the readings that we have had in recent weeks from 1 Corinthians. The Book of 1 Corinthians, once again, is a letter or an epistle that the Apostle Paul wrote the Christian Church in Corinth, Greece around 53-54 AD. Most experts believe that the Apostle Paul founded this church in Corinth, Greece around 50 AD and the Apostle Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to be instructive, corrective, and encouraging. There is so much good scripture in 1 Corinthians that I put a sermon series together from our 1 Corinthians reading for the last four-weeks, and for this morning.

          So far in this sermon series, the Apostle Paul has told the Corinthians, as this is what the people of Corinth, Greece still call themselves today, and us, about spiritual gifts. The Apostle Paul told us that we all have gifts and graces from God, and when we bring those gifts and graces together, we form this thing called the body of Christ. When we bring our gifts and graces together like a human body, we have all the parts of the body of Christ that we need, and everything we need to successfully pursue the mission of the church.

          The Apostle Paul told the Corinthians and us in the third week of this sermon series that without love, we have nothing. God is light, life, and love, and without these, we have nothing. We can build, amass, collect, move up, gain, create, but without the love of Christ, we have nothing.

          Last Sunday, the Apostle Paul instructed the Corinthians and us what the original Apostles taught him about the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul said that Jesus died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, rose again in accordance with the scriptures, and that hundreds of people saw the risen Christ after his resurrection.

          This morning in last week of this sermon series on 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul drives home the significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Even though the majority of Christians the world over celebrate the resurrection of Jesus every Easter Sunday, every Sunday is a “Mini-Easter.” You see, Christians do not just see the resurrection of Jesus Christ being physically raised from the dead, as only a historical event and a miracle, but it is also as a source of spiritual power, encouragement, and hope.

          If we all knew and believed, for example, that when it is all said and done, that goodness, mercy, holiness, and righteousness would defeat evil, darkness, wickedness, and corruption, how would that change how we lived today?

          What if something like the resurrection of Jesus Christ changed us so much, that we were able to daily grow in grace, love, hope, mercy, and righteousness? I think that if we are all honest, we all have days that we feel like the world is going to pieces, but we have the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We have God in the flesh overcoming sin and darkness and inviting us to follow him and to daily become more like him.

          In fact, in our reading from Psalm 1 for this morning, it says once again in 1:1:

Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; (Ps. 1:1, NRSV).

          We all know friends that there is darkness, pain, suffering, and brokenness in this world, but where, oh where, do we draw hope? Almost two-thousand years ago those first disciples and followers of Jesus Christ were witnesses to his resurrection from the dead. As a result of this, these disciples and these early followers of Jesus believed that we could build a better world. They believed that God loved them, despite all their flaws and brokenness, and they believed that Jesus came to save them and die for them. They believed that through Jesus they were worthy, beloved, and had an eternal future. Do we believe that Sidney, the Tri-Town area, our churches, our schools, our businesses, and our scout packs and troops have a future? We need a fresh wind of resurrection.

          You see, many centuries after Christ’s actual resurrection on that first Easter, the Christian Church, whatever the denomination or expression has gone through times of triumph, despair, and sometimes even corruption and sinfulness. Some people have stopped attending church, have lost their faith, or have become disconnected with the body of Christ because of some of the failures of some church leaders and some churches. We all know of the past incidents of abuse, and we have seen periodically different scandals or dishonesty with some church leaders or churches. Likewise, the Boy Scouts of America or BSA has been through quite an ordeal with all of the people that have come forth as victims of past abuse, as well.

          There is no question that mistakes and grievous sins have happened in the past from some clergy, some church leaders, and yes, some BSA leaders. Yet, most clergy, most church leaders, and most BSA leaders that I know have led and continue to lead in honorable, Godly, and trustworthy ways. We now have a system in place in the United Methodist Church and the BSA has a great system, to do everything in our power to ensure that we have and will continue to have safe churches and safe BSA’s packs and troops.

          In a way then, the power of resurrection, the power of hope, of new life, for some people in recent years has faded. It is important then that as clergy, church leaders, and BSA leaders that we do everything we can to show our kids, our leaders, and our churches that we are committed to the mission, vision, and values that have dedicated ourselves to. This being said, my friends, brothers, and sisters, I think that we need a new dose of that resurrection that those first Christians experienced so long ago.

          We know that both good and terrible things have occurred in the past, and I would say that more good occurred than bad. In this time, in this place and beyond we get to continue to build something new and something authentic, if we have the faith and the courage to do it. We get to be part of something that is loving, that family and community centered, and that is centered in power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We need a fresh wind of resurrection. We need a new shot of life, and we need to recapture the resurrection anew. In fact, as the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 once again:

¹² Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; ¹⁴ and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. ¹⁵ We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ—whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. ¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. ¹⁷ If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. ¹⁹ If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. ²⁰ But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died (1 Cor. 15:12-20, NRSV).

          So, while as my sermon is titled “No Resurrection – No Christianity,” I would argue that we all need, once again, a fresh wind of that first resurrection. Maybe we have become complacent, maybe we no longer believe that our churches, that BSA, or anything can grow and be successful in Sidney and the Tri-Town area. Maybe we have resigned ourselves to believing that our churches, our scout packs, and our scout troops will just slowly wither and die.

          We need a fresh wind of resurrection! We need to believe anew, that God can do all things. Despite some things that have happened in the past, we can still build a new and a brighter future. Without strong churches, without strong scouts, where does that leave Sidney and whole Tri-Town area? Where does that leave our whole country and the entire world? We need a fresh wind of resurrection. We need to believe anew, like a child, we need to come together, as we need God, we need each other, and the community needs our gifts and graces. Despite everything going on in Sidney and the surrounding communities, God can still use us through power of the resurrection of his son to build stronger scout packs, stronger scout troops, stronger youth ministries, a stronger church, stronger families, stronger friendships, and I, you, your kids, and this whole community and world will be better for it.

I do not know about you friends, but as the pastor of the Sidney United Methodist Church, I know that thousands and thousands of people have been through our doors over the years. Countless people have been changed here through our ministries. Countless people have led, countless people have served, have given, and have sacrificed. The reality is this, is that we all stand in a line of heroes, and we all stand on the shoulders of giants. I believe that Sidney and this whole Tri-Town area is worth fighting for, and friends, I wonder if you are like me?

It is an honor to serve this church, to be part of this community, and we are so proud of our scouts and our leaders. Know that this pastor and this church supports what you are doing, and that we are thrilled to have you under our roof. Let me say that again, we are thrilled to have you under our roof. To the scouts that are here this morning, what you are learning, the time your spending, and the skills you are learning matter. They will serve you now and throughout your life. To the parents and the scout leaders, your time, and your sacrifice matters. You are not laboring in vain, and this church supports you, as the values of scouts are so similar to values of the church.

          In looking at our gospel of Luke reading briefly for this morning, we have the account of Jesus Christ, our Lord preaching the “Sermon on the Plain.” What Jesus teaches us is commonly called the “Beatitudes,” and in the gospel of Luke Jesus teaches four “Beatitudes.”

          In this “Sermon on the Plain” for this morning, Jesus tells us that the poor, the hungry, those who weep, and that those who are persecuted for the love and faith that they have in Christ, will be restored in God’s kingdom. Good churches, good church leaders, good scouting packs and troops, I believe are part of the process of making Sidney, the Tri-Town area, and the world better.

          My dear friends, brothers, and sisters, we stand on the shoulders of giants, and we stand in a line of heroes. I believe in what is possible now and into the future. I believe that this church can continue to grow and that it can continue to be strong, and I believe the same thing for our scout packs and our troops. We need a fresh wind of resurrection. Friends, I believe that these things are possible, and I wonder if you are like me? Happy Scouting Sunday. Amen.