IF THERE IS NO RESURRECTION

1. "Easter Sunday" is an annual holiday celebrated by many...
a. Millions of people commemorate the resurrection of Jesus on this day
b. Many consider it as "the most holy" of religious holidays
c. For some, it marks the only time they attend church services
(Christmas runs a close second)

2. Christians in the 1st century did not have an annual observance of this event...
a. The word "Easter" is found only once in the KJV Bible - cf. Ac 12:4
b. The word in the Greek is "Passover", elsewhere in the KJV
c. "It is certain that the NT contains no reference to a yearly celebration of the resurrection of Christ"
d. The annual observance is a human tradition, introduced in the 2nd and 3rd centuries

3. Churches today who follow the New Testament pattern do not celebrate "Easter" per se...
a. They note Paul's teaching regarding religious holidays
b. They value Jesus' warning regarding the traditions of men

4. This does not demean the importance of the resurrection of Christ...
a. It has great significance to the Christian
b. It is something we should think about often (certainly more than once a year)

5. It is an appropriate subject even on "Easter Sunday", just as sermons...
a. On thankfulness are around Thanksgiving
b. On mothers are on Mother's Day
-- Even though churches may not celebrate such holidays per se

IF CHRIST WAS NOT RAISED

A. GOSPEL PREACHING IS VAIN... (vs 14)
1. The preaching of the apostles is empty, meaningless
2. Because they proclaimed nothing more than a fairy tale, a story of fiction

B. OUR FAITH IS VAIN... (vs 14) 1. Our belief in Christ would also be empty, meaningless
2. For our faith would be in a lie, a story of make believe, not truth

C. THE APOSTLES WERE FALSE WITNESSES... (vs 15) 1. They swore that God raised Jesus from the dead – Ac 2:32
2. They claimed to spend 40 days with Him after the resurrection, eating and drinking
3. There is no way they could have been deceived or mistaken; either they told the truth or they were deliberate liars, deceivers, and frauds!

D. WE ARE STILL IN OUR SINS... (vs 17) 1. It would have been a liar or lunatic that died on the cross
2. No such person could have provided a sacrifice that was holy and without blemish

E. BELIEVERS HAVE PERISHED AT DEATH... (vs 18)
1. Their faith would have been in a false Messiah
2. They would have had no atonement for their sins
3. Dying in their sins, there would be no hope

F. CHRISTIANS ARE TO BE PITIED... (vs 19) 1. Because we believe in a false Messiah
2. Because our faith in Him leads us to refrain from much worldly pleasure
3. Because we are often ridiculed or persecuted for our faith