Do You Believe This Story?

Tuesday evening, March 25, 2008
This past Sunday, I began my message by telling the congregants that on the previous night, I had been asked to embalm a lady (which I usually do not do on Saturday nights!) and, as I was about to begin the procedure, I said, “Lord, tomorrow is resurrection Sunday and this would be a great time for you to do something that I have never before seen you do—raise this lady from the dead!” I told them that I prayed for her resurrection and, lo and behold, as I prayed she opened her eyes and quickly sat upright on the embalming table! As you might imagine, some of them looked very doubtful of my story; consequently, I asked, “What is the matter? Don’t you believe me?” I even asked for a show of hands from those who did not believe me and I think everyone raised a hand! Isn’t that something? The pastor tells the congregants about someone being raised from the dead and none of them believe it happened! How sad-
I followed with this: if you think that story is unbelievable, allow me to tell you one that is even more unbelievable. I went on to tell them of the God, who left heaven to come and live on this earth among the likes of us, as the result of a virgin birth, then to be crucified on a cross, placed into a borrowed tomb, and on the third day to resurrect from the dead. As if that were not enough, I went on to tell them that He “appeared” to His disciples in an upper room in Jerusalem following His resurrection, and after 40 days, He ascended back to Heaven! AND to add even more, He promised to return to this earth for His bride and to do so in the same manner that He left, with this one minor problem—that promise was made 2008 years ago (or thereabouts)! Then I raised the same question I raised from my story: How many of you believe this story? The truth is no one would possibly believe this story, as it is simply unbelievable, UNLESS of course He gives us the faith to believe it.
The good news is this: He has given some the faith to believe this most unbelievable story, and those who do believe it can do nothing but believe it! The irony is this: our doubts evidence our faith! You see, if we had no doubts, we would have no need for faith; however, because we do doubt, we actually evidence our faith, our belief that the story is genuine. Now that is a novel thought!
Now having said all of that, please allow me to remind you that He promised another resurrection: “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of the God; and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; emphasis, mine).
Now, do YOU believe THIS story? If you do (really do!), it is because He gave you the faith to believe it—period—and, if you do believe it, then you are eagerly awaiting His return and your resurrection!
Amen!