"50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord."
I Corinthians 15:50-58
Good Morning Beloved,
Welcome to worship, we're so glad you're here!
Throughout the history of the world, it may have appear to some that sin and death would reign.
It seems like God was on the losing end. He created life human life in the Garden of Eden, a place of perfection and harmony. However Satan tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit and Adam joined in too. Before this, death was just a word, a concept, an experience completely unknown by man.
But, as a result of the disobedience of Adam and Eve, death became a reality for each and every one of us.
The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery says…"Death is the greatest of humankind’s enemies, a relentless Grim Reaper that shows no respect for age or wealth. It robs parents of a precious child, leaving them to mourn the loss for the rest of their lives. It deprives wives and children of their breadwinner and protector, leaving them vulnerable in a hostile world. It takes away an aging spouse, leaving a gray-haired senior citizen without a lifelong companion and closest friend. Sometimes it arrives suddenly and unannounced; at other times it approaches slowly, as if stalking or taunting its helpless victim. Sometimes it hauls away its victims en masse; on other occasions it targets individuals. It uses a variety of methods and weapons, but only rarely does it capture its prey without inflicting pain and terror. Power, beauty and wealth can usually overcome any obstacle, but in death they meet their match."
There is an old school preacher who speaks as boldly as ever. He is not popular, though the world is his parish and he travels every part of the globe and speaks in every language. He visits the poor, calls upon the rich, preaches to people of every religion and no religion, and the subject of his sermon is always the same. He is an eloquent preacher, often stirring feelings that no other preacher could, and bringing tears to eyes that never weep. His arguments none are able to refute, nor is there any heart that has remained unmoved by the force of this appeals. He shatters life with his message. Most people hate him; everyone fears him. His name? Death. Every tombstone is his pulpit, every newspaper prints his text, and someday every one of you will be his sermon.
As far as human power, beauty, wealth, and glory are concerned, that truth applies to Christians as much as to any others. However, the hope of the Christian is not in such things, which he knows will end at the grave.
The hope of the Christian is expressed by the epitaph Benjamin Franklin wrote for himself, engraved on his tombstone in the cemetery of Christ’s Church in Philadelphia: "The body of Franklin, printer, like the cover of an old book, its contents torn out and stripped of its lettering and gilding, lies here food for worms. But the work will not be lost, for it will appear once more in a new and more elegant edition, revised and corrected by the Author." That is the hope of the Christian and the message of I Corinthians 15!
Let's bow our heads in prayer.
Heavenly Father,
We thank You for the precious gift of salvation, we know that is all grace, because we don’t deserve to be saved. Nor do we deserve to be transformed. We don’t deserve to be eternally rewarded for the humble service that we render. This is all of Your grace. What a gracious, loving Father you are.
How magnificent is it that we taunt death knowing it has no sting? Because, it planted its sting in Christ, and He bore our punishment and conquered death. Because He rose victoriously, death has no possibility of victory over us, as all the demands of the law were met by Jesus Christ. And so we long for that glorious day, that we might experience eternity in Your presence.
Whether it’s dead or alive, when resurrection day comes, Lord, we are overwhelmed with Your kindness, the magnitude of the promise of our own resurrection and the glory that You have prepared for us. This is only the beginning, we can't even begin to imagine what a place You have prepared for us. May we live in hope with anticipation of that glorious day.
We pray this all in Christs' precious name
Amen
Today's Message: All Rise - Dying To Live Again
Open with me your Bibles to the book of I Corinthians chapter 15. Today, as we conclude our study of chapter 15. Follow along with me as I read to you from this rich, marvelous text from the apostle Paul to the Corinthians. I Corinthians 15:5-58.
"Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord."
I once saw a special about the lost city of Cleopatra on the Discovery channel. The entire island where she built her palace is now underwater. Divers have discovered it. One of the things I learned from watching was that Cleopatra adorned herself like the Egyptian goddess Isis in human form. And then believing she was a deity she took on the persona of someone who was eternal. But in the end, as it happens to everyone, Cleopatra discovered that she was no different than anyone else. She couldn’t escape the call of death.
I've heard it said that…that persons in the Victorian era had a morbid fascination with death, but never spoke of sex, while in contemporary, a generation obsessed with sex, death has become the great unmentionable.
Scientists, doctors, nutritionists and a plethora of fitness clubs all make claims that they have discovered ways to help us look younger and live longer. However, not even one of them can keep us from dying. Despite all of our modern medical advancements, death still seems to be in control.
To many, death is very scary, and all these years later, it’s still very much a part of our world today.
After the tragedy in the Garden of Eden, could it be that the "Giver of Life," was now subject to death, the enemy’s greatest weapon?
Beloved, the Bible offers us a glimmer of hope:
In Genesis 3:15, God said to the serpent, "And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel."
When Christ came on the scene, He had power over the enemy. It seemed like maybe God had the upper hand after all. Jesus resisted Satan’s temptations, He drove out his demons – He even had power over Satan’s greatest weapon – death.
In Luke chapter 7, He brought a widow’s son back to life. And, in Luke 8:49-56, he did the same for Jairus’ daughter. And perhaps most dramatically, in John 11:38-44, He raised Lazarus from the dead, calling him out of the tomb, grave-clothes and all!
Yes, beloved, Jesus had power over death. Death was no match for Him. People had feared for centuries that death was a stone cold grip, from which no one could escape. Yet, Jesus very calmly asserted His authority over it. This irreversible life event could finally be undone!
Then Jesus Himself was put to death. The one who raised others to life, was Himself, raised up on a cross. And it looked as though death, would have the final say and still reign after all.
I want to be very clear, that regardless of how things might have looked, death did not get the final word after all. In our text that I read earlier, the Apostle Paul shouts defiantly…
"O death, where is your victory? —And, of course, there’s no answer, so he asks again—O death, where is your sting?"
Now, why is there no reply? Because God raised Jesus from the dead, proving once and for all that He is ultimately and officially in control of what’s going on with life and death. Sin is the "sting" of death – it’s the main reason why death is painful and poisonous. Sin causes death and it also brings about judgment. And, since we’re all sinners, is it any wonder that we fear death?
Beloved, hear the Good News, that Christ bore the whole of death’s sting, in order that we would have to bear none. The apostle Paul implies that death left its sting in Jesus, like a bee leaves its stinger in its victim. A bumblebee without its stinger may still look fierce, but it can’t really do you any harm. The same is true of death – it looks scary, it may appear to be ferocious, however, because Jesus defeated it, death has no sting!
And, God promises to raise us too when we have come into a saving relationship with Jesus. Because of Jesus finished work on the cross, God’s promise for you! Because of Jesus, you will be physically raised from the dead too.
The skeptic might say that it’s all too supernatural and sounds too mythical. But allow me to ask you a question. If you never heard of the birth of a baby and I tried to describe it to you, would you believe it? If I said, "Well, this tiny unseen sperm from a man is combined with this unseen little egg from a woman and they form a cell and this cell begins to multiply. Then nine months later out comes this baby with hands and feet and eyelashes and ears and starts screaming."
You’d probably say, "Get outta here. What kind of idiot do you take me for? You have to be kidding me." Beloved, this is a miracle that we see over and over again but we take it for granted because its so common. It’s no more difficult for God to raise the dead than it is for Him to create life and form it in the womb.
When Christ went to the cross it looked as though the enemy could finally claim victory. But it was a victory of a different kind. For a moment, perhaps God let the enemy step in front, but in doing so, He only showed more of His greatness. Making the victory even sweeter!
To those watching, Jesus suffered what appeared to be a momentary defeat, however that was so that we could claim victory with Him. I don't know about you, but that's pretty humbling isn’t it.
In fact, Paul says this, in verse 57,"but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Christ gives us the victory! It’s a gift. He says, "Take it!" We have no reason to fear death because of Christ’s victory over it. Death has been defeated but has not yet destroyed.
I Corinthians 15:26 says, "The last enemy that will be abolished is death."
In John 11:25-26, Jesus says, "Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"
I have had some ask, "Why do we need resurrection bodies? What's wrong with the ones we have now?" One reason for this is because our bodies are sinful, and the Bible teaches us that nothing sinful can enter into heaven. So, God, in His great grace and mercy, made a way to give us new bodies, bodies that are no longer sinful and that are fit to live in the coming world.
Jesus is the resurrection of believers who die and the life of believers who live. He promises not that you will just survive, but that you will be resurrected. When he says, "you will never die," He doesn’t mean that you will escape death, but only that death will prove to be a trivial episode, a path to transition to the fullness of life.
Notice the secret that is associated with the promise of a bodily resurrection for Christians.
Paul says in I Corinthians 15:51-52, "Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed."
The word sleep is often a euphemism for death in the New Testament. Paul is saying that not everyone will die. When Christ returns, there will be many Christians who are still alive at that time. And they will not die. However, everyone, whether those who have died or those who have not yet died, shall all be changed. Every Christian at the time of Christ’s return, whether dead or alive, will receive a resurrection body. And, it will all happen "in the twinkling of an eye."
In the Greek, that's an interesting word, atomos, from which we get the word atom. The word atomos means that which can’t be divided. That which can’t be cut is atomos. In the Greek understanding, you can’t get anything smaller than that which cannot be divided. So it indicates the shortest possible time. Therefore, it is the smallest. It is not a blink, that's different. A twinkling is less than a sixth of a nanosecond, the amount of time it takes for light entering the iris to reach the retina. Beloved, that's fast!
Then Paul says this will happen "at the last trumpet;" Many commentators are divided over the meaning of the last trumpet. It would, however, seem to me, that it is the "last trumpet" not because it is the final in a series, but because it signals the end. Trumpets were associated in Israel’s history with battles and festivities and triumphs, however, they were also associated with the events of the end times. This is the signal for the dead to rise. This is the time when they will be called out of the graves and called up to God.
The Jews understood a trumpet to warn of the approaching day of judgment , as in Joel 2:1, to announce the coming of the Lord, Zechariah 9:14, and to summon the people of God from the four corners of the earth in Isaiah 27:13. In the present context, the last trumpet is simply the victory sound of the end as dead Christians are raised back to life in new resurrection bodies!
Paul also gives us a schedule of succession of the promise. Notice, "...for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." First, dead Christians will exchange their perishable bodies for imperishable bodies. Here Paul is talking about dead Christians whose bodies are reunited with their spirits. And, these bodies are, of course, resurrection bodies.
The concept of a bodily resurrection for Christians did not originate with the apostle Paul. No. Paul actually got it from the Scriptures. Paul was quoting from Isaiah 25:8, which says "He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken."
And Hosea 13:14, "Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from death?
O Death, where are your thorns? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion will be hidden from My sight."
Even though his quotations were not precise, these were unmistakably his references. His point, however, is quite clear: because the resurrection bodies of Christians will be imperishable and immortal, death will never again affect them. Death will never be able to destroy or plague our resurrection bodies. Rather, Christians will live eternally, free from the worry of physical deterioration and death. Our final and ultimate victory will be when we receive glorified, resurrection bodies!
Then, in verse 58, he says "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." This is so typical of Paul, as he never set down theological principles without also giving us the practical application.
Here is how The Living Bible puts verse 58: "So, my dear brothers, since future victory is sure, be strong and steady, always abounding in the Lord’s work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever wasted as it would be if there were no resurrection."
Now listen to how The Message puts verse 58: "With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don’t hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort."
The point here is: Christians, get busy in serving Jesus!
In Closing....
Now, everything that I have said about the resurrection and receiving a resurrection body after death only applies to you if you are a Christian. If you are not a Christian, you must receive God’s grace and forgiveness.
And, if you are already a Christian, are you actively involved in a ministry of the church? If not, you should be. Why? Because, that is one way to demonstrate that you belong to Jesus, by serving.
In John 14:3, Jesus said, "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."
Jesus says in Mark 13:32-33," But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. “Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come."
Beloved, the return of Jesus Christ is imminent! There is no question about it, so the only question that remains is: Are you prepared for His return?
"Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’"
Matthew 7:21-23
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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