RESURRECTION VICTORY

Pew Bible Page 1143

1 Corinthians 15:50-58 “50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall 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 shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass 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 brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

INTRODUCTION:

I am a big Star Trek Fan, especially the Next Generations, but I grew up on the original Star Trek

If so, you have probably seen Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan. You may recall

There was a conversation between Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) and an aspiring young Starship commander facing a difficult and dangerous test.

Kirk uttered these powerful words: "How we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life."

Although no one would accuse Admiral Kirk of being a great theologian, he nailed it on this point!

How we deal with the reality of our inevitable death radically affects how we deal with our lives in the present. We could say,

"Live in the present with the future in view.".

In 1 Cor 15:50-58, Paul concludes his glorious resurrection chapter.

These closing verses are a climactic song of victory, a kind of symphony.

(A number of composers down through the ages have set this text to music. Brahms' Requiem and Handel's Messiah quote from it.)

It's a symphony in three movements or messages for today.

The first movement celebrates the future transformation of our bodies

while the second movement celebrates the future termination of sin.

The final movement celebrates the future compensation of our work.

1. This Great Mystery carries with is three marvelous messages for us Christians – those still alive today!

a) We shall all be changed (15:50-52)

b) We shall all conquer death (15:53-57)

c) We shall all be rewarded (15:58)

THE RESURRECTION WILL CHANGE ALL BELIEVERS

1 Corinthians 15:50-52 “50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall 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 shall be changed.”

1. In the previous verses (vv. 42-49) Paul had clearly stated that there were two kinds of human bodies:

1 Cor. 15:40-44 “40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. 42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.”

The One he describes as:

earthly, perishable, natural,

weak and dishonorable. (our present, fallen, sinful bodies)

The other he describes as:

heavenly, imperishable, spiritual,

powerful and glorious (our future resurrection bodies)

1 Cor. 15:45-49 “45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.”

The first body comes from Adam,

passed down from fathers to sons and daughters, in their natural birth.

The second body comes from Jesus Christ,

granted to all God’s children in their final resurrection.

Drawing from that marvelous truth Paul now states the obvious:

1 Corinthians 15:50 “50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.”

Paul is assuring the Corinthian Greek Christians and the American Materialistic Christian

that they are correct on one point:

This old, sinful, aging, limited and finite body cannot go to heaven with us.

All the crude ideas of a free spirit, re-imprisoned in a mortal body, are impossible.

The bodies we now possess “cannot” inherit the Kingdom of God.

Something has to change.

Jesus told us this long before Paul wrote about this fact:

John 3:3-8 “3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.””

b) “You must be born again … born of the Spirit.”

c) Gist:

Your soul must be reborn in order to live in the Kingdom of God.

When we are regenerated by the Holy Spirit our souls become “new creations” able to live with God forever.

2 Cor. 5:17 “17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

But God always intended that human beings made in His image possess both a soul and a body, with which they might live with God …

then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. (Gen. 2:7

dust and spirit; body and soul = The Image of God

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him

male and female he created them. (Gen. 1:27)

So … just as God refitted the human soul for life in the Kingdom of God, so

Your physical body must be transformed in order to live in the Kingdom of God

flesh and blood: that which is mortal

must be changed into that which is immortal!

Our bodies for this earth are suitable (if not perfect) for this world,

but will not be for the one to come, they will have to be retired.

Think about it...

Our body is not suitable for Space, we need a huge pressurized suit to survive.

Our body is not suitable for the depths of the ocean, we need a submarine to go to the depths of Mariana Trench.

God will transform our Body to be suitable for heaven.

We will be remade, glorified, perfected to live in the presence of God for eternity.

Then look at....

1 Cor 15:51 “51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,”

mystery always refers to that which had before been hidden and unknown but which is now revealed.

Eph 3:7-10 “7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”

The church was a mystery, that the gospel was not just for the Jews but for the Gentiles as well.

So what was the mystery that Paul was passing on to the world”

Not all of us are destined to die.

1 Cor 15:51 “51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,”

What is this great mystery now revealed?

b) “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed!”

c) Meaning: “We shall not all die, but we shall all be transformed.”

The apostle now reveals that Christians who are alive when the Lord returns will not have to die (sleep) in order for their bodies to be changed.

Those “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” (1 Thess. 4:17).

.As believers are resurrected or caught up they shall all be changed.

Whether believers die or are caught up, their bodies will be changed from the perishable to the imperishable, from the natural to the spiritual.

Since the perishable cannot inherit the imperishable,

Enoch and Elijah must have been changed in the same way that raptured believers will be changed.

In any case, all believers will be equally equipped for heaven

Phil. 3:20–21 “20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”

When? At the second coming of Jesus Christ …

1 Cor 15:52 “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 shall be changed.”

When

in a moment: The Greek atmos: that which cannot be divided; the smallest of all things (hence: atom); in a flash!

in the twinkling of an eye: In less of the time it take to blink one’s eye!

at the last trumpet: announcing the Lord’s return

at the final (general) resurrection: when all men rise

1 Cor 15:53 “53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.”

the change: from able to die to unable to perish – glory!

Theologians call this Glorification

the Christians of all times and all over the world will be changed into glory!

When Jesus comes back to end the world …

Those who are dead: Their graves will open and their dust will reassemble, and they will be raised in a sinless glory like that of Jesus Christ.

Those alive when Christ returns: They will watch the dead rise first, then they will be taken up (“caught up”) to God, and as they rise – in a split second – they will be glorified beyond their wildest dreams!

Think of this … Today: In the relatively near future, when Jesus returns, you and I, who trust in Christ, will escape all the sorrows, pains and dying of this life …

We won’t have autism, Asperger’s syndrome, bipolar disorder anymore – we’ll be mentally, socially, psychologically glorious!

We won’t suffer from cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimers anymore – we’ll be 100% whole, as never before.

Our hearts won’t skip beats, our blood sugar will be perfect, our eyes will see things we never saw and our ears will hear things they never heard –

We all will be changed when Christ Returns.

THE RESURRECTION OF WILL CONQUER DEATH

1 Cor 15:54-57 “54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass 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.”

Death is the last enemy to be subdued by Jesus Christ –

1 Cor. 15:26 “26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”

Why does it take so long for death to die?

Answer: Each time a human being sins death is given another breath of life.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 6:23)

But Jesus Christ has – no pun intended – dealt a “death blow” to Death itself –

He broke the power of death when He died for sins, and took the life-breath of death away.

He is releasing billions of souls from the power of death when He justifies, forgives and ransoms souls from sin.

He will someday remove death altogether – death will cease to be – when He raises the saints to a life beyond the possibility of death.

Paul sings about the death of Death – quoting two OT Prophets

1 Cor. 15:56 “56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.”

Isa 25:8 “8 He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.”

Hosea 13.14 “14 I shall ransom them from the power of Sheol; I shall redeem them from Death. O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes.”

Death is part of the curse of sin.

The law is the power of sin – it doesn’t solve our sin problem; it exposes our sin so that we’ll realize we need a Savior.

The law doesn’t solve our sin problem and it can’t solve our death problem. “

But thanks be to God” that Jesus solves both.

Death’s bite, Death’s sing … is toothless.

IF YOUR A CHRISTIAN then death is like a bumble bee with out a stinger.

Annoying, because its days are numbered.

Not lethal, because it no longer has a stinger.

Resurrection always triumphs over death for those in Christ.

That moment, that blink, that trumpet blast is when the last battle is over,

God will stand, death and sin will be defeated FOREVER,

and all in Christ celebrate the death of death.

God’s people will finally mock death.

Where is your victory? Until Jesus, death had always defeated every man and women in all of history.

Death is like a school yard bully

who other children cower too

before a stronger good kid came along and

defeated him giving others freedom and hope.

At the last day death will finally be vanquished.

Isaiah 25:8 He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.

Where is the sting?

The sting is what we experience when we lose a loved one

or hear of a tragedy that reminds us death is still at work and on the march.

We read verses like this funerals of our believing loved ones who have passed

because while we know the sting of them being gone from this world

we know there is no sting for them and they are already experiencing the world to come.

The sting is also found in unforgiven sin.

Death is not a natural and unpleasant phenomenon.

“death is part of life” is NOT what was intended,

it is a consequence of sin. It is punishment from God.

It exists only because our rebellion against God exists.

The ultimate pain or sting of death is to die unforgiven.

Where sin hasn’t been dealt with death still lurks and wrath is still promised.

Christ died for our sins, was raise on the third day so on the last day death will fall defeated forever.

This is an accomplished fact of history.

Have you ever stopped and thought about everything in life overshadowed by the reality of Death?

War, armies, weapons, soldiers, policemen, firemen, EMT, etc.

All medicine: Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, medicines, etc.

Insurance, the Evening News, Morticians, Cemeteries, etc.,

“Don’t play in the street … Don’t walk home on campus alone at night …. Don’t get up on that ladder at your age …”

There will come a day when the word death is no longer in our vocabulary!

And these two truths – a resurrection to glory and the elimination of death – affect the way we live today and every day … the rest of our lives.

RESPOND TO THE ANTICIPATION OF YOU FUTURE RESURRECTION

1 COR 15:57-58 “57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

“Therefore…” The reason for this whole chapter on the resurrection (15:1-57).

The reason all this Theology of Resurrection means something:

Because Jesus rose from the dead and because I will too,

then all I do in service to God and his kingdom means something.

It is not a waste of time or life. it will garner for me a great reward.

In fact , Everything else in this world I will leave behind to be burned up with Death, but those things I do for Christ go on with me forever!

We do not know when that last trumpet call will be, only that it will sound.

On that day, on your last day you cannot share in the celebration of the death of death,

you cannot enter the kingdom of God

if you haven’t pledged allegiance to King Jesus.

What God has accomplished in history on the cross and

what He has promised His people at Jesus return is so glorious

it should lead His people to respond today with:

WORSHIP

Be steadfast, immovable

Paul now reflects back on the start of this chapter.

1 Cor 15:1-2 “1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.”

WE must not let the doubt and skepticism of some about the resurrection sway us.

We were defeated, we were doomed.

God secures the victory we were hopeless to achieve and gives us the spoils we did nothing to deserve.

This is grace.

We respond with thankful, heartfelt worship.

As we gather we can be excited about what God has done in our individual lives, in our families, and in our church.

Praise Him for that!

But we also remember full victory is not experienced now,

it is to be realized later.

So we are not to get disillusioned when our lives are still challenging or even boring.

We hold fast and do not move from the fundamental truths of Gospel even in the face a pagan culture.

We should not fear or be anxious because we will win, we will have victory.

Paul then continues… always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

WORK

Our worship and gratitude for what God has done for us does not cause us to simply wait for our death or his return.

It should naturally lead us to work for His glory as our saving lord and our joy as His grateful servants.

While our “big” victories in this life may seem insignificant in the life to come;

we cannot be so “heavenly minded we are no earthly good”.

We are called to always be overflowing, even excelling, in the work of the Lord.

This means actually keeping God’s commands,

loving our neighbors,

preaching and teaching the gospel to unbelievers

while applying it to our lives, and

acting out kingdom values in our homes and communities.

While this is achievable, powered by the Holy Spirit,

we are given no promises this will be easy.

n fact, we we’re told repeated it will be hard.

It will be laborious, it will seem like toil, we will experience the fatigue that is involved in hard work.

We are called to be steadfast, knowing that what we do is not empty.

What we do today in the service of Christ, actually matters to God.

The time and energy God’s people devote to the cause of Christ are never wasted.

Yes, there are times when we wonder whether the effort has been worthwhile—

for we do not always see the fruit of our labours.

We have worked hard and long, and now wonder whether it has all been worthwhile.

But as Jesus himself reminds us in the parable of the sower, where the seed is sown, there is always a harvest (Mark 4:8, 20).

Maybe we shall not see the harvest in our lifetime,

but a harvest there will be.

CONCLUSION:

Only One Life C.T. Studd

Two little lines I heard one day, Traveling along life’s busy way; Bringing conviction to my heart, And from my mind would not depart; Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, Soon will its fleeting hours be done; Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet, And stand before His Judgment seat; Only one life,’ twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice, Gently pleads for a better choice Bidding me selfish aims to leave, And to God’s holy will to cleave; Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years, Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears; Each with its days I must fulfill, living for self or in His will; Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

When this bright world would tempt me sore, When Satan would a victory score; When self would seek to have its way, Then help me Lord with joy to say; Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Give me Father, a purpose deep, In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep; Faithful and true what e’er the strife, Pleasing Thee in my daily life; Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Oh let my love with fervor burn, And from the world now let me turn; Living for Thee, and Thee alone, Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne; Only one life, “twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, Now let me say, “Thy will be done”; And when at last I’ll hear the call, I know I’ll say ’twas worth it all”; Only one life,’ twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

What we believe about our future, affects how we act and live in the present.

Are you living in hopelessness and defeat, accepting that all there is is this life.

Or are you living in light of your future resurrection and experiencing the victory you have in the presence.