The Reality Of Our Resurrection Bodies

PRAYER BEFORE SERMON (Joe)

Lord,

We praise Your great and mighty name!

You alone deserve the glory and honour!

We thank You for the light of Christ,

Who has shone in the darkness,

Leading us peace with God through His sacrifice!

We confess that we are sinners, unworthy of Your grace.

Yet Christ came and preached a message of repentance,

That we might turn from our sin,

And find new life through faith in Him!

We praise You for this new life through Your Spirit…

And we ask in Jesus’ name,

That You would fill us with Your Spirit,

So that we can bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

Lead and guide us by Your Word, we pray… Amen!

OPENING

Introduction

Have you ever been promised something in the future,

but you didn’t know exactly what it was, or what it would be like?

Maybe you were waiting for your birthday,

and were joyfully expecting what you would get…

Maybe you were expecting a baby,

and anticipating what he/she would look like…

As we come up to Christmas,

many of you buy your children gifts, wrap them, and put them under the tree.

Naturally, our children are very excited to find out what they are,

so they grab the gifts…

shake the gifts…

make guesses based on the shape of the gifts…

If any of you guys are like me,

then your wife really has to be creative with her guesses,

because there’s usually nothing under the tree for her till a few days before Christmas!

Transition to Sermon

As we pickup in our sermon series in 1 Corinthians this morning,

we see that sort of anticipation as Paul teaches them about the resurrection.

He has told them that since Christ has indeed risen from the dead,

they too will rise from the dead!

Naturally, they wanted to know…

How is that going to happen?

What are our bodies going to look like?

We are going to see Paul’s answers to those questions this morning!

Announce Scripture

This morning we are going to be looking at…

1 Corinthians 15:35—58

Introduce Scripture

We have been going through 1 Corinthians,

which is a letter that Paul wrote to a church that he started in the city of Corinth.

These were new Christians,

and after Paul left they still had a lot of questions,

so they wrote to Paul to get them answered.

The last few weeks we’ve been looking at chapter 15,

where Paul emphasizes the resurrection of Jesus.

And today we’re going to look specifically at

what our resurrection bodies will be like.

We’re going to see…

The Reality Of Our Resurrection Bodies

Before we do that,

let’s bow for prayer.

Prayer for Illumination

Lord,

Your hands have made us,

and we have been fashioned in Your image.

We have been created so that we might find our joy and satisfaction in You,

and bring Your glory through our lives.

So we ask that as we open Your Word this morning,

that You would give us understanding.

By the power of Your Spirit,

working through Your Word,

teach us Your commandments,

that we can behold wondrous things in Your law,

believe it by faith,

and walk in obedience to it,

bringing glory to Your name!

In Jesus’ name we ask… Amen!

Re-Announce/Read Scripture

1 Corinthians 15:35–58 ESV

35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 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. 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. 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.

Transition to Main Points

Paul begins this section by highlighting a question that some were asking…

1 Corinthians 15:35 ESV

35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?”

It seems like an honest question.

I’m sure we’ve all wondered what our heavenly bodies will look like!

But then we read Paul’s response…

“You foolish person!”

Or more bluntly…

“You fool!”

This leads us to believe Paul is rebuking those who are scoffing skeptics!

Rather than asking genuine questions,

these people are attempting to make a mockery of the resurrection.

But we also see that there must have been some with the honest question,

because he then goes on to answer the questions:

how are the dead raised… and

what will their bodies be like?

The first thing we learn is that…

1. You Will Receive A New Body

God has given you this body here on earth,

but it is not the same body that you will have in heaven.

You will receive a new body,

which is uniquely designed for heaven.

EXPLAIN

Paul then uses examples from our world,

to show that our heavenly bodies are going to be different from our earthly bodies.

But in order to get your heavenly body…

a. Your old body must die

1 Corinthians 15:36–38 (ESV)

36 What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body.

We are going to receive new bodies,

but not until we die first.

Paul uses the example of a seed.

You bury a seed in hopes of growing some kind of plant.

But in order for a plant to grow,

the seed has to die.

The plant slowly grows from the seed,

into something completely different from the seed…

and then the seed is gone!

So it is with us.

We will receive new bodies at the resurrection,

but our old bodies must die first…

And then…

b. Your old body must be replaced

It is replaced with a body uniquely designed for heaven,

with it’s own glory.

1 Corinthians 15:39–41 ESV

39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 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.

Using examples from nature,

Paul is making the point that there is a difference between our earthly bodies and our heavenly bodies.

God has designed different kinds of flesh that serve different purposes on earth.

Humans have one kind of flesh that makes them unique from:

Animals which can live outdoors…

Birds which can fly… and

Fish which can live in water.

Each of these types of flesh serve a unique purpose.

In the same way, our earthly bodies serve a purpose here while we are on earth,

while our heavenly bodies are for heaven.

Even the sun, moon, and stars have differing levels of glory.

So it is with our bodies:

Our earthly bodies have been created by God with one kind of glory,

but they will be replaced with heavenly bodies,

that have been created by God with a different kind of glory.

Summary

Paul wants all believers to know,

that they WILL receive new bodies in the resurrection,

but your old body must die first… and

it must then be replaced with a new body!

ILLUSTRATE

Have you ever wanted to upgrade and get a newer, better vehicle?

I think most of us probably have.

Whether you got married and had kids,

or needed something more reliable,

most of us have thought about getting something newer/better.

I still remember the first car I bought with my own money…

a 2000 VW Diesel Jetta.

But the only way I got that newer, better car,

was to be willing to let go of my sister’s old car I had adopted.

And let me tell you…

it was worth it!

I loved that Jetta!!

It got good fuel mileage…

It handled really well in the snow… AND

It had a 6 CD changer!

What an upgrade from a single CD changer.

I didn’t have to change the CD each time it was done,

I had 6 to get through before I had to do that!

It was a little annoying it was in the trunk.

So on a road trip I had to pull over to change them,

but it was still such a cool feature at the time!

Well now, we have superior technology.

We don’t even use CDs anymore.

Some of you might not even know what they are!

And in 20 years, there will be a newer, better technology,

that will make our technology today look outdated and useless.

APPLY

Brothers and sisters,

we have the promise that we will receive new, resurrected bodies!

How does the truth of our future resurrected bodies affect our lives?

If the resurrection isn’t true,

that means this life is all there is,

and it doesn’t really matter how we live.

But if the resurrection IS true,

that means Jesus truly was God,

and the message of the Kingdom He proclaimed was true,

and the way you live not only matters,

BUT IT MEANS EVERYTHING!

If we truly believe in the resurrection…

that we will receive new, heavenly, eternal bodies,

then we should live by faith,

seeking God’s kingdom first!

We don’t need to be only concerned about preserving our earthly bodies,

since we know that they must die in order for us to receive our new bodies.

Summary

Since we have the promise that we will receive new bodies,

we can willing give our lives here on earth for the glory of God,

trusting that God has something better in store for us.

The next thing Paul teaches us is that…

2. You Will Receive A Superior Body

Not only will you receive a new body,

but it will be a superior body!

Your heavenly body is going to be so much better than your earthly body!

It is not the same body but with a minor update,

or a few tweaks here and there,

or some upgrades…

IT’S A COMPLETE OVERHAUL!

Your heavenly body is going to be superior to your earthly body in every way!

EXPLAIN

This is because…

a. Your body will be spiritual

1 Corinthians 15:42–44 ESV

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.

You currently have a natural body,

but then your body will be spiritual.

And look how much better it is!

Your earthly body is perishable…

it can get sick/broken/and die.

Your spiritual body will be imperishable…

never to get sick or die again!

Your earthly body is dishonoured…

you have shame and guilt because of sin done in your body.

Your spiritual body will be glorious…

no more stain of sin!

Your earthly body is weak…

you often yield to the temptation and power of sin.

Your spiritual body will be powerful,

free from the power of sin!

Your earthly body is natural,

and vulnerable to the effects of a fallen world.

Your spiritual body will be spiritual,

never again to struggle with this fallen world or sin!

Your body will be superior,

because it will be spiritual!

It will also be superior because…

b. Your body will be like Jesus

1 Corinthians 15:45–49 ESV

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.

In the same way your earthly body is like Adam,

so your heavenly body will be like Jesus.

God formed Adam from the dust of the earth,

and all mankind came from Adam.

So Adam was the prototype,

and we have all come from him,

and are made of flesh and blood like him.

Though Jesus did become a man… having flesh and blood,

He was not from the dust of the earth.

He was fully God, and came from heaven,

and in the resurrection,

we will be like Him.

Summary

In the same way that we are all born in the image of the first Adam,

we will be born in the image of the second Adam,

with spiritual bodies that will be far superior to our earthly bodies!

ILLUSTRATE

Super Mario Bros. is one of the best selling video games of all time.

Many of you know the game and have probably played it.

The goal of the game is to make it across the Mushroom Kingdom,

in order to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser who has kidnapped her.

But this is not an easy journey!

There are many enemies and obstacles along the way:

Goombas...

Koopa Troopas…

Piranha Plants…

Bottomless Pits…

Lava…

You must carefully navigate all of these hazards,

and try to complete the level before the time goes out.

But there is one special item…

one power-up that you can get that helps you succeed…

The Star!

When you get the star…

for a limited period of time…

you are have a superior body!

You can still fall into certain hazards (like pits and lava),

but no longer have to fear your enemies,

because you can easily run through all them.

For that brief time, you are invincible!

You do have to be careful though…

when the star runs out you go back to your normal body.

APPLY

Brothers and sisters,

this is not the case with our heavenly bodies!

They are not going to run out,

or need to be replaced by something better…

Our heavenly bodies will be complete and final.

They will be perfect… just like Jesus’s body…

superior to our earthly bodies in every way!

1 John 3:1—2 says…

1 John 3:1–2 ESV

1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

As followers of Christ,

while we live here on earth,

we look like everyone else.

We have earthly bodies just like those who are not followers of Christ,

and they don’t recognize us as children of God.

But when Christ appears,

we will receive new, spiritual bodies like His!

John continues and says…

1 John 3:3 ESV

3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

Our hope is in a risen Saviour,

that one day we will receive superior bodies like His!

In light of this hope brothers and sisters,

we must strive for purity,

because Jesus is pure!

If you want to look like Jesus in heaven, you must look like Jesus on earth.

Summary

If you truly love Jesus,

and you want to receive a new body and look like Him in heaven,

don’t just sit on the sidelines waiting for your new, perfected body…

strive for holiness and purity in your life,

seeking to be like Jesus here on earth!

The next thing we learn about the resurrection is that…

3. You Will Receive An Imperishable Body

You will receive a new body,

it will be superior to your earthly body,

and it will be imperishable!

You’re going to need a new body,

because Paul says…

1 Corinthians 15:50 ESV

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

Your earthly body is perishable… it will die,

so it cannot go into eternity…

You will need a new body that is imperishable!

EXPLAIN

But not to worry, because…

a. You will be changed through Jesus

1 Corinthians 15:51–53 ESV

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.

Paul tells the Corinthians,

that not everybody is going to die,

some people will be alive when Christ returns.

But it doesn’t matter whether you’re dead or alive,

you will all be changed through Jesus.

Your perishable body will become an imperishable body…

it cannot decay!

Your mortal body will become an immortal body…

it cannot die!

And this will happen in the twinkling of an eye.

The eye is the fastest moving body part,

able to move and focus on a different object in less than a hundredth of a second.

When Jesus returns to take His people home,

you will be changed in the blink of an eye,

and you will receive an imperishable body!

And…

b. You will be victorious through Jesus

1 Corinthians 15:54–57 ESV

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.

When you receive your imperishable body,

you will be victorious through Christ!

Paul quotes the prophets Isaiah and Hosea,

and its as if he’s taunting death…

“Where is your victory? Where is your sting?”

Paul mentions that the sting of death is sin,

which is exposed through God’s law.

God’s law shows us that we are sinners who fall short of God’s holy standard.

Therefore we fear death, since we will have to stand before God, the righteous Judge.

But thanks be to God,

Jesus died in our place…

He was buried,

and rose again on the third day,

so that all who believe in Him:

are forgiven…

are victorious…

and will be given imperishable bodies…

never to die again!

Charles Spurgeon said…

“I will not fear thee, death, why should I? Thou lookest like a dragon, but thy sting is gone. Thy teeth are broken, oh old lion, wherefore should I fear thee? I know thou art no more able to destroy me, but thou art sent as a messenger to conduct me to the golden gate wherein I shall enter and see my Saviour’s unveiled face for ever.” Charles Spurgeon

Summary

Praise be to God!

We no longer have to fear death,

for it is the doorway to Christ’s presence!

Through Christ you will be changed into an imperishable body,

and you will be victorious through Christ over death!

ILLUSTRATE

This is the hope that led Abraham and Sarah to give up everything to follow the Lord!

God called Abraham to leave his home,

and go to a place he would receive as an inheritance.

Abraham obeyed and went.

And what makes his obedience so incredible is…

God didn’t tell him where he was going!

Abraham had no idea where he was going,

but he trusted God,

and therefore he obeyed.

God had told Sarah that she would give birth to a son,

and even though she was well past the age of child-bearing,

she considered God faithful to His Word,

so she believed, and later gave birth to Isaac!

Hebrews 11:13–16 (ESV)

13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.

15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

Summary

Abraham and Sarah didn’t see all of God’s promises come to fulfilment,

but they believed God, and took Him at His Word.

They knew there was something better than this earth…

a heavenly city that God had built…

And their life reflected that faith and trust in God!

APPLY

Brothers and sisters,

the confidence and hope we have in Christ,

is that when we die,

we will receive imperishable bodies,

and be ushered into an unending eternity with Christ our Saviour!

We believe that Jesus is the Messiah,

the Son of God,

who came into the world,

to save all who would trust in Him,

and give them resurrection hope!

Through faith in Him, one day you will rise from the dead,

be given a new, superior, imperishable body, and:

You will never have to fear or worry about death ever again!

You will never have to struggle with temptation or weakness again!

You will never have to deal with trials and suffering again!

We will be changed through Christ…

victorious over death and all our enemies…

as we receive our imperishable bodies,

forever to live in the perfect, glorious presence of our Lord and Saviour!

What is our response to such wonderful promises?

Look at what Paul says in...

1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV

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.

Since we have such an incredible hope in Jesus,

we must be persistent…

we must not give up…

we must always be working hard for the Lord,

since our work is accomplishing rewards of eternal value!

We dedicate far too much of our efforts, time, and resources,

to things of earthly value…

Let’s be committed to building God’s Kingdom,

strengthening His Church,

and making His name great,

by sharing the Good News of the Gospel…

Knowing that it isn’t meaningless,

but of eternal value!

Transition to Lord’s Supper

All of this hope we have because of Jesus Christ,

who willingly laid down His life for us.

This morning, we have the privilege of sharing together in the Lord’s Supper,

as we remember the sacrifice He made for us.

(Call the Deacons up.)

Once, as Jesus was teaching, He said…

John 10:17–18 ESV

17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

Jesus willingly laid down His life.

He lived a perfectly righteous life, and

died as the sacrifice for sin…

Knowing that He had the authority to take His life up again,

which He did when He rose.

Through all this,

Jesus opened up the way to the Father!

Through faith in Him,

we are forgiven!

We have been saved from the penalty of sin!

We are being saved from the power of sin!

We will be saved from the presence of sin!

When we follow our Saviour,

and receive our new, imperishable bodies!

Explain/Fence the Table

In just a moment,

the Deacons are going to pass out:

the bread which represents Jesus’ body sacrificed for us; and

the juice which represents Jesus’ blood poured out for us.

The trays will be passed down the aisles,

and there will be two cups stacked together.

The cup with the bread will be on the bottom,

with the cup of juice stacked on top.

If you have been baptized on your confession that Jesus is your Lord,

and are in good standing with God,

we invite you to take the elements and wait quietly so that we can partake together,

after one of the Deacons has prayed.

If you are not baptized,

or are not in good standing with God,

we ask that you simply pass the bread and juice along and do not participate.

Prayer

Lord,

we thank You for the body and blood of Christ our Lord,

broken and poured out for us.

We thank You for this body of believers,

and the unity we have in Christ.

We pray that You would strengthen and unify us through Your Spirit,

as we celebrate Christ’s sacrifice for us.

In Jesus’ name we pray, amen!