Resurrection Realities: Upgrades
Notes
Transcript
Your current earthly body is …
I. A Glimpse (1 Corinthians 15:35-38)
I. A Glimpse (1 Corinthians 15:35-38)
One Critique
Paul is addressing critics in the church who argue there is no resurrection because they can’t wrap their minds around the resurrection of the body.
We lay a body in a tomb, it decays
We lay a body in the ground, it turns to dust
We burn a body, it turns to ash
What is left to resurrect?
Because they can’t wrap their minds around how the resurrection will take place, they assume that it must not take place at all.
A Fool
Fool — stupid, mindless, ignorant
What are you thinking!
This critique (not question) is foolish because it either has too small a view of God, or fails to take Him into account all together.
1 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good.
This critique is foolish because it fails to take into account the natural processes of life.
Seeds and Bodies
That which is sown must die in order to become alive
Biologically or agriculturally speaking, that’s not exactly what is taking place with a seed, but the concept still makes sense a remains.
When you plant a seed, a plant (body) then grows from it, but you cannot dig up the plant and find the seed at the bottom. The seed has “died” to itself so that the plant might live!
Well hang, on that sounds familiar!
31 I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
We plant a seed (not a plant), it “dies”, and a plant grows up in its place.
In a similar way, when someone accepts the “seed” of the gospel and dies to themselves, the fruit of the Spirit grows up in its place.
In a similar way, when someone physically dies and is “planted” (laid in the tomb, grave, cremated, etc.), God will bring to life a new body in its place.
8 “Why is it considered incredible among you people if God does raise the dead?
A seed is just a glimpse of the plant that is to come.
Did you know …
The average ear of corn has 800 kernels? And a stalk produces 1-2 ears of corn?
The average head of wheat has 20-30 kernels (wheat berries)?
The average plant has 20-50 pods, with 2-3 seeds per pod?
For every 100 pounds of cotton fiber, about 162 pounds of cotton seed are produced?
It’s hard to imagine sometimes that each plant comes from a single seed.
God gives each seed the body He chooses.
This earthly body is only a glimpse of what is to come.
The plant that comes bears similar characteristics to the seed, but it has been changed.
Your resurrection body will bear similar characteristics to your earthly body, but it will be changed.
We get an idea of what this change could look like with Jesus.
Similar — eating (ate fish with Peter)
Similar — physical body (Thomas, not a ghost or spirit)
Similar — bore similar characteristics to His earthly body
Different — was not immediately recognized (by the women at the tomb or the men on the road to Emmaus)
Different — could move to different places quickly
Different — walked through doors
Your resurrection body is …
II. Superior (1 Corinthians 15:39-44)
II. Superior (1 Corinthians 15:39-44)
Different Kinds
God made different kinds
Humans
Animals
Birds
Fish
God made different kinds of glories
The sun
The moon
The stars
Changes
Perishable to Imperishable
Your earthly body will die
Perishable — in a state of decay, to wear out, to unravel
Imperishable — never ending, immortal
Your resurrection body will be eternal
Dishonor to Honor
Your earthly body is dishonorable, shameful, sinful
Jesus is the only One who is able to say, “I have done everything I was supposed to do, exactly as I was supposed to do it, for the glory of God the Father.”
4 “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
22 “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.
There are things in every one of our lives that we wish we could take back or do differently.
Your resurrection body will be raised in glory
Weakness to Power
Your earthly body is weak
Your resurrection body is raised in power
Natural to Spiritual
Your earthly body is natural (suited for this earth)
Your resurrection body is spiritual (suited for a spiritual or heavenly existence)
Your resurrection body is …
III. Complete (1 Corinthians 15:45-49)
III. Complete (1 Corinthians 15:45-49)
The First and Last Man
Adam
The first man received life from God
Death spread through sin
All have sinned, all will die
Christ
The last man gives life
All who believe in His name shall receive life, an eternal life
Adam
The earthly body is first
Christ
The resurrection body is last
Adam
The first man’s earthly body is created for the earth
Christ
The last man’s resurrection body is created for heaven
Adam
The first man passed his image down to all who came (followed in order) after him
Christ
The last man passes His image down to all who come (run, chase) after Him
Clothed in Christ
We (Christians) are inwardly being conformed to this image now
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.
We (Christians) will be completed transformed into the image of Christ with our resurrection body
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.
29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
Your resurrection body is …
IV. Eternal (1 Corinthians 15:50-55)
IV. Eternal (1 Corinthians 15:50-55)
1 “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. 2 “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.
19 “Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. 20 “And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, 21 and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. 22 “Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. 23 “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 “And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ 25 “But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 ‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’ 27 “And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 “But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ 31 “But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
Your resurrection life is …
V. Victorious (1 Corinthians 15:56-58)
V. Victorious (1 Corinthians 15:56-58)
10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them.” 11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “The righteous man shall live by faith.” 12 However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “He who practices them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Steadfast — firm
Immovable — firmly persistent
Always abounding in the work of the Lord — always overflowing in the Lord’s business
