Flower Service

Not too often do we like coming too this place. It has sorrow, finality about it doesn’t it? It reminds us of pain, those we love and miss. But today I want to bring your attention to scripture that should help us overcome that hurt and pain. It gives us something to look forward to rather than dread.

It is the scripture read earlier. It talks about the resurrection. The hope of heaven is what I like to call it. There will come a day when the parting is over and we get to be reunited. What a day that will be.

Paul has given us all this great truth about resurrection. He’s talked about the evidence of resurrection in the first section, the importance of resurrection, the sequence of it, the value of it. He’s even described the body of resurrection. And now he comes to the section which just is literally the praise section in response to all of the truth that he has already talked about.

But as we look at verses 50 to 58, and we see the praise of the apostle over the anticipation of resurrection: the great transformation; the great triumph; the great thanksgiving; and finally, the great therefore.

1. Great Transformation

As he begins to think in his mind, and as he begins to let himself fly a little bit, as he begins to soar on the wings of the reality of resurrection, then he comes, first of all, to the thought of the great transformation that resurrection is going to be. What a tremendous difference.

Verse 50, We won’t be earthy like Adam, as he’s been talking about in the previous verses; we’ll be heavenly like Christ.

He is saying we cannot enter the eternal kingdom in bodies like this. We’ve got to be transformed.

Paul describes this body of transformation; this unique, new body that won’t be like this one. It won’t be a body of flesh as we know it.

So, a tremendous supernatural transformation has to take place. And Paul has said death becomes the planting of that seed. And like a seed goes into the ground, so when you die you go into the ground. In the resurrection he believers are going to come out the grave in new life with a connecting link. We’ll be unique for the spiritual dimension.

What happens to the Christians who don’t get into the ground? I mean – and Christ returns, and the time of the resurrection – what happens to them?

“Oh,” he says, “that’s easy.” Verse 51, “Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep” – and what does “sleep” mean? It means to die, doesn’t it? – “We shall not all die, but we shall all be” – what? – “changed.”

They’re going to be changed. Because there’s no way to dwell in the incorruptible, immortal kingdom of God, in a mortal, corruptible body. We’ve got to be changed.

Some of us will go into the ground and be changed in the moment we come out of the grave. Others will be changed on the way up. It is going to be something unlike anything we can ever think up.

A mystery is not something you can’t understand; it’s something for the first time you can understand. There will be a rapture.”

So, he says, “We’re going to be changed. There’s going to be a change on the way up.”

You say, “Well, how does this happen? I mean how does it take place?”

Well, verse 52 says this, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” Now he says, “How are we going to get changed? It’s going to be in a moment.”

In other words, in the smallest amount of time of which there is no smaller. So, don’t get all worked up about watching yourself change. You know? Not going to happen. It’s going to hit so fast. The shortest possible time of which it is possible to have no shorter, you will be changed in the twinkling of an eye.

Now, the twinkling is not the blinking; the twinkling – one fellow said that I was reading – he said, “The twinkling is the time it takes for the light to go from the iris to the retina.” And apparently, some scientist measured this and said, “It’s one-sixth of a nanosecond.”

That’s a microsecond is one-millionth of a second. A nanosecond is one-thousandth of a microsecond. And this is going to happen in one-sixth of a nanosecond.

You say, “Why are you saying all that?”

Anyway – anyway, it’s going to be fast. That’s the point. We will be changed. The miraculous power of God goes to work. You say, “Well, I see; it’s going to be – we’re just going to be changed on the way up.

It is the trump that ends the end of the struggle with death. It is the last trump that is the final summons. Trumpets are used to assemble people before God, to summon people to God.

Paul says, “Don’t worry about those that are dead, and don’t worry about those that are alive; they’re all coming out.”

Now, here Jesus gives us a word regarding the resurrection day, “I’m up there, preparing for you. I’m going to come and receive you to myself.” The great truth of the rapture is that it’s Christ coming. We’re not looking for an event; we’re looking for a person. Our Savior!

The Great Triumph

When this happens, death is vanquished. The triumph occurs. Verse 54, “So” – two key words here – “‘when’ this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, ‘then’ shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’”

In other words, when this happens, when the great transformation comes, then will the saying come true. And the Hebrew literally says, “Death is swallowed up forever.”

So, he’s saying when the transformation comes, the triumph can be proclaimed. Death is swallowed up forever. And the term “swallow” has to do with total destruction, total end to death.

In other words, death is not just defeated from doing any more harm. Everything it’s ever done is undone. Death is swallowed up forever. The incredible wonder of this triumph causes Paul to taunt death in verse 55. And he taunts death. And he feels so triumphant.

After that day, death will have no sting. And Christ bore the whole sting of death for us so that death for us has no sting. It’s still an enemy; it still buzzes around and makes you dodge a lot. But it can’t sting anymore.

Death doesn’t harm us. Really. It invades our world, and we have to dodge a little bit, we have to recover from what it does, but it doesn’t ever really harm us unless there is sin there. The sting of death is sin. And if you’re a Christian Jesus bore all your sin. He already took the sting. If you’re a Christian, he forgave it all. If you’re a Christian, there’s not one sin imputed against you. God has forgotten it; He’s buried it in the sea. He’s removed it as far as the East is from the West.

The Great Thanksgiving

The great thanksgiving. Verse 57, “But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

You see, beloved, it is the Lord Jesus Christ who paid the penalty for sin. It is the Lord Jesus Christ who fulfilled the law of God. He took care of those elements in 55 and 56. This sounds exactly to me like Romans 7:24, “Who shall deliver me from this body of this death? Christ.” And he goes on to that great statement about Christ. Christ is the one who causes us to have victory.

So, “Thanks to God,” he says. I can’t remove the sting of death myself. I can’t do anything about the consequence of violation God’s law. All I can do is thank God that He gave us the victory as a gift in Jesus Christ.”

If you – if you are a sinner – and you are – there’s only one way to eliminate that sin, and that’s through faith in Jesus Christ. And apart from that, death has its sting, and it will deliver to you a fatal blow. The work of Christ satisfied the law’s claims. The work of Christ paid the penalty for death. It says in Galatians 3:13 that He became a curse for us when He took the curse of the law. And He’s given us the victory. I love that. “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory.”

Listen, even when a Christian dies, there’s no sting. Why, the apostle Paul said, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Far better to depart and be with Christ.” Oh, our death is nothing. Death is nothing. Death is just simply leaving here and going there to be with Christ. Death is our spirit ascending to the presence of Jesus, awaiting the day when the resurrection body joins us. Death is a friend. Death has no sting. We have a victory. The great thanksgiving.

It is hard to see it like that but there is a hope because of what Jesus has done for us.

The great “therefore.”

Verse 58,

What he’s really saying is, “Listen, brother, if all this resurrection stuff is true, man, that lays two big things on us. One, stand true; two, work hard.”

“If the resurrection is a reality,” he says to the Corinthians, Be steadfast, immovable in your commitment to that reality. And number two, Stand fast and work hard.

Why? Because if there are no eternal consequences, we lose our motivation. Right? Stand on it, and don’t you let those people come and move you. You stand on that.

Henry Martyn went to India and said, “Now, let me burn out for God.” And he did before he was 35. David Brainerd went to the American Indians and was dead before he was 30. And his name goes on and on, and the kingdom will be filled with the results of his work. That’s what matters. Work hard.

Man, the work of the kingdom has got to be done, people. The thing we need to remember is to be ready. We want to be reunited. We want to celebrate around that throne with Jesus. We want to be together. Embrace the hope He gives.

So, Paul’s praise, like so often in Paul’s case, ends with practicality. A great “therefore.” Resurrection’s a fact. Do you know that? It’s going to come. And it has some tremendous implications for the present.

Prayer

Thank You for the resurrection You’ve promised us. May our gratitude speak in the way we live before we enter into that great, anticipated hope. In Jesus’ name, amen.