(1 Cor 15:50-57) Victory: The Hope Over Sin, Suffering, and Death.

I want to ask you an odd question today,

and it is especially odd to ask Christians this question.

Want to ask you a odd question today, and it is especially odd to ask Christians this question.

Have you been fighting?

Do you have a black eye?

Or a bloody nose?

A fat lip.

Are there bruises?

Other bruises on your knuckles?

I recognize we now have been several weeks in isolation,

and some of us may have found the time to be difficult to get along with people.

Maybe it's your spouse, or your kids, or the neighbor who suddenly decides to remodel his house.

As a began I want to remind you I do offer marital and parenting counseling,

but I'm not actually talking about a fight with a person.

I hope you are finding ways to allow the riches of Christ to flow

hrough your marriages and parenting - but I'm not actually talking about a fight with a real person.

But it is a very real fight.

I am suggesting every one of us have been in a fight.

Every one of us have experienced black eyes and fat lips with this bully.

Who have we been in a fight with?

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It is not a person per say,

but nevertheless it is a bully who is constantly picking a fight with us.

It has picked a fight with our loved ones.

It is picked up fight with our friends and family.

And to varying degree it is picked a fight with us.

Who is this bully? (Reflective Voice)

Sin, suffering, and death.

All of us put a little makeup on to hide the hurts and brokenness of our hearts,

But when we are all honest with each other - we all must confess we have a common bully who has beaten us up time and time again.

However this morning I have wonderful news.

News that is fitting for resurrection Sunday.

News that I hope is challenging to us – even when were forced to stream Easter Sunday rather than be in person.

Jesus has won victory over sin, suffering, and death.

and All were doing is waiting for the trophy of that victory.

Hope

Let’s begin by reading

1 Corinthians 15:50–57 ESV

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.

I encourage us this morning -

Look to Christ for the Victory over sin, suffering, and death.

and text this morning will give us 3 ways we know we have victory in Christ.

How do we know we have victory over the bullies of sin, suffering, and death?

1) God’s Holiness Necessitates our Transformation. ()

1) God’s Holiness Necessitates our Transformation. ()

If you were suddenly called up and presented before God today - we would not be ready to stand before God.

Not because we do not have our sins forgiven.

Colossians 2:13–14 ESV

13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

But because our sin nature still has the presence of sin and corruptness.

and God cannot look upon sin.

Habakkuk 1:13 ESV

13 You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?

(ESV)

You who are of purer eyes then to see evil and cannot look at wrong

Not because we do not have our sins forgiven.

Colossians 2:13-14

But because our sin nature still has the presence of sin and corruptness.

Habakkuk 1:13 ESV

13 You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?

You see,

God's holiness demands that we be transformed.

If we are to stand before God,

if we are to walk in the new Jerusalem, where Christ is the very light of the city ... Then we must be changed.

Because God cannot stand to look at sin and corruptness.

Especially for all of eternity.

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.

1 Corinthians 15:51–52 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.

Over and over in the Gospels,

Jesus talks about the coming mediatorial millennial kingdom of God.

Over and over, he will say the kingdom of God.

Who are the type of people who get to enter the kingdom of God, and ultimately live in the new heaven and new earth?

Some of what I'm saying - assumes that you understand what God plans to do in the future.

But if you're not familiar with that, let me simplify this for you.

God promises that in the future we will be walking with God just like Adam and Eve walked in the garden.

And that inheritance of the kingdom of God demands that we be transformed.

And that inheritance of the kingdom of God demands that we be transformed.

How do we know we have victory over the bullies of sin, suffering, and death?

Because God's holiness demands that we be changed, before eternity happens.

1

Secondly,

How do we know we have victory over the bullies of sin, suffering, and death?

Because of -

2) The Secret of Christ’s Victory ()

Another reason we know that we have victory over the bullies of sin, suffering, and death - is because we know the mystery of Christ.

Now as we consider this text,

I don’t want you to get tripped up by the word mystery.

Mystery simply means -

- this is a secret now revealed by God.

- And it is a secret that is beyond our ability to fully understand.

I think it's fair to say -

we can know what God says about a future resurrection,

but it's still a mystery for us.

1 Corinthians 15:51–52 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.

1 Corinthians 15:52–53 ESV

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.

1 Cor 15:5152

a) What is this mystery? A Christian does not simply die (sleep), but are transformed (changed).

He is telling us not to fear death,

because the revelation of God teaches us that believers in Christ will be changed.

If you are dead, what is a meaningful way that you can be changed?

To be made alive again.

In other words, a Christian will pass from physical death to eternal life.

The borrow from a few words later in this passage -

>No Slide

1 Corinthians 15:52 ESV

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.

All all the dead people who are believers in Christ

will be transformed from being of decay (perishable) to beings who can never decay (imperishable)

In other words,

our rotten,

decaying bodies

>>>>> will be transformed into everlasting beings.

b) When will this happen? It will happen instantaneously at the sign of the trumpet.

What trumpet do we know about, that Paul could be talking about?

b)

Our initial instincts might say - this must be talking about the trumpet judgments of the book of Revelation.

Certainly the book of Revelation talks about trumpet judgments,

but there's actually an Old Testament precedent of trumpets being the sign that the Lord is coming.

For example,

> describes a trumpet announcing God's arrival on Mount Sinai.

Exodus 19:16 ESV

16 On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled.

> And it is described as an announcement of God second coming in .

And it is described as an announcement of God second coming in .

Zechariah 9:14 ESV

14 Then the Lord will appear over them, and his arrow will go forth like lightning; the Lord God will sound the trumpet and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south.

So I would suggest that the best understanding

- is this will happen at the second coming of Christ,

- and before the beginning of the tribulation.

In other words - I'm saying this trumpet is the trumpet of the rapture of the church.

This is a still yet future event,

but nevertheless an event that will most certainly happen.

So,

How do we know we have victory over the bullies of sin, suffering, and death?

Paul is teaching us - because we know the mystery of the rapture of the church.

Thirdly,

How do we know we have victory over the bullies of sin, suffering, and death?

Because of -

3) The Promised Victory over Suffering and Death in Prophecy. ()

We as Christians can abuse and manipulate prophecy.

One of my one of my big theological red flags in my faith,

is when people begin to sensationalize the current of events as signs that the rapture is near.

I don't believe there is a single,

identifiable event

>>>>> that we as Christians will be able to observe and know when the rapture is coming.

I believe the rapture is eminent

- which means it can happen at any moment.

But I don't believe that because were facing the coronavirus,

- no more than I believe the Holocaust

- or the Cuban missile crisis was a sign the rapture could happen any minute.

Instead,

I believe the rapture can happen any minute because God's word promises it.

How do we know that we have victory over the bully of sin, suffering, and death?

Because God has promised a day when we will have victory.

Victory over sin and death is not a New Testament concept.

It is an Old Testament concept that the New Testament reaffirms.

Jesus did not promise a new promise in the Gospels,

instead he said I am the Old Testament Messiah who will fulfill the promises of God's word.

You see -

a) Prophecy demands that we must be transformed.

1 Corinthians 15:53 ESV

53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.

Notice the emphasis on must.

The resurrection must happen.

The rapture must happen.

Also Paul uses an interesting word which means to change your clothes. (Put on)

ILLUSTRATION:

Some of you here might be in your pajamas still,

and need to change your clothes before you go about your day.

But all of us must have our perishable bodies turned into in perishable bodies.

All of us must have our mortal bodies turned into the immortal bodies.

In other words we must be clothed in eternal life.

Why?

Because -

b) and promise death shall be conquered.

Paul here points us to two verses that demonstrate we must be changed.

1 Corinthians 15:54–56 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.

1 Corinthians 15:54–55 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?”

5:5455

> describe death as being heated up by victory.

ILLUSTRATION:

Many of us grew up playing Pac-Man.

Pac-Man was the game where you had a little monster that would go around eating all the dots trying to avoid the other monsters.

Same idea here.

God promises victory gobbling up all of death.

> Then Paul gives us a chant from Hosea chapter 13:14

Almost like he's mocking death, Paul says –

1 Corinthians 15:55 ESV

55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

- The first part is making the point that death has lost the fight.

Isn't it comforting?

We know that death loses.

- Then he described death as a scorpion who's lost it's sting.

- A rattlesnake who's lost its venom.

Death has no effect on those who are changed by God.

How do we know that we have victory over the bully of sin, suffering, and death?

Because God promised it.

4) The Victory is Through Christ. ()

CONCLUSION:

All of us have been beaten up, and bullied by sin, suffering, and death.

Have you ever gotten so fed up - you wish end it?

I am tired of sin,

suffering,

and death having the victory over me.

But then felt helpless to fight back.

May this text be a comfort to us.

Today is Resurrection Sunday.

One of the wonderful truths that we should celebrate is that Jesus is the firstfruits of the coming resurrection.

How do we know that we can have victory over sin, suffering, and death?

Because Jesus's resurrection defeated death.

Jesus swallowed of death when he rose from the dead.

Jesus stole the sting of death from death.

All were doing now

- is waiting for Jesus to be handed the prize he won in the fight over our sin, our suffering, and our death.

ILLUSTRATION:

Like a trophy after winning a boxing match.

EXHORTATION:

Perhaps you're sitting here and saying -

do I really know that Jesus defeated death.

That is a fair question and a question that early believers wondered about as well?

> That is why Paul started this section with describing the thousands of witnesses of Jesus's resurrection.

-

> And if you want to read the historical account of the resurrection

- just go look in .

You will watch as the disciples come to faith in Christ because of the resurrection.

Let me on the Resurrection Sunday - end with the challenge of Paul to - Look to Christ for the victory over sin, suffering, and death.

Look to Christ for the victory over sin, suffering, and death.

1 Corinthians 15:56–57 ESV

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.

Every believer in Jesus Christ can stand here today and say -

I have victory over my sin, my suffering, and my death.

I have victory over my sin, my suffering, and my death.

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Let's pray.