On The Road

ENTRANCE

GATHERING & ANNOUNCEMENTS Rob

OPENING PRAYER Liturgist

HYMN: #364 Because He Lives

PROCLAMATION AND PRAISE

PASTORAL PRAYER WITH LORD’S PRAYER Liturgist

Scripture

1 Corinthians 15:20–26 NRSV

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

HYMN: One Day

PRAYER Rob

Introduction

Today is our second sermon in our series on Revelation. But, wait Pastor Rob, Garry read from 1 Corinthians! Yes he did. We are looking at 1 Cor today because of Paul’s theology of the resurrection. In order to even begin to understand Revelation you must really understand the resurrection. The reason for this is that Jesus resurrection is the first step in God’s final redemption of the creation.

The Corinthians like a number Christians today do not really understand what the resurrection means. Since so much of today’s Christian salvation theology is focused on the event of justification and the understanding that once we are made right with God we have a ticket stamped for heaven and that is all there is to salvation. That idea results from the understanding that resurrection is a sort of spiritual thing where life in the body is bad, and our soul’s separation from it and the evil world at death is good. In other words we want to get to heaven as quickly as possible because life on this earth just isn’t good. We tend believe that Jesus was raised from the dead and he floated up to heaven, and we tend to think that how we are raised from the dead will somehow be different. This is what many of the Corinthians thought as well. In chapter 15 Paul is trying to correct this view of the resurrection.

Exegesis

The problem with this view of a spiritual resurrection is that our faith becomes all about getting to heaven right now in an upward focus(vertical) without any regard a to being God’s partner in his redemptive activity(horizontal). You see if it is spiritual thing where all that happens is we go to heaven to leave all the sin and decay behind, well we begin to believe that is all there is to our faith. If that is the case, well there is no victory over death. If the sin and decay remain, where is the victory? Just because Jesus was raised from the dead does not proclaim victory over death. It is the start of that victory but that victory is completed when our bodies are raised up from the dead! How else could death be defeated?

That is why Paul is saying Jesus is the first fruits. It goes back to the idea that the first fruits of a crop offered to God sanctifies the whole crop! Yes, we all shall be raised! When he says all died in Adam and all will be made alive in Christ he is not spiritualizing things! In 23 Paul gives the order for these things, Jesus is raised from the dead at Easter, then when he returns we are raised, and then he gives the keys of the Kingdom to God the Father to rule over this new creation! In 26 he says the last enemy to be destroyed is death and it is destroyed by defeating the decay that death is! God defeats the decay by making a new creation, by raising this old world from the dead, not destroying it! Now are you saying we do not go to heaven? No, I am saying we do, and we will have stuff to do, but the end does not come until we are reunited with our physical bodies.

You see being “born again” makes us a new creation in God a start to this redemptive process for us as well as the creation.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NRSV

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

But that new creation starts now, it is not just a ticket to heaven. It is the privilege of working with God, as God’s partner as we move ahead in history till the time Jesus comes and all things are made new. We are a people of the future not of the past.

“God’s future has arrived in the present in the person of the risen Jesus and this summons us all to become people of the future, people remade in the present to share in the life of God’s future.” (NT Wright)

Application

What a great story this is. This means that the flesh isn’t bad, that this world isn’t bad, that our reward is not just in heaven but we have it now assisting God in bringing about that future new creation: The Kingdom of God! If the flesh and the world is so bad would God have ever sent His son to be incarnate of flesh? Of course not. This is God’s creation and he called it good. Paul writes this in

Romans 8:19–24 NRSV

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen?

God doesn’t start over he takes what he already has and makes it the way he always intended it to be. He does this with you, me, and the entire universe. We are in the process of that now. We live in the time at the end of Acts and the closing chapters of Revelation. That is why all that symbolism is great to argue about and disagree over, but it all boils down to the end of the book. When we believe and are made right with God that starts a process in us called sanctification and then we play a role in the world’s sanctification! God becomes our re-creator for the transformation and the recreation of the world! Jesus came to save the universe, not just you and me.

A number years ago I toured the Day Butterfly exhibit at Callaway gardens with Sherry. We got to see an Atlas moth come out of its cocoon. Ever see and Atlas moth? It has a 12 inch wingspan! And its wing tips are shaped like a snakes head with the appropriate coloring. It is a beautiful creature. But I thought about something that we have used for ages as a symbol of resurrection . . the butterfly. You know the butterfly enters the cocoon and through metamorphosis becomes this beautiful creature, bursts out and flies off. Pretty good resurrection imagery. This butterfly waits in the "tomb" then emerges with a glorified body! What power there is in the metamorphosis of a butterfly or moth.

Now some people have used this image as a salvation image. We are caught in the cocoons of our sins then we are justified by God and we are born again as a butterfly and fly off to heaven. The image falls very short of what happens. Did you know that a butterfly cannot fly right off after it exits the cocoon? Nope in fact, it can't fly at all. It must wait until its wings dry before it can fly. The wings were so big on the Atlas Moth that we watched it for 15 minutes and it never flew. In fact, we left it hanging on its cocoon when we left. The Moth/Butterfly image is only accurate in that it is a process to getting out of that cocoon, and even when we get out the work isn't done. There is further work that must be done. That work is the work of our sanctification and the work of creation’s sanctification.

One thing is true about the analogy with the moth and the resurrection. The moth goes into the tomb one way and comes out in a recreated, glorified body. God starts with one thing and re-creates it into another thing. That is what will happen at our resurrection. If we just go to heaven and that’s all there is there is no victory over death and decay. However, if what goes into the grave eventually comes out glorified then the last enemy is destroyed, death. You will see over the next several weeks that the Christian belief of a general resurrection has a lot to do with the way you understand the message of Revelation.

What does this mean for us? What can you take home today? That those of us that believe are new creatures in Christ, right now. We are people of God’s future right now. That no matter who you are, what you have done or not done, God can make you a new creation right now. This means God is seeking you right now. Take a look at

1 Corinthians 15:28 NRSV

When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who put all things in subjection under him, so that God may be all in all.

Understanding the resurrection properly gives purpose and meaning to all of human history. We need not fear the so called end of the world, because scripture tells us the end of history is when Christ returns. As Christians we look forward to that day when heaven and earth will be reunited.

The resurrection tells us that God has a purpose for us in the redemption of his creation. That is why there is resurrection. It is the defeat of the final enemy death! The victory will be consummated in Jesus’ return and the general resurrection.

If Jesus resurrection was victory over sin and decay, then there is no need for God to destroy anything for victory is won! Jesus’ resurrection started this whole redemption process. As Paul said he was the first fruits.

Do you remember the Emmaus Resurrection story?

In the Emmaus Resurrection story, we have a powerful and moving picture of Jesus coming alongside two of his disciples on the road (and notice that they are not of the inner circle of the apostles). He walks with them; he is concerned about their sadness, and he continues to be their teacher as he was in life. He responds to their desire for his continued company—"stay with us"—and joins them for a meal. In the familiar gesture of taking, blessing and breaking bread, at last their eyes are opened, and they recognize their companion on the road. Then they can recognize also that he had kindled their hearts in his teaching on the Scriptures, in the way he helped them to see afresh the familiar stories of patriarchs and prophets and the history of their people. I find this a marvelous parable for the Christian life. While most of us will have times set aside for prayer, for coming together in worship and fellowship, perhaps for solitude or for study, most of it happens "on the road." . . . As he travels with us, he makes himself known in word and sacrament—in the opening of the Scriptures, and the breaking of the bread.

We are not just McEver Road, we are the road. Traveling with the resurrected Lord who is leading us into the future, not just our church, but all creation. The tribulations, the pandemics, racial upheaval, we can believe as once again wiht a few more verses Paul wrote in

Romans 8:18–25 NRSV

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

McEver, we’re on the Road.

HYMN: #171 There’s Something About That Name

SENDING FORTH

BENEDICTION Liturgist

We have seen the Lord this day! Now go into the world to spread this good news. God is good! All the time! And all the time! God is good! May you be blessed and may you be a blessing,

Go be a blessing: Love Christ Love People and Help People Love Christ

AMEN.