Manifest: The Resurrected Life

1 Corinthians 15:12–20

12 Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. 15 Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; 17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. 20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

Introduction: Let’s take a walk.

1 Corinthians 15 may seem like the end of the letter but it is far from being a conclusion. I see chapter 15 as the introduction of sorts to the life of a Christian. Paul takes us on a walk through main street in downtown Corinth. He addresses the major issues that the Church is facing only to arrive in his letter at the solution for all of it- Resurrection! What we read in this long chapter at the end of the letter is about the resurrected life and how it is the solution to all that the church at Corinth faces. Issues of factions and disunity as cults strive to creep into the church. The influence of the Greeks in what they claim is Wisdom, How the Spirit works in the life of the believer and how it is that they ought to exercise the Spirit’s gifts. How their lives will look different, how their work will look different, how their conduct will look different than all those who are seeking to influence the world at their time. Some will strive to come in and blend with them, so how ought they are to remained rooted in their beliefs? Paul addresses these things with one big blow- Resurrection!

What Paul writes to them, is most needed for us today. Open up a twitter feed or scroll through social media and you will find the same things that the church at Corinth dealt with we also deal with today. Maybe it is move evolved or given a new name but when you strip it down the same issues of disunity, cults, trust issues, what is wise, what is true, how do we worked together as the church, how the Christian life ought to be lived in the face of uncertainty, ridicule, cancel culture, changing ideologies, and the alike. Moreover, it seems to me that Paul is urging the church to live into a holistic faith not just partial faith. It is evident to me that we hold more weight in the redemption side of our faith. We walk around knowing that our sins are forgiven and give little thought or little effort in living into the Resurrection side of our faith. We are content to be saved FROM something (sin), and forget that we are, at the same time, saved TO something (hope).We have stopped at the door of Redemption, being completely satisfied with the forgiveness of sins and second chances, but are missing the room that that open door has led us into. If this is the case for you, than your faith is only half full. So let’s make it completely full this morning.

I want to take you on a walk down Resurrection Lane-

First, I want to show you a world in which Resurrection is a lie.

Then, I want to show you a world in which Resurrection is a life.

Lastly, I want to share with you the stories of those who live the Resurrected Life.

I. A World where Resurrection is a Lie. (12-18)

1 Corinthians 15:12

12 Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

A. What you believe is false. (v. 13-16)

1 Corinthians 15:13–16

13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. 15 Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised;

1. The Gospel is False.

2. Faith is False.

3. God is False.

4. There is no Savior.

There must be something said about this world where resurrection is a lie. It denies everything we believe but it is also a world there half truths or incomplete truths don’t make it any better. In others words, if there is only redemption, the forgiveness of sins, and no resurrection, then no matter how many times you are forgiven you still live in a world where resurrection is a lie. No truth or half truth- in a world where resurrection is a lie, neither one offers any benefit.

B. What is false you should believe. (v. 17-19)

1 Corinthians 15:17–19

17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

1. You’re A sinner.

2. Death is all there is.

3. Jesus isn’t the messiah.

4. I feel sorry for you.

Felons remain felons, poor decisions don’t get redeemed, the harvest isn’t taken in. Broken families remain broken, sin is king and isn’t forfeited. Love fails. Injustice reigns and justice becomes an impossible idea and not worthy of your thoughts. that is the world where Resurrection is a Lie. That is the life that you have been living before you met Jesus. That is a horrible world. But praise be to God that that world doesn’t exist. So let’s look at the real world where Resurrection is Life!

II. The world where Resurrection is Life. (v.20)

1 Corinthians 15:20

20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

Paul, in a phrase, confirms that the world where Resurrection is a lie isn’t reality. For indeed Christ has been raised! So the reality is that the world we live in is one where Resurrection is Life and Jesus is the first to show us!

God provides a sure hope of resurrection that has been realized in Jesus Christ and that has a present effect upon your life now. True life is meant to be lived in light of the Resurrection. Lived in assurance- because Jesus has done it and it will be done to us, because we have access to the same power that conquerors death- the Holy Spirit, we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:37) because of the Resurrection!!

A. The Resurrected Life is...

1. like two peas in a pod.

1 Corinthians 6:14

14 Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power.

The same life that Jesus has and is experiencing (The Resurrected Life), we too get to experience. So how we live matters. Since Resurrection happens to the physical body it is a resurrected life that should be evident in our physical bodies. What we do with our bodies matters. What we look at, what we touch, what you think, what we feel. We harness our flesh with the power of the resurrection and make it do in the present what it will be doing when the resurrection is completed upon Christ’s return. In other words, “Is that what you want to be doing when Jesus comes back?”

What you believe concerning the Resurrection drives your actions and decisions in this life. What you involve and don’t involve yourself in. How you treat your body. How you suffer. How you endure.

2. an enduring journey!

Resurrection is life after death. Victory from defeat. Restoring what is broken. Being made holy. This reality begins at your rebirth in Christ and comes to completion when Christ returns. All those who believe and have received the spirit are on a journey from the point of death to eternal life. You aren’t going from point A and skipping to point B. You are journeying from point A to point B never to look back but press forward. This is why the kingdom isn’t fit for those who put their hand to the plow and look back (Luke 9:62) Or someone like the wife of Lot who turns into a pillar of salt because she looked back a sin. (Genesis 19:26)

3. The Light of all life.

Those whose faith is in Christ are being reborn to manifest in their present life the power of resurrection. This reality of every believe is then meant to be employed to bring resurrection into the world and the lives of others so that by the power that freed them from sin and death, would also free the world and its inhabitants from the grips of sin and death- bringing life to the things which are dead. John 1:4 “4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.”

John 12:32

32 “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”

4. Vicious cycle put to Rest.

Paul claims that without resurrection redemption is meaningless and unable to rise above the vicious cycle of sin, confess, forgiven repeat. Life for humanity was created to experience the love, joy, and communion with the Divine. A life without limits or boundaries. A freedom to mingle and bathe in pure love and light. If you only go as far as seeking forgiveness for your sins ,you are no where close to experiencing life as it was created to be lived out. You faith is not complete. Only life in resurrection can truly liberate you into a life of rest from the enemies of sin and death.

Romans 8:9–10

9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.

You are saved to live a new life filled with the Spirit. To walk in holiness. To truly image God without flaw or blemish. It is because of the Resurrected life that you can overcome the sin that so easily entangles you. Resurrection overcomes sin, it’s just that many of you don’t believe or exercise its power to overcome sin in your own life. Its not that you will stop sinning in this life but that you should be making victories over sin in your life. When I was a child I behaved like a child but when I became a man I put childish things away. When I was in the flesh I lived in the flesh. But when I was reborn in the Spirit I but the things of the flesh away and began to live undefeated- That’s the Resurrected life.

5. victory and liberty.

Sin and death are the powers of Satan that holds you down. Christ has overcome them and bound them up with the chains that you were shackled in. There is no one else who can wield the power to break the chains. Christ has set you free, then you are truly free indeed. Free from the fear of being a slave to sin. What Christ has afforded you in this life and the one to come, is a life raised from slavery to freedom.

1 Corinthians 15:55–58

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 brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

6. Resurrection is not a prosperity gospel.

The power of resurrection is displayed by what is accomplished in death not by avoiding it. Jesus endured the cross and death but was raised from it. The poor in spirit inherit the kingdom. One must die to have the power of resurrection take root in your life. True power comes not in avoiding the difficulties in life but living through the difficulties.

Philippians 3:10

10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

Philippians 4:11–13

11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Word of Caution: This is also the reason why many of your aren’t living a resurrected life. You seek other “powers” to bring you life back from the dead. The power of yourself, the power of this world; if Christ has rendered powerless the prince of this world has he also not rendered powerless the things of this world to which you cling to and seek out to make your life more livable. Only Resurrection can bring life. But you must die to yourself and to this world to get it!

7. Isn’t going out of Style.

Many of us consume things like they are going out of style. Beau eating pretzels. Doesn’t breath, crams them in his mouth like the kid never expects another meal so might as well get while the getting is good. Things are going out of style but coming into style. The best is yet to come and there is more than enough.

8. Imitates Jesus not the world.

I must confess that I do not listen to K-Love or air1 or a lot of Contemporary Christian Radio. I would prefer to listen to more than just positive and encouraging music- I can get that from a Tony Robinson podcast. But I want to listen to music that sings about the Resurrected Life. When I listen to Christian radio all I think about is how they find these artists that sound so much like the world. I’m like “oh we have a christian Adele, We have a Christian Ed Sherran, a Christian X Ambassadors?” I ask the question “who is imitating who?” Do we have such a shallow view of the Resurrected Life that we need to borrow from the world what they believe to be of best quality? Does the world offer us anything of true value that we can claim for the life we are meant to live in Christ? Or does Christ only offer true life- a life lived in victory and freedom? This is a question that you need to wrestle with. In looking at the conduct of your live are you imitating the best of the things the world offers or are you imitating the best of what Jesus offers- The Resurrected Life. This is the point that Paul is making to the Corinthians. How they prevent themselves from being influenced by the outside world, what is true wisdom, how Christians live is IN BY and THROUGH the Resurrected Life. Therefore, our lives must not resemble the present world we live in, but of the resurrected world that is coming upon Jesus return. John says it this way...

3 John 11

11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.

We have searched the scriptures to better understand the world where Resurrection is life. I have tried to paint for you what the Resurrected life looks like, but now I want to briefly look at those who have experienced the Resurrected Life in order to convince you that it is a reality in which you can presently live.

B. Testimonies of The Resurrected Life

1. The Paralytic - A full faith & Resurrection.

Luke 5:17–26

17 One day He was teaching; and there were some Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing. 18 And some men were carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and to set him down in front of Him. 19 But not finding any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus. 20 Seeing their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” 21 The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” 22 But Jesus, aware of their reasonings, answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? 23 “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins have been forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 “But, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,”—He said to the paralytic—“I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.” 25 Immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. 26 They were all struck with astonishment and began glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

Seeing their faith, Jesus offers the forgiveness of sin and a new life lived with the power of Resurrection. The paralytic and his friends believe that Jesus could make what is dead (legs) and make them come back to life again. This story offers us a clear picture of Redemption and Resurrection as the fullness of what Christ offers to us by faith.

2. Mary Magdalene- Resurrection & Relationship

John 20:11–18

11 But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.

How overjoyed it must has been for Mary to realized that Jesus has risen! The love of her life was no longer dead. But something significant lies within Jesus’ words to her. “Do not cling to me, for I have not ascended to the Father.” Mary’s experience of the resurrected life is one about intimate relationship with the Savior. Jesus is no longer dead and so she clings to him so as to not lose Him again. Jesus tells her that he must Ascend to the Father so that She can have a more intimate relationship with Him by having His spirit live within her. Mary testifies that the Resurrected Life makes intimacy with Jesus possible.

3. Thomas- Resurrection & Reality

John 20:26–31

26 After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” 30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

Thomas wasn’t there when Jesus first appeared to the disciples. When they were talking about how Jesus was alive he doubted. The resurrection wasn’t real to him. Here we see Jesus approach Thomas, knowing of his doubt, so that the Resurrected Life would become his reality. Thomas testifies that the Resurrected life is real, it removes all doubt, and confidence can be restored. Thomas speaks to those who like him stubbornly doubt the power of Resurrection and the reality it offers in your life. Thomas had seen Jesus crucified and die. That was his only reality until he came face to face with the Resurrected Lord. Now his reality was Resurrection.

4. Peter- Resurrection & Restoration

John 21:8–19

8 But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish. 9 So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.” 11 Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples ventured to question Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish likewise. 14 This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead. 15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.” 16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep. 18 “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.” 19 Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me!”

Peter is known well for his denial of Jesus. But we also know how Peter boldly proclaimed the Gospel, played a significant role in initiating the Church, and died for what he believed. The Testimony that Peter offers us about the Resurrected life is the most compelling for a Resurrected Life to be lived out this side of Heaven. Peter encounters the resurrected Lord, who restores Him from his denial. But Jesus also doesn’t deny that the road ahead for him will be just like the moment in the courtyard that night where he denied Jesus. But this time, he will walk through it with the Resurrected Life and go to his death not denying but glorifying Jesus. Peter tells us that the boldness to live in this world, the motivation to accomplish the work of the Kingdom, and the fearlessness of death all comes from living the Resurrected Life.

5. Bruce- A Hope that stayed my hand.

If I had not been convinced that the Resurrected Life was a present reality not just a future hope I would not be standing here today. Confronted with the Resurrected Jesus I say on the floor of my childhood bedroom in my parents house contemplating this very belief. I offer my testimony to confirm that the Resurrected Life is not just a future hope but a present reality. There is victory we can experience. There is sin we can overcome. There is heavenly joy in the midst of worldly sorrow. There is new life when you have ruined yours.

Hebrews 6:12

12 so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Closing

-A world without Resurrection is death. A world with Resurrection is life. What does the story of your life testify concerning this Resurrected life?

-Take a stroll down the road of your life. Does it give evidence of a Resurrected Life or does it give evidence of a life that is stuck in defeat?

-Are you only content to live with what you are saved FROM or do you crave being save TO something? Jesus doesn’t offer just the one but is offering as a total package both.

-Will you now take measures to begin to live out a full faith which is The Resurrected Life. Will you not just lay there having your sins forgiven, but actually rise up and walk in the Resurrected Life? Let us Pray.