1 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:10,880 But one Corinthians 15, verse 20, the title of the message is 2 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:13,760 raised in glory, our certain hope of resurrection. 3 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:17,360 And in our introduction we're going to look at this idea that 4 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:21,360 that we weren't made and meant to die. 5 00:00:22,080 --> 00:00:26,520 So we were not made to die, but sin in the fall of humanity 6 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:30,200 'cause that I don't know about you, but I'll ask this question. 7 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:32,400 I'm think we're all going to ask in the affirmative. 8 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:36,400 How many of you would trade in your body today for a new one? 9 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:40,040 I would. I think most of us would, 10 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:43,320 because we're getting old, aren't we? 11 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:48,040 And we're feeling it every day. It used to be when I was younger 12 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:51,480 that I would feel parts of my body that might be through an 13 00:00:51,480 --> 00:00:55,440 accident or a sporting injury. Now I'm waking up with sleeping 14 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:59,080 injuries. No idea how it happened, but I'm 15 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:01,920 sore because I just spent the night lying down. 16 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:09,480 We've got parts of our body that start to crack and creak and 17 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:16,200 groan and smell and ache, and right now I'm sweating more than 18 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:19,360 Mike Tyson in a spelling bee. You know, it's warm in here, I 19 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:21,120 know, but it's, it's not that warm. 20 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:26,440 Our bodies, they just don't seem to work well, do they? 21 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:28,880 And mirrors certainly aren't our friend. 22 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:33,400 I don't know if you remember the film Brad Pitt was in it, but 23 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:35,680 it's called The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. 24 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:40,200 It's based on a 1920s novel. And effectively it was this 25 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:43,720 idea, this premise of what life might be like lived in reverse, 26 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:50,360 of starting elderly and morphing back into an infant face. 27 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:54,520 So somebody wrote that idea, took that idea and wrote this 28 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:56,240 down. It's called My Next Life. 29 00:01:56,240 --> 00:02:00,240 And and the author said I want to live my next life backwards. 30 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:03,800 I'll start out dead and get that out of the way right off the 31 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:06,680 bat. Then I'll wake up in a nursing 32 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:09,400 home and start feeling better every day. 33 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:13,960 When I'm kicked out of the home for being too healthy, I'll 34 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:17,440 spend several years enjoying my retirement collecting benefit 35 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:20,760 cheques. When I start work, I'll get a 36 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:25,200 gold watch on my first day. I'll work 40 years or so, 37 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:28,320 getting younger every day until pretty soon I'll be too young to 38 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:30,960 work. So then I'll go to high school, 39 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:34,920 play sports, date and party. As I get younger, I'll become a 40 00:02:34,920 --> 00:02:37,800 kid again. I'll go to primary school, play, 41 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:42,520 and have 0 responsibilities. In a few years I'll become a 42 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:45,880 baby and everyone will run themselves ragged keeping me 43 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:49,360 happy. Finally, I'll spend my last nine 44 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:54,720 months floating peacefully in a luxury spa with conditions like 45 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:57,240 central heating and room service on tap. 46 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:00,080 It's an interesting idea, isn't it? 47 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:04,080 And we kind of laugh at it. But imagine never having a body 48 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:08,120 that wears out, never experiences those things that we 49 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:13,000 get frustrated with, you know, living in a world where there is 50 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:18,320 just simply a body that is fully functioning, a body that is at 51 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:21,480 its peak, that is at its prime. There, there are no handicaps. 52 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:25,240 Imagine having a body that never sags, that never droops, that 53 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:28,880 never aches, one that never has any kind of a disease or any 54 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:31,920 kind of a problem. And and we really have 55 00:03:31,920 --> 00:03:35,720 difficulty imagining that I think especially as we age and 56 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:37,880 the opposite becomes more and more our reality. 57 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:43,960 And so we spend so much of our, our life dedicated to fixing 58 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:49,200 what ails our bodies to try and rectify our health, going to 59 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:53,680 doctors, to naturopaths or working on our diet or 60 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:58,400 exercising, taking medication if we get sick and, and then next 61 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:01,240 thing you know, you're on antibiotics because what was 62 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:04,200 supposed to fix it didn't. And then on, and, and then you 63 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:08,040 get really sick and, and hospitalised and we need surgery 64 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:13,080 and cancer happens and we have chemotherapy and, and we're 65 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:17,320 frustrated with our bodies and, and the sickness and, and all of 66 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:20,240 the difficulties that come with life and, and living here in 67 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:22,720 this fallen world. And, and we want to get this 68 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:24,920 body together. And it never really does come 69 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:28,120 together. We experience the death of loved 70 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:33,760 ones and it breaks us. And we sit there and we consider 71 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:36,800 and we think, you know, my dad should be alive today. 72 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:40,320 He should be playing with my kids. 73 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:45,360 He's not. And so why, why death does not 74 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:47,920 feel right for us is because of this. 75 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:51,640 It is not right. Death is not natural. 76 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:55,000 It's not part of God's original design. 77 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:59,440 And so the human heart within us resists death and all of the 78 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:01,720 symptoms that go along with that. 79 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:04,440 Why? Because we're made for life and 80 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:07,320 for living. And Paul's message to the 81 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:11,640 Corinthians here as as we get into this passage, is that he 82 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:16,880 answers these deep questions that are within many of us, like 83 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:20,200 what kind of body will I have in the resurrection? 84 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,080 We've been looking at that, and he's been Speaking of that last 85 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:25,560 week. How and when will this 86 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:29,600 resurrection happen? And in a world of sickness, in a 87 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:33,080 world of loss, in a world of death, on Corinthians 15 88 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:38,680 declares the Christians certain hope that we will rise in very 89 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:44,440 real, imperishable, glorified bodies like our risen Saviour, 90 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:48,440 just like Jesus. And so in this passage, Paul 91 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:53,080 pulls back the curtain and shows us the ultimate enemy in death 92 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:56,440 being swallowed up in victory. That's the language that he 93 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:59,800 uses. And he shows us that because 94 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:03,720 Christ is risen, we will rise too. 95 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:07,760 We're going to look at three points in our passages as we 96 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:10,480 break them down. And the first is again, Christ's 97 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:14,720 resurrection is the pattern, is the prototype for ours in verses 98 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:18,280 20 through to 28. But now Christ has risen from 99 00:06:18,280 --> 00:06:20,680 the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have 100 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:24,280 fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by 101 00:06:24,280 --> 00:06:27,080 man also came the resurrection of the dead. 102 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:30,920 For as in Adam all die, Even so in Christ all shall be made 103 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:33,720 alive, but each one in his own order. 104 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:36,840 Christ the first fruits, afterward those who are Christ, 105 00:06:36,840 --> 00:06:40,080 that He's coming. Then comes the end, when he 106 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:43,560 delivers the Kingdom to God the Father, when he puts an end to 107 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:45,920 all rule and all authority and power. 108 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:50,040 For He must reign till he has put all enemies under his feet. 109 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:55,200 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death, for He has 110 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:59,080 put all things under His feet. When he says all things are put 111 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:01,920 under Him, it is evident that He who put all things under Him is 112 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:04,520 accepted. Now when all things are made 113 00:07:04,520 --> 00:07:07,640 subject to him, then the Son himself will also be subject to 114 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:11,840 him who put all things under him, that God may be All in all. 115 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:16,600 Now again, we looked at this bit last week, and I want to build 116 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:20,800 on our understanding from that. I want to ask some questions and 117 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:24,080 answer them as we do so. The first is this. 118 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:27,080 Maybe you're wondering why resurrection? 119 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:30,840 Why not just spirits after we die? 120 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:34,560 Why not just souls, you know, ethereal entities? 121 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:38,520 Why is it that physically our body is to be resurrected? 122 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,920 It's a good question and it's a very honest question as we look 123 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:45,480 and read and consider this. And so the short answer is this, 124 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:49,960 that the resurrection is what completes our salvation. 125 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:54,720 God is interested in saving not just your soul, but also 126 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:58,200 redeeming your body. Began with the frustrations of 127 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:02,520 our physical bodies and salvation is an entire complete 128 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:05,040 process. Why? 129 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:09,040 Well again, because of what happened in the Garden of Eden 130 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:12,120 when man sinned and there was original sin. 131 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:17,680 Remember what God had said, that in that day when you eat thereof 132 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:23,880 of the tree, of the fruit, of the forbidden tree, He said you 133 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:29,440 shall surely die. And men have died and women have 134 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:33,159 died ever since. In the garden day, Adam and Eve, 135 00:08:33,159 --> 00:08:36,320 when they ate, they died immediately spiritually, they 136 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:39,720 were separated from God. There's no longer that intimacy 137 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:43,320 of fellowship of relationship that they once experienced, but 138 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:49,640 also immediately Adam and Eve began to deteriorate in body and 139 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:52,120 they eventually died. And we have that passage in 140 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:55,640 Genesis where it goes through all of those that had been born 141 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:59,640 and then they died, and then they died, and then they died. 142 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:02,320 And every generation since has died. 143 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:05,040 And so too, you and I should the Lord tarry. 144 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:09,000 And so to counteract the death principle that came in through 145 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:12,320 the fall of humanity that was instilled in God's creation at 146 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:16,040 the fall, a resurrection is absolutely necessary. 147 00:09:17,560 --> 00:09:21,160 And so Jesus, he said, here is the first fruits of this. 148 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:24,120 And last week I touched on this, but I want to go into a little 149 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:26,840 bit more deeply. The first fruits is reference to 150 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:31,520 a Jewish feast which took place after the Passover. 151 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:34,360 We've celebrated communion modelled on the Passover 152 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:37,320 tonight. And the ritual was that in 153 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:41,840 Judaism, they would bring a sheaf of the harvest and they 154 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:44,640 would wave it before the Lord as an offering unto him. 155 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:48,880 And and the first sheaf, that one sheaf indicated that the 156 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:51,120 rest of the harvest was coming as well. 157 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:56,200 And in other words, the idea was wrapped up in that we're 158 00:09:56,200 --> 00:09:59,040 dedicating this first sheaf unto you God. 159 00:09:59,200 --> 00:10:02,040 But it's more than just this first sheaf that we're doing so, 160 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:05,720 but a whole lot more is coming that we're going to dedicated to 161 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:10,440 the Lord out of our produce. And so the sheaf was indicative 162 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:15,600 that more was to come and Jesus bodily resurrection was, Paul 163 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:18,360 says, the first fruits in verse 20. 164 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:22,160 And that means that there are more resurrections to come, 165 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:27,400 yours and mine. And so Jesus resurrection is the 166 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:31,000 guarantee of our resurrection. That's the principle. 167 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:35,240 And on top of that, Paul uses this language of death where he 168 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:39,000 says falling asleep. And it's called going to sleep, 169 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:41,480 because when you sleep, what happens? 170 00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:44,920 You get up again. The next day rolls around and 171 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:48,360 you're awake. And so when you die, you get up 172 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:51,400 again. Your body will rise. 173 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:55,600 And then Adam and Christ are mentioned and, and are seen as 174 00:10:55,600 --> 00:11:01,200 as two federal heads of two dispensations, Adam as the one 175 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:05,680 who brought sin into the world, Jesus as the one who brings life 176 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:08,920 into the world. Adam caused the fall of 177 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:11,760 humanity. Jesus brings the redemption of 178 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:15,080 humanity, both acting as federal heads. 179 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:18,760 And see, people think of Adam and, and they go and, and maybe 180 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:20,640 you thought this, and I know I certainly have. 181 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:23,720 You know, it's not fair that Adam sinned and, and that I 182 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:27,080 today, thousands of years removed from him, am suffering 183 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:32,520 the repercussions of that. OK, So let's entertain that for 184 00:11:32,520 --> 00:11:34,160 a moment. And, and I'll go along with 185 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:35,360 that. Yeah, not fair. 186 00:11:36,680 --> 00:11:41,200 But isn't it then, if that's the case, also not fair that Jesus 187 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:45,200 died on a cross and that you weren't there when that happened 188 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:47,800 and that I was not there when that took place. 189 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:52,560 And yet we get the benefit, we experience the blessing by 190 00:11:52,560 --> 00:11:56,800 believing in Him. And we could say on that, not 191 00:11:56,800 --> 00:12:01,600 fair because it isn't. You should not have the benefits 192 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:03,920 of what Jesus did. I should not experience the 193 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:05,600 benefits of that. But we have them. 194 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:11,440 And so both Adam and Jesus performed an act that has 195 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:16,080 repercussions like Adam's sin or like Jesus death and 196 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:19,480 resurrection. We get the bogus results of one 197 00:12:19,520 --> 00:12:23,600 in Adam and we get the benefits, the blessing of the other in 198 00:12:23,680 --> 00:12:26,440 Jesus. And so yes, we can blame Adam, 199 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:31,320 but we can also bless Jesus Christ for his work as the 200 00:12:31,320 --> 00:12:35,280 federal head. Whereas in Adam all die, he says 201 00:12:35,560 --> 00:12:41,240 Even so in Christ all will be made alive, but each one in his 202 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:44,000 own order. Christ the first fruits, 203 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:47,080 afterward those who are Christ's at his coming. 204 00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:51,400 Then comes the end when he delivers the Kingdom to God the 205 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:55,880 Father, when he puts an end to all rule, all authority contrary 206 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:59,000 to God in all other powers. Why? 207 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:02,240 Because Jesus must reign until those enemies are put under his 208 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:04,320 feet. And the final, the last enemy, 209 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:08,880 is death. So what kind of resurrection, 210 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:13,000 what kind of body will we have in such a resurrection? 211 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:15,760 Well, let's look at this for a moment, and we'll build on this 212 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:19,880 a little later as well. Our resurrected body, since 213 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:23,600 Jesus is the first fruits, it says of the resurrection, our 214 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:27,520 resurrection body is going to be very much like Jesus 215 00:13:27,720 --> 00:13:33,000 resurrection body being able to do some of the things that Jesus 216 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:35,120 was able to do when he was resurrected. 217 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:40,200 We're going to have in our resurrected body an earthly body 218 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:46,120 that is glorified. Jesus rose from the dead, but he 219 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:50,640 was fully man as well. He said to his disciples, touch 220 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:54,720 me, feel me. A spirit does not have flesh and 221 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:57,920 bones like you and I. And he was able to eat meals 222 00:13:57,920 --> 00:14:00,880 with his disciples. And then he ascended into 223 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:03,880 heaven. And so today at the throne of 224 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:10,040 God, there's a man, a physical, real man, Jesus, in his 225 00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:14,840 glorified resurrected body in heaven, seated at the right hand 226 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:17,520 of the Father. He's the first fruit. 227 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:20,760 So again, what is your body going to be like? 228 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:22,880 It's going to be very much like that. 229 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:25,240 You're going to have your earthly body. 230 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:28,080 You're thinking, well, I hope it doesn't look quite like this 231 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:30,840 one. Hold that thought for a moment. 232 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:34,800 But it is going to be an earthly body glorified. 233 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:39,720 Not a new body, but your old body renewed somehow. 234 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:46,440 Jesus died and was buried. A new body did not come up, did 235 00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:50,360 it? His body that was on the cross 236 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:54,480 and died is the same body that was resurrected. 237 00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:58,640 The body that goes into the ground at death is the body that 238 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:01,240 gets raised from the dead at resurrection. 239 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:05,000 But your body is going to have advanced properties. 240 00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:08,800 It's interesting, when Jesus rose from the dead and was in 241 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:12,240 his glorified physical body, the same one that was on the cross 242 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:15,600 again, but now glorified, renewed, what was he able to do? 243 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:19,920 Says that he would just appear sometimes and then vanish right 244 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:23,560 before their very eyes. It's like he could go through 245 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:26,520 walls there. The disciples are in the upper 246 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:30,440 room, doors are locked. All of a sudden Jesus just poof, 247 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:34,000 Shalom, how are you fellas? Peace. 248 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:38,120 One minute he was able to be in Jerusalem and then suddenly when 249 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:41,240 the disciples were in Galilee, just be transported to the 250 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:45,720 Galilee region instantly on the shores for a fish breakfast. 251 00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:50,000 And then he was also that that body that was able to to move 252 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:52,640 not just horizontally but move vertically. 253 00:15:53,320 --> 00:15:58,240 He ascended up into heaven. The the disciples stood on in 254 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:00,960 ore at what's probably the Mount of Olives. 255 00:16:01,040 --> 00:16:04,280 It is and Jesus went heavenward up, up, up. 256 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:08,240 If you consider, and we'll get to that in, in Revelation, our 257 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:10,960 resurrected bodies for a moment, But think about when the New 258 00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:15,040 Jerusalem is mentioned. You know, it's roughly 2000 259 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:19,160 kilometres cubed horizontally, vertically. 260 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:23,160 I don't want to go too far with this, but because we only have 261 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:26,040 certain things revealed about our bodies in Scripture, but 262 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:29,440 it's fair to say that you'll have advanced properties to be 263 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:31,960 able to traverse around in the New Jerusalem. 264 00:16:32,560 --> 00:16:36,280 Think of that, but in the eternal state that is mentioned 265 00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:37,440 here. And don't worry, we're going to 266 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:40,000 build on this in future verses that we'll read. 267 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:46,120 But it will be God and the glory of the Lamb that lights this New 268 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:49,040 Jerusalem, we're told. And the throne of God will be 269 00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:54,800 present and will be able to worship God face to face, to be 270 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:59,120 in his presence. His name, it says, was written 271 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:01,800 on our foreheads. And so there will be this 272 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:04,960 immediate, direct kind of fellowship that we'll be able to 273 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:08,760 have physically with God. Where, when, Now that is not 274 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:11,880 possible. Now currently the only way to 275 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:14,040 have access to God is through a mediator. 276 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:17,359 There's, there's one God, the Bible says and and 1 mediator 277 00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:21,640 and that is Jesus Christ. But in the eternal state you 278 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:23,760 will have direct access to God the Father. 279 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:28,920 You will see him face to face. You will be like Jesus, the 280 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:31,880 Bible says. You'll be like him for you will 281 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:35,800 see him as he is. It says you will see God's face 282 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:39,600 and there's direct intimacy there that requires resurrected 283 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:44,520 body. And so the second aspect that we 284 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:48,480 consider tonight is our, our glorified, our, our glorious 285 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:51,240 resurrected bodies. And and as I say, it's built on 286 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:55,120 in verses 35 to 49. Jump ahead to verse 35. 287 00:17:56,360 --> 00:18:00,560 But someone will say, how would the dead raised up and with what 288 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:02,520 body do they come? We've sort of looked at that, 289 00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:05,040 but now we'll, we'll dig in a little further. 290 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:08,040 Foolish one. Verse 36. 291 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:11,240 What you sow is not made alive unless it dies. 292 00:18:12,120 --> 00:18:17,000 And what you sow you do not sow. That body shall be, but mere 293 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:19,800 grain, perhaps wheat or some other grain. 294 00:18:21,120 --> 00:18:23,000 But God gives it a body as He pleases. 295 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:26,640 And each seed, its own body, all flesh, is not the same flesh. 296 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:29,640 But there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of 297 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:32,160 animals, another fish, and another birds. 298 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:35,760 They're also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies. 299 00:18:36,160 --> 00:18:39,400 The glory of the celestial is 1 and the glory of the terrestrial 300 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:42,680 is another. There is one glory of the sun, 301 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:45,480 another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars. 302 00:18:45,480 --> 00:18:48,600 For one star differs from another star in glory. 303 00:18:49,240 --> 00:18:54,560 So building on that illustration of of what happens in the 304 00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:57,480 physical world and our understanding of that, he says 305 00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:01,360 so verse 42 also is the resurrection of the dead. 306 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:06,480 The body is sown in corruption. It is raised in incorruption. 307 00:19:07,120 --> 00:19:10,720 It is sown in dishonour. It is raised in glory. 308 00:19:11,240 --> 00:19:13,920 It is sown in weakness. It is raised in power. 309 00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:18,000 It is sown a natural body. It is raised a spiritual body. 310 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:21,040 There is a natural body, there is a spiritual body. 311 00:19:21,480 --> 00:19:24,480 So it is written the first man Adam became a living being. 312 00:19:24,920 --> 00:19:27,800 The last Adam became a life giving spirit. 313 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:32,520 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and 314 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:35,960 afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth 315 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:38,960 made of dust. The second man is the Lord from 316 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:41,920 heaven. As was verse 48, the man of 317 00:19:41,920 --> 00:19:45,240 dust, so also those who are made of dust. 318 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:48,800 And as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are heavenly. 319 00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:52,720 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall 320 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:55,800 also bear the image of the heavenly man. 321 00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:03,240 So again, back in verse 35, Paul pre empts the question. 322 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:05,800 He says, but some will say, how are the dead raised up? 323 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:09,520 And what body do they come? And so now this is 2 questions 324 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:11,720 that we'll look at. How are the dead raised up? 325 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:16,240 How is that even possible that dead people can get up? 326 00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:19,200 Again, in the 1st place, I mean in the history of humanity, 327 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:25,320 every generation has the proof on display that dead people, as 328 00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:29,720 a general rule, stay dead. I've not seen a resurrection. 329 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:35,760 I've been to plenty of funerals, not been to 1 yet, where someone 330 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:39,080 has popped out of the casket, said, what's what's going on 331 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:43,280 here? And so the question is, how are 332 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:46,040 the dead raised back? How is that possible? 333 00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:49,440 And then that flows onto other considerations. 334 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:53,840 And maybe you've pondered this, You know, as a kid, I thought 335 00:20:53,840 --> 00:21:00,120 often, how about a soldier who's at war and and the body is blown 336 00:21:00,120 --> 00:21:05,160 to smithereens. What about their body? 337 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:13,720 How about someone who out in the ocean drowns, dies shark, bites 338 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:16,560 off 1 arm, takes it over here, bites off the leg, takes it off 339 00:21:16,560 --> 00:21:19,480 over there. How's the body come together in 340 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:22,480 the resurrection? All of those questions or 341 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:27,400 creation, cremation, how is that going to happen? 342 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:30,080 And these the physical aspect here. 343 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:33,520 And then the second question with, with what body do they 344 00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:36,960 come back? And so, you know, if a person 345 00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:41,720 dies with a stroke and is incapacitated in their final 346 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:44,160 days, is that how they're going to come back in the 347 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:48,400 resurrection? Or if they've lost a limb, an 348 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:52,240 amputee, and is that how they're going to come back in the 349 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:57,200 resurrection? Or if an infant is born and 350 00:21:57,200 --> 00:22:01,560 dies, will that person be an infant for all of eternity? 351 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:11,520 Or if an older person dies, 104 a 105, and it's just vegetable 352 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:14,480 state, is that how they'll be for all of eternity? 353 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:19,080 So with what body do they come? These are the questions that the 354 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:20,800 Corinthians had. Have you ever wondered those 355 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:24,800 things? Thought through that perhaps so 356 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:26,880 these two questions are addressed here and what we've 357 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:30,160 just read how is it possible that dead people are raised with 358 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:34,040 what body do they come back? So notice how wonderfully 359 00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:36,640 gracious Paul is in answering that. 360 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:44,120 He says in verse 36, foolish one dummy, what you saw was not made 361 00:22:44,120 --> 00:22:48,560 alive unless it dies. And so back to the first 362 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:52,120 question, with what body do they come short answer to what body 363 00:22:52,120 --> 00:22:55,720 you'll have in the resurrection. Let me go to another book in the 364 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:58,520 Bible, Philippians chapter 3. We've sort of anticipated the 365 00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:02,280 answer a little in verse 20. It says Philippians chapter 3, 366 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:07,200 verse 20, our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also 367 00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:10,280 eagerly wait for the Saviour of the Lord Jesus Christ. 368 00:23:10,360 --> 00:23:16,200 Now get this, who will transform our lowly body, that it may be 369 00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:20,480 conformed to his glorious body according to the working by 370 00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:23,760 which he is able even to subdue all things to himself? 371 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:28,760 So again, the short answer is that our body is going to be 372 00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:30,680 like Jesus body. Isn't that awesome? 373 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:34,920 A real human body, but limitless. 374 00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:37,960 He'll transform it into a glorious body. 375 00:23:38,360 --> 00:23:42,240 Now what Paul does back to 1 Corinthians 15 is he gives us 376 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:45,480 some illustrations from the biological world. 377 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:48,840 He he speaks of the plant world, the terrestrial world as as well 378 00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:50,720 as the heavens, the celestial world. 379 00:23:51,120 --> 00:23:54,400 Let's consider the plant example for a moment that he gives to 380 00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:56,480 us. He says you take a seed, 381 00:23:57,280 --> 00:24:02,160 effectively it's dead, it's dormant, but you place it into 382 00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:08,200 the ground and it decomposes. And the point is that you bury 383 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:14,080 it, but something comes up that is related to it but different 384 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:17,560 from it, right? It has the same genetic code, 385 00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:20,080 the same DNA. And this is what Paul is 386 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:23,480 pointing to as an illustration for our bodies. 387 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:27,520 So there's a relationship genetically, but they're vastly 388 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:30,480 different from one another. And so with our bodies, the body 389 00:24:30,800 --> 00:24:36,000 that shall be in eternity is related to this one here now, 390 00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:42,160 similar but different. Consider tulips as a tangible 391 00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:45,080 example. That's a, a beautiful, a perfect 392 00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:46,920 little flower if you've ever seen one. 393 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:50,240 And if you were to to look at a bunch of tulips and go, man, I'd 394 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:54,080 like to grow 1 like to grow a bunch of those things and have 395 00:24:54,080 --> 00:24:56,880 them through my garden. And and you go and you buy a 396 00:24:56,880 --> 00:24:59,480 bulb and you look at that and you go, that's not what I 397 00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:01,600 wanted. You ever seen a Tulip bulb? 398 00:25:01,640 --> 00:25:08,360 Those things are ugly. It's lowly, you might say, but 399 00:25:08,360 --> 00:25:11,120 put it in the ground and watch what happens. 400 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:15,880 If I were to tell you, you know, you, you take that brown ugly 401 00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:19,400 thing, you, you stick it in the ground and life and beauty will 402 00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:21,240 come out of it. You might say that's insane. 403 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:24,960 That's, that's incredible. That's impossible from that old 404 00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:28,840 thing, this Tulip, this beautiful creation. 405 00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:34,440 Paul said, look, this is common knowledge, like plants, like 406 00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:38,440 grains, like flowers, What goes into the ground, the sowing is 407 00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:41,960 lowly compared to the glory of the produce to come of what 408 00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:45,000 comes out of it. And the harvest is more 409 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:47,080 beautiful than that which went into the ground. 410 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:49,520 And so he connects that to our physical bodies. 411 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:52,880 And that's what he does from versus 42 on through to 44. 412 00:25:53,120 --> 00:25:56,360 He says the body is sown in corruption and it's raised in 413 00:25:56,360 --> 00:25:59,120 incorruption. It's sown in dishonour. 414 00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:03,200 You know, there's nothing majestic about a dead person. 415 00:26:05,120 --> 00:26:09,240 Even our bodies alive are dishonourable at times, right? 416 00:26:11,120 --> 00:26:16,720 Joke at the beginning, but you know our feet stink, our ears 417 00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:20,480 filled with wax. We hop into bed and cut one 418 00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:26,720 another with our toes. Hair moves from our heads and 419 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:31,080 grows elsewhere. Our ears get bigger, our noses 420 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:34,360 get bigger, we sweat, we groan. We are dishonourable. 421 00:26:36,360 --> 00:26:41,000 But when we die again, there's nothing majestic about a dead 422 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:44,440 body. That's why we typically cover up 423 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:48,560 a corpse when they die. There's a dishonour to that 424 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:54,560 event, the way they look. I mean, some of us now are 425 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:56,800 afraid to get out of the house without our makeup on. 426 00:26:57,120 --> 00:27:03,960 When you die, all is exposed. It's sown in dishonour, but it 427 00:27:03,960 --> 00:27:09,640 is raised in glory, Paul says. It's sown in weakness, it's 428 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:14,720 raised in power, it's sown a natural body and it is raised a 429 00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:17,880 spiritual body. And he talks in this passage 430 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:22,040 again about Adam and again about Jesus natural body, spiritual 431 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:25,040 body. Now again, this does not mean 432 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:28,360 that our resurrected body will be immaterial. 433 00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:32,360 It's not just a, a spirit being, some kind of ethereal thing. 434 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:38,000 It's going to be a real body. A better translation, I believe, 435 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:40,960 of this passage is a supernatural body. 436 00:27:42,760 --> 00:27:46,160 There's a physical body, a natural body, but you're going 437 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:50,280 to get a supernatural body without the limitations that now 438 00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:53,480 physically we're held by. Why? 439 00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:57,000 Because think of it, you and I are going to be in a place, in 440 00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:59,960 an environment that demands different capacities. 441 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:04,720 If you wanted to go to the moon, you couldn't go to the moon 442 00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:07,080 unless you had some kind of a contraption of sort. 443 00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:10,680 You'd have to have a space suit, It'd have to be pressurised. 444 00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:13,920 You have to have the oxygen that we breathe here on Earth 445 00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:17,200 transported with you to take into the atmosphere. 446 00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:22,960 You could not live otherwise. Well, heaven, eternity is going 447 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:26,000 to be somewhat like that. Now, I don't want to live for 448 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:29,880 all of eternity in a space suit with limitations. 449 00:28:30,520 --> 00:28:35,000 And so God is going to give us a body that is suited for the 450 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:40,560 environment of eternity. And so because you'll be living 451 00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:43,840 in a glorified body, you'll be able to enjoy the glorified 452 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:46,480 state. It would be a body, but a 453 00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:50,560 supernatural body, not a non corporal body or a non material 454 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:52,560 body. It will be a real, again, 455 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:54,680 physical body. You're just going to get a 456 00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:59,000 marvellous makeover and our new body will be immortal. 457 00:28:59,920 --> 00:29:04,400 It'll live forever. Won't you be happy to never have 458 00:29:04,400 --> 00:29:08,840 to go to another funeral? Won't you be happy to not have 459 00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:12,160 to worry about the death of a loved one or of yourself? 460 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:15,040 This immortal body will live forever. 461 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:19,400 It will not die. Now, it's no coincidence, I 462 00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:22,120 think that on that, that humanity is consumed with 463 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:24,920 wanting to live forever. You know, many of our cultural 464 00:29:24,920 --> 00:29:27,680 stories, many of the things that we gravitate to and our, our 465 00:29:28,080 --> 00:29:30,560 myths, our fables, our folklores teach us something. 466 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:32,800 I think about this deepest longing within us. 467 00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:38,080 I was thinking about that particular point and connecting 468 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:39,200 it. You know, there's a whole heap 469 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:43,200 of, you know, new comic book kind of movies coming out and so 470 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:44,760 on. And that's really what our comic 471 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:46,480 book superheroes are, aren't they? 472 00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:51,520 There's this average ordinary person that then undergoes some 473 00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:54,800 extraordinary transforming event, often times in an 474 00:29:54,800 --> 00:29:58,720 instant, and they subsequently get a a new body. 475 00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:02,680 They're strong, they're they're supernatural and they don't die 476 00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:06,080 and they don't get sick, but they live the life that that we 477 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:08,760 wish, we wish we could. That's the appeal for us. 478 00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:13,960 So a Peter Parker becomes a Spider Man, a Bruce Wayne, a 479 00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:19,880 Batman, Diana, a Wonder Woman, Bruce Banner, Incredible Hulk, 480 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:24,040 and these characters that humanity invents. 481 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:29,240 They're human beings, but they're superhuman and they 482 00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:31,920 don't get sick, they don't get injured, they don't die, not 483 00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:33,400 like we do. There's there's something 484 00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:35,400 immortal about them and we love that. 485 00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:38,800 We're enamoured with that. It'd be disappointing if, you 486 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:42,800 know, you read a Superman comic or watch the Superman movie and 487 00:30:42,800 --> 00:30:46,800 he's got the flu all the time, right flying around. 488 00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:49,600 He's going, man, I got to be a fever, runny nose. 489 00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:51,440 I got to go home. I got to stop this. 490 00:30:52,280 --> 00:30:55,760 And and we'd be annoyed if if the Hulk was picking something 491 00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:58,440 up and threw out his back and like Hulk need Cairo. 492 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:04,240 See something in US wants this this different kind of body 493 00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:09,080 that's incapable of being hurt and broken and and and frail and 494 00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:12,560 and fragile and defeated. Something within us wants this 495 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:16,880 eternal state. Ecclesiastes in the Old 496 00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:20,600 Testament puts it this way and says that God has set eternity 497 00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:25,200 in the hearts of men. You see, it's God given and it's 498 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:29,240 fulfilled here in our text. So, so people ask back to this 499 00:31:29,240 --> 00:31:31,520 question, what is my body going to look like? 500 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:34,320 What will it be like? And, and again, if I have a, a 501 00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:37,320 relative who's an amputee and, and they come to Christ, what 502 00:31:37,320 --> 00:31:40,920 will their body be like? And, or an infant when they pass 503 00:31:40,920 --> 00:31:44,080 or an elderly person and on and on and on through the list. 504 00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:47,440 So let me try and answer that by going back to Genesis a bit. 505 00:31:48,280 --> 00:31:53,000 When Adam was created by God, he was created as an adult. 506 00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:59,040 He had an apparent age even though he also had a a technical 507 00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:02,600 age. When God created Adam on day 508 00:32:02,600 --> 00:32:08,560 one, how old was he? A day old, but he did not look 509 00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:15,000 like a day old. He looked probably 20-30 mature 510 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:17,440 adults. Hard to know exactly, but a full 511 00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:20,200 functioning adult with adult capabilities. 512 00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:29,680 But a day old he had an apparent age, a peak age and so I believe 513 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:34,600 that your resurrected body will be like that peak age capacity. 514 00:32:36,360 --> 00:32:40,160 So if having died as an infant or a miscarriage. 515 00:32:40,200 --> 00:32:43,520 I I love this we've my wife and I had a couple of miscarriages. 516 00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:48,120 There are two waiting for us in eternity that we'll get to meet. 517 00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:56,240 It's going to be amazing. Or if you die 104 I believe you 518 00:32:56,240 --> 00:32:59,680 won't be like that in eternity. More like a full functioning 519 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:01,800 adult with incredible capability. 520 00:33:02,560 --> 00:33:06,240 Again Jesus when he died, When he was resurrected he was 521 00:33:06,240 --> 00:33:08,080 unrecognisable by a lot of people. 522 00:33:08,080 --> 00:33:11,840 Wasn't he at 1st until he did or said certain things? 523 00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:16,960 And yet he bore unique markers, specifically the marks of 524 00:33:16,960 --> 00:33:20,960 crucifixion, similar characteristics, attributes 525 00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:25,720 recognisable in one hand in in those instances, but not in 526 00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:28,400 others. Sort of hard to tell exactly 527 00:33:28,400 --> 00:33:31,400 what it's going to be like for us, but it's going to be, I 528 00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:35,440 think something like that. So physical bodies, glorious 529 00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:38,880 bodies, glorified bodies. How awesome. 530 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:42,840 And let's finish this now versus 50 to 58. 531 00:33:42,840 --> 00:33:46,360 Our transformation will be instant and irreversible. 532 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:51,040 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit 533 00:33:51,040 --> 00:33:54,680 the Kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 534 00:33:54,680 --> 00:33:58,600 Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we 535 00:33:58,600 --> 00:34:02,800 shall all be changed. So even if you're worried about, 536 00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:04,960 well, what's that going to be like with the rapture in my 537 00:34:04,960 --> 00:34:07,840 body? You'll be changed in a moment, 538 00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:11,960 in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet, verse 52. 539 00:34:12,840 --> 00:34:15,520 For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised 540 00:34:15,520 --> 00:34:18,520 incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 541 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:22,080 This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal 542 00:34:22,080 --> 00:34:25,760 must put on immortality. So when this corruptible is put 543 00:34:25,760 --> 00:34:28,920 on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then 544 00:34:28,920 --> 00:34:31,040 shall be brought to pass the saying that is written. 545 00:34:31,320 --> 00:34:33,040 Death is swallowed up in victory. 546 00:34:33,760 --> 00:34:37,560 Oh, death, where is your sting? Oh, Hades, where is your 547 00:34:37,560 --> 00:34:40,719 victory? The sting of death is sin, and 548 00:34:40,719 --> 00:34:44,760 the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives 549 00:34:44,760 --> 00:34:47,159 us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 550 00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:52,000 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always 551 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:54,639 abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour 552 00:34:54,639 --> 00:34:59,680 is not in vain in the Lord. So we wonder when thinking of 553 00:34:59,680 --> 00:35:01,600 resurrection, when will this happen? 554 00:35:02,320 --> 00:35:05,680 How will this happen? It's the miracle of the moment. 555 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:09,520 Paul speaks of the last trumpet of Christ's return. 556 00:35:10,080 --> 00:35:14,600 Those who are dead will be raised in perishable the living 557 00:35:14,600 --> 00:35:19,040 transformed instantly. No long drawn out process, no 558 00:35:19,040 --> 00:35:24,200 purgatory, no reincarnation, no more doctors, no more 559 00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:29,280 prescriptions, no more funerals. This is not science fiction. 560 00:35:29,920 --> 00:35:32,040 This is God's promise to you and I. 561 00:35:32,640 --> 00:35:35,600 And you don't need to wait, it says it will happen suddenly, 562 00:35:35,600 --> 00:35:38,280 completely and gloriously. Isn't that amazing? 563 00:35:39,480 --> 00:35:41,560 And then the mockery of death, he said. 564 00:35:41,800 --> 00:35:43,800 Death has been swallowed up in victory. 565 00:35:43,880 --> 00:35:48,600 Where, O death is your sting? Paul here quotes Isaiah in the 566 00:35:48,600 --> 00:35:52,360 book of Hosea to show that death's days are numbered. 567 00:35:53,800 --> 00:35:57,200 So there will come a day, when you think of it, that you'll 568 00:35:57,200 --> 00:36:03,520 look at your coffin and say you didn't win because of Jesus. 569 00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:08,600 We mock death like Jesus did death's sting. 570 00:36:10,920 --> 00:36:14,240 It's there because sin has power through the law. 571 00:36:15,080 --> 00:36:20,640 But Jesus kept the law, bore our sin and broke deaths grip and 572 00:36:20,640 --> 00:36:22,320 took out the venom from the sting. 573 00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:28,800 Only Jesus claimed to forgive sin, to die for sin, to rise, 574 00:36:28,800 --> 00:36:32,080 and to conquer sin. You know, no other religion 575 00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:36,520 makes that claim and none offers resurrection as a gift. 576 00:36:38,520 --> 00:36:41,760 Verse 58, Here's the conclusion for us tonight. 577 00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:49,640 He says, therefore, stand firm. First of all, let nothing move 578 00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:53,840 you now. We can stand firm now in light 579 00:36:53,840 --> 00:36:56,160 of what we've discovered, in light of what we've read through 580 00:36:56,160 --> 00:37:01,040 in this passage, through suffering, through the 581 00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:02,920 frustrations of our physical body. 582 00:37:02,920 --> 00:37:06,240 Now Paul knows what life is like. 583 00:37:07,480 --> 00:37:10,960 Paul ever got sick. Paul ever grieved. 584 00:37:12,280 --> 00:37:18,520 Paul grappled with questions, tells us that there was a point 585 00:37:18,520 --> 00:37:22,080 in time where he was sick, that he cried out to God to have it 586 00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:24,680 removed. But God said, no, My, my grace 587 00:37:24,680 --> 00:37:28,120 is sufficient for you. And maybe you've had questions 588 00:37:28,120 --> 00:37:29,680 like that, You know, why am I sick? 589 00:37:29,680 --> 00:37:32,560 Why am I going through this? Why is she dying? 590 00:37:32,560 --> 00:37:34,400 Why is he dying? Why is he suffering? 591 00:37:34,520 --> 00:37:39,880 Where is God in all of this? And yet Paul says, therefore, in 592 00:37:39,880 --> 00:37:42,480 light of all of this, stand firm. 593 00:37:43,760 --> 00:37:48,440 Let nothing move you. God's not asking you to fake 594 00:37:48,440 --> 00:37:52,920 happiness here, but He is calling you and I to cling to 595 00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:58,040 hope, the hope of resurrection. And we need the Lord most when 596 00:37:58,040 --> 00:38:01,960 we're hurting, don't we? And others need him most when 597 00:38:01,960 --> 00:38:05,640 they're suffering. And so we pray and we go to him 598 00:38:05,920 --> 00:38:09,640 and we stand firm. And then second, he says, serve 599 00:38:09,640 --> 00:38:11,800 fully with the resurrection hope. 600 00:38:11,800 --> 00:38:15,000 He says, always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord. 601 00:38:16,080 --> 00:38:20,000 Now our ministry, what we do, our service unto God and and to 602 00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:24,680 one another is not, it's not just for the strong or for the 603 00:38:24,680 --> 00:38:29,920 healthy amongst us. You know, many times haven't you 604 00:38:29,920 --> 00:38:32,720 found that it flows best from our weakness. 605 00:38:34,200 --> 00:38:38,280 If you've known pain, if you've experienced loss, if you've 606 00:38:38,280 --> 00:38:42,960 encountered grief, you are uniquely equipped to comfort 607 00:38:43,280 --> 00:38:47,920 others. The mother who's lost a baby can 608 00:38:47,920 --> 00:38:50,760 minister to the one who is grieving with the same. 609 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:55,480 The man with chronic illness can encourage the weary. 610 00:38:56,720 --> 00:38:59,320 The widow can help the grieving spouse. 611 00:39:00,880 --> 00:39:05,320 So he says, serve fully with resurrection hope. 612 00:39:05,960 --> 00:39:08,520 Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord. 613 00:39:08,880 --> 00:39:12,600 And so tonight, because of resurrection, we suffer, Yes, 614 00:39:12,800 --> 00:39:17,240 but not without hope. We grieve, but not as those 615 00:39:17,240 --> 00:39:21,960 without a future. We serve not in vain, but in 616 00:39:21,960 --> 00:39:26,400 resurrection power. May that be an encouragement to 617 00:39:26,400 --> 00:39:27,480 you tonight. Let's pray. 618 00:39:27,480 --> 00:39:30,600 Lord God, we thank you for your word out of this passage. 619 00:39:31,720 --> 00:39:35,840 How wonderful it is to think and to consider of eternity of our 620 00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:41,600 of our resurrected bodies, of us forever being in your presence, 621 00:39:42,240 --> 00:39:45,520 of how glorious and how wonderful that will be and of 622 00:39:45,520 --> 00:39:48,320 the frustrations that we experience in our bodies here on 623 00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:53,360 earth, of them no longer being a part of our experience. 624 00:39:55,120 --> 00:39:58,920 And what a hope that is for us, what a joy that brings to our 625 00:39:58,920 --> 00:40:01,400 hearts in the midst of what we encounter now. 626 00:40:03,920 --> 00:40:09,920 And so, God, I come before you now and pray for all of your 627 00:40:09,920 --> 00:40:13,520 people gathered here tonight and ask that you would bless them, 628 00:40:14,480 --> 00:40:17,440 you would guide them, that you would be with them, that you 629 00:40:17,440 --> 00:40:19,680 would fill their hearts with great hope tonight. 630 00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:22,760 It's in Jesus name we pray, Amen. 631 00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:24,320 May God bless you.