1 00:00:01,600 --> 00:00:04,600 All right, please turn in your Bible to 1st Corinthians, 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:11,480 chapter 15 if you don't have a copy of the Creed. 3 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:14,800 I shared it this morning in Boxer, so we're going to read 4 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:17,240 the Creed together at the end of the message. 5 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:22,720 So if you have a copy, you're good to go. 6 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:27,080 If you don't, you can find that one in Boxer if you know it. 7 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:40,410 That's good. 1st Corinthians 15. So most of the creed focuses on 8 00:00:40,410 --> 00:00:42,610 what's already happened. And then we had a couple 9 00:00:42,610 --> 00:00:44,770 sections that talked about what is still to come. 10 00:00:44,770 --> 00:00:48,210 We said that Jesus, he will come to judge the living and the 11 00:00:48,210 --> 00:00:49,930 dead. And then we said we believe in 12 00:00:49,930 --> 00:00:51,970 the Holy Spirit. We believe in the Holy Catholic 13 00:00:51,970 --> 00:00:55,890 Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, and 14 00:00:55,890 --> 00:00:59,250 now, today, the resurrection of the body and the life 15 00:00:59,250 --> 00:01:01,890 everlasting. These are things still to come 16 00:01:02,090 --> 00:01:05,010 that we look forward to. Hope is the motive for for 17 00:01:05,010 --> 00:01:07,690 almost everything that we do. Like you came here this morning. 18 00:01:07,690 --> 00:01:10,330 There was some hope, You know, you might not have thought about 19 00:01:10,330 --> 00:01:13,210 it, but there was a hope in particular inside of you. 20 00:01:13,210 --> 00:01:14,250 You're like, what are you hoping for? 21 00:01:14,250 --> 00:01:15,610 Well, I'm hoping to be refreshed. 22 00:01:15,610 --> 00:01:17,450 I'm hoping to be blessed. I'm hoping to draw an ear to the 23 00:01:17,450 --> 00:01:19,330 Lord. There's something in you that 24 00:01:19,330 --> 00:01:21,170 brought you here. There's you have hope for the 25 00:01:21,170 --> 00:01:23,050 afternoon, even. We have small hopes. 26 00:01:23,050 --> 00:01:25,730 We have big hopes, You know, I hope the weather clears up. 27 00:01:25,730 --> 00:01:27,730 I want to go out on the boat. There's all kinds of things that 28 00:01:27,730 --> 00:01:30,650 we do with the motive of hope. I keep going to the gym. 29 00:01:30,650 --> 00:01:32,810 Why? I keep hoping that these muscles 30 00:01:32,810 --> 00:01:35,450 are going to grow. It's been a really slow process. 31 00:01:35,690 --> 00:01:38,370 But hope keeps me going to the gym over and over and over. 32 00:01:38,370 --> 00:01:41,130 I keep drinking protein and trying to eat as much protein as 33 00:01:41,130 --> 00:01:43,010 possible. I'm holding out hope that at 34 00:01:43,010 --> 00:01:46,330 some point I'm going to look like Mr. Universe might take a 35 00:01:46,330 --> 00:01:48,250 while. But that's a hope. 36 00:01:48,250 --> 00:01:50,290 So we've got hope. That's all the time giving us a 37 00:01:51,050 --> 00:01:52,930 a reason. It's always the thing that I'm 38 00:01:52,930 --> 00:01:56,090 looking forward to. The same is true in the Kingdom. 39 00:01:56,330 --> 00:01:58,610 There is a great hope. There's the blessed hope, the 40 00:01:58,610 --> 00:02:01,090 return of the Lord, the life everlasting. 41 00:02:01,410 --> 00:02:03,530 This is a great motive for God's people. 42 00:02:03,890 --> 00:02:06,610 We don't have hope only in this life, the scripture says, but we 43 00:02:06,610 --> 00:02:10,330 have hope for life everlasting. In First Corinthians chapter 15. 44 00:02:10,330 --> 00:02:12,530 It's interesting, you know a lot of times the scripture, the 45 00:02:12,530 --> 00:02:16,010 Bible is not super systematic on the back end. 46 00:02:16,090 --> 00:02:19,530 Humans we like systematic. So we make books and we make 47 00:02:19,530 --> 00:02:22,490 study guides and we say I want to make a systematic theology 48 00:02:22,610 --> 00:02:24,530 about this. Like, here's a systematic 49 00:02:24,530 --> 00:02:26,370 theology of, you know, redemption. 50 00:02:26,370 --> 00:02:28,850 Here's a systematic theology of healing. 51 00:02:28,850 --> 00:02:32,130 Here's a systematic theology of, you know, the end times, 52 00:02:32,130 --> 00:02:34,410 whatever it may be. And I've got to take verses and 53 00:02:34,570 --> 00:02:37,010 and piece together. The Bible was not written in a 54 00:02:37,010 --> 00:02:39,850 systematic way. Although it's glorious, it's 55 00:02:39,850 --> 00:02:42,290 perfect and it's right. It's not the way that we often 56 00:02:42,290 --> 00:02:44,290 organize it. And then you come to portions of 57 00:02:44,290 --> 00:02:47,290 Scripture that preach themselves, where it's 58 00:02:47,290 --> 00:02:49,930 explicitly playing that we're talking about one thing for an 59 00:02:49,930 --> 00:02:53,730 extended area and an extended point of time. 1st Corinthians 60 00:02:53,730 --> 00:02:56,530 15 is like that. First Corinthians 15 is all 61 00:02:56,530 --> 00:02:59,930 about the resurrection to come, Christ's resurrection, and then 62 00:02:59,930 --> 00:03:03,570 the resurrection for all of us. Because Jesus was raised, you 63 00:03:03,690 --> 00:03:07,730 will be raised. Your body is not going to stay 64 00:03:07,850 --> 00:03:10,810 in the grave. Your body is not going to stay 65 00:03:10,810 --> 00:03:15,330 in the grave if you're, if you were, if you're sent off to sea 66 00:03:15,330 --> 00:03:18,330 like an old king and they shoot flaming arrows into you, your 67 00:03:18,330 --> 00:03:19,810 body's not going to stay in the sea. 68 00:03:20,010 --> 00:03:21,850 The Lord is going to redeem all things. 69 00:03:21,850 --> 00:03:23,650 He has a glorious way that he's going to do it. 70 00:03:23,890 --> 00:03:25,650 And we get to see what that looks like today. 71 00:03:25,650 --> 00:03:27,210 So we're in First Corinthians 15. 72 00:03:27,570 --> 00:03:29,930 I'm going to read a lot of scripture because I want you to 73 00:03:29,930 --> 00:03:32,610 have a lot of faith and the word of God certainly does better 74 00:03:32,770 --> 00:03:35,330 than than my preaching. And in this portion in 75 00:03:35,330 --> 00:03:37,050 particular, it's going to serve us really well. 76 00:03:37,250 --> 00:03:39,730 So First Corinthians 15, verse 12. 77 00:03:40,990 --> 00:03:45,270 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can 78 00:03:45,270 --> 00:03:47,430 some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 79 00:03:47,710 --> 00:03:50,870 He's saying if crisis if Christ is raised, how can you say that 80 00:03:50,870 --> 00:03:53,550 others won't be raised from the dead, that other people aren't 81 00:03:53,550 --> 00:03:54,510 going to be raised from the dead. 82 00:03:54,710 --> 00:03:58,110 Verse 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then 83 00:03:58,110 --> 00:04:01,350 not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been 84 00:04:01,350 --> 00:04:05,270 raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 85 00:04:05,670 --> 00:04:08,270 We are even found to be messed with misrepresenting God, 86 00:04:08,670 --> 00:04:11,990 because we testified about God that he that he raised Christ, 87 00:04:12,790 --> 00:04:15,430 whom he did not raise. If it's true that the dead are 88 00:04:15,430 --> 00:04:18,350 not raised. For if the dead are not raised, 89 00:04:18,829 --> 00:04:20,390 then not even Christ has been raised. 90 00:04:20,390 --> 00:04:24,430 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile or 91 00:04:24,430 --> 00:04:28,910 meaningless or worthless, and you are still in your sins. 92 00:04:28,910 --> 00:04:31,350 So obviously, again, like much of the New Testament letters, 93 00:04:31,470 --> 00:04:33,670 corrections being brought to the church, there's some false 94 00:04:33,670 --> 00:04:35,950 teaching that's crept in. Some people started go, oh, are 95 00:04:35,950 --> 00:04:37,030 we going to be raised from the dead? 96 00:04:37,030 --> 00:04:39,270 Or are we just going to be spirit bodies because there was 97 00:04:39,270 --> 00:04:41,630 conflict around what? Will our bodies stay in the 98 00:04:41,630 --> 00:04:43,590 grave? Are we just going to be these 99 00:04:43,590 --> 00:04:46,630 disembodied spirits floating around in eternity? 100 00:04:46,870 --> 00:04:50,350 No, in fact, no. We will have a resurrected, 101 00:04:50,350 --> 00:04:52,190 glorified body. Your entire being. 102 00:04:52,590 --> 00:04:55,870 Your your body, your soul and your spirit. 103 00:04:55,910 --> 00:04:57,510 You might be thinking, I thought the spirit and the soul were the 104 00:04:57,510 --> 00:04:58,870 same thing. They're not though. 105 00:04:58,870 --> 00:05:01,230 The soul would be your mind, your will, your intellect, your 106 00:05:01,230 --> 00:05:03,990 emotions. So you're you're physical, 107 00:05:04,430 --> 00:05:06,310 you're mental and you're spiritual. 108 00:05:06,310 --> 00:05:09,790 You're a three-part being. You're one, but you're 3. 109 00:05:09,790 --> 00:05:11,110 That's a familiar principle, right? 110 00:05:11,110 --> 00:05:12,350 You've heard of that before, somewhere. 111 00:05:12,910 --> 00:05:15,070 It's almost like you're made in his image. 112 00:05:15,710 --> 00:05:18,550 So what verse did I leave us off on? 113 00:05:20,660 --> 00:05:22,820 1718? I'm getting different votes 114 00:05:22,820 --> 00:05:25,860 here. 18 Dylan said it with confidence. 115 00:05:25,860 --> 00:05:28,420 So we're going with Dylan here, then those who have fallen 116 00:05:28,420 --> 00:05:30,700 asleep in Christ have perished. He's saying if there's no 117 00:05:30,700 --> 00:05:33,700 resurrection, then those people are doomed because they died in 118 00:05:33,700 --> 00:05:36,380 a lie. If in Christ we have hope in 119 00:05:36,380 --> 00:05:40,340 this life only we are of all people, most to be pitied if we 120 00:05:40,340 --> 00:05:41,700 only have hope for the here and now. 121 00:05:42,300 --> 00:05:44,540 Like people should pity us. They shouldn't mock us. 122 00:05:44,540 --> 00:05:46,500 It should be. There should be a sadness. 123 00:05:46,500 --> 00:05:48,340 There should be a kindness. There should be a gentleness to 124 00:05:48,340 --> 00:05:51,930 us. But in fact he corrects all of 125 00:05:51,930 --> 00:05:52,970 that. Now he's following. 126 00:05:53,490 --> 00:05:56,490 He was he was walking that logical argument out to its end. 127 00:05:56,690 --> 00:05:58,850 If Christ hasn't been raised, what does that mean? 128 00:05:58,850 --> 00:06:01,290 Well, then we're all doomed. Let's be very clear. 129 00:06:01,290 --> 00:06:02,690 It's not. Well, I think this has happened. 130 00:06:02,690 --> 00:06:05,250 No, no, no. If that then that, he says. 131 00:06:05,250 --> 00:06:07,010 But let's be honest, let's be clear. 132 00:06:07,370 --> 00:06:09,770 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. 133 00:06:10,050 --> 00:06:12,610 The first roots of those who have fallen asleep in death is 134 00:06:12,610 --> 00:06:16,010 what he means. For as by a man came Death. 135 00:06:16,290 --> 00:06:19,420 Who's that man? The death came by Adam the first 136 00:06:19,420 --> 00:06:20,900 Adam. By one man came. 137 00:06:20,900 --> 00:06:24,380 Death by a man has also come the resurrection of the dead. 138 00:06:24,540 --> 00:06:29,380 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made 139 00:06:29,380 --> 00:06:31,700 alive, but each in his own order. 140 00:06:32,100 --> 00:06:34,780 Christ the first fruits. Then at his coming those who 141 00:06:34,780 --> 00:06:38,020 belong to Christ, Then comes the end, when he delivers the 142 00:06:38,020 --> 00:06:42,500 Kingdom of God to the Father after destroying every rule and 143 00:06:42,500 --> 00:06:45,500 every authority and power. That doesn't sound very nice, 144 00:06:45,500 --> 00:06:49,460 Jesus. That doesn't sound very Christ, 145 00:06:49,460 --> 00:06:52,220 like Christ. Let's read that one again. 146 00:06:52,220 --> 00:06:55,060 Then comes the end when he delivers the Kingdom of God. 147 00:06:55,300 --> 00:06:57,700 So God the Father has given the Kingdom to the Son. 148 00:06:58,300 --> 00:07:01,940 Jesus is going to make his enemies his footstool. 149 00:07:02,420 --> 00:07:04,460 And after that's been accomplished, he returns all 150 00:07:04,460 --> 00:07:07,860 things to the Father and says, Father, you gave me the power, 151 00:07:07,860 --> 00:07:10,540 the authority, and now I return the Kingdom to you. 152 00:07:10,820 --> 00:07:12,300 The Father is pleased in the Son. 153 00:07:12,300 --> 00:07:19,090 The Son is pleased in the Father, for he must rule then. 154 00:07:19,130 --> 00:07:21,530 Oh, sorry, Verse 24 again. Then comes the end, when he 155 00:07:21,530 --> 00:07:25,210 delivers the Kingdom to God the Father after destroying every 156 00:07:25,210 --> 00:07:27,370 rule and every authority and power. 157 00:07:27,450 --> 00:07:31,810 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his 158 00:07:31,810 --> 00:07:34,250 feet. The last enemy to be destroyed 159 00:07:34,690 --> 00:07:38,090 is Death. The last enemy to be destroyed 160 00:07:38,250 --> 00:07:39,530 is Death. Death is an enemy. 161 00:07:39,810 --> 00:07:42,410 Death is not a friend. Death is not a warm blanket. 162 00:07:42,570 --> 00:07:44,680 Death is ugly. Death is brutal. 163 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:47,480 Death is wrong. Death is brokenness that came 164 00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:49,600 through Adam. In God's original design, when 165 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:51,320 we go to the garden, there would have never been death. 166 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:54,360 God wanted to make his people. I love you. 167 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:56,760 You love me. Fill the earth with my glory. 168 00:07:56,760 --> 00:07:59,600 Fill the earth, subdue it. You conquer, you rule, you 169 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:02,960 reign, multiply and and we all live happily ever after. 170 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:05,360 That's God's perfect will and His intention. 171 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:08,960 It was man represented perfectly through Adam. 172 00:08:09,530 --> 00:08:11,530 You and I were represented perfectly through Adam. 173 00:08:11,730 --> 00:08:14,210 So we don't look, we don't look to Adam and go man if I had been 174 00:08:14,210 --> 00:08:16,570 there. No, Adam is our legal head. 175 00:08:16,570 --> 00:08:19,650 He's our federal head. He's the perfect representation 176 00:08:19,730 --> 00:08:23,530 of humanity. So in doing so in in his sin 177 00:08:23,530 --> 00:08:26,170 against God, now death comes. Spiritual death came first to 178 00:08:26,170 --> 00:08:28,890 Adam and Eve, then later physical death, and then the 179 00:08:28,890 --> 00:08:30,570 tournament that comes from brokenness. 180 00:08:30,810 --> 00:08:35,049 A universe that is decaying, a universe that is falling into 181 00:08:35,130 --> 00:08:38,070 disorder at all times. Things fall apart, right? 182 00:08:38,230 --> 00:08:40,830 We know that over time you leave something alone long enough, 183 00:08:41,270 --> 00:08:43,909 rust starts to show up. You leave something alone long 184 00:08:43,909 --> 00:08:47,550 enough, things start to break. This is never God's intention. 185 00:08:47,550 --> 00:08:49,230 This was never his plan or his will. 186 00:08:49,230 --> 00:08:51,510 And yet he brings resurrection out of it. 187 00:08:51,830 --> 00:08:55,310 If Adam hadn't sinned, we don't have the glorious resurrection. 188 00:08:55,550 --> 00:08:57,910 So God's love. We said this last week. 189 00:08:57,910 --> 00:09:01,310 God's love abounds in our sin. Should I go on sinning then? 190 00:09:01,310 --> 00:09:03,270 Of course not. We say I died to sin. 191 00:09:03,470 --> 00:09:04,950 How could I live in it any longer? 192 00:09:05,410 --> 00:09:07,450 The Christian would never say. How much can I get away with? 193 00:09:07,450 --> 00:09:09,570 The Christian says I'm free from that bondage. 194 00:09:09,970 --> 00:09:11,730 I'm free from the bondage of sin. 195 00:09:12,050 --> 00:09:14,290 And I have the utter relief now of holiness. 196 00:09:14,610 --> 00:09:19,010 And though I still sin, I get to confess my sin and be cleansed 197 00:09:19,010 --> 00:09:22,570 from unrighteousness because my heart actually wants Jesus. 198 00:09:22,730 --> 00:09:25,450 I actually want what God wants. This is his design. 199 00:09:25,450 --> 00:09:27,490 This is our perfect. This is his perfect will. 200 00:09:27,770 --> 00:09:30,970 But because of all of the brokenness, we do have a real 201 00:09:30,970 --> 00:09:32,720 enemy. We have death. 202 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:34,960 We've all tasted death. We've all seen death. 203 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:37,920 We've all lost loved ones, some of us very close. 204 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:40,680 We have many mothers in our church who have lost babies, 205 00:09:40,680 --> 00:09:42,440 many fathers who have lost babies. 206 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:46,400 I, for the first time in my life this past year, watched someone 207 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:47,720 die. I was there. 208 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:50,320 I was honored to be at my grandfather's side as he went 209 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:53,080 into glory. But it there was a sweetness to 210 00:09:53,080 --> 00:09:54,600 it. And at the same time it was 211 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:56,680 clearly, I could clearly recognize an enemy. 212 00:09:57,500 --> 00:09:59,420 There was a sweetness because the Lord was with us. 213 00:09:59,580 --> 00:10:02,460 And at the same time, you're just recognizing this is wrong. 214 00:10:02,900 --> 00:10:05,260 It's wrong. There's a wrong thing happening 215 00:10:05,260 --> 00:10:06,380 here. What was the hope? 216 00:10:06,380 --> 00:10:08,460 What was the sweetness of it? Well, the sweetness was a St. 217 00:10:08,460 --> 00:10:10,980 going into glory. And the scripture says that the 218 00:10:10,980 --> 00:10:13,260 death of his Saints is precious in the sight of the Lord. 219 00:10:13,780 --> 00:10:16,060 So there's a sweetness, there's a closeness, there's a nearness. 220 00:10:16,060 --> 00:10:17,380 God is near to the broken hearted. 221 00:10:17,740 --> 00:10:20,420 So all that's real. And yet the Lord says, I'm going 222 00:10:20,420 --> 00:10:23,120 to undo this. So as I watch my grandfather 223 00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:27,160 die, I also knew and had the promise of everlasting life to 224 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:30,320 knew that he won't be left to the grave or, you know, he was 225 00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:33,360 cremated. So the Lord will reconstruct in 226 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:36,840 some glorious fashion something even greater than what was we 227 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:38,000 like? What will he be like? 228 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:40,320 He was 25. Again, that will be a massive 229 00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:43,080 understatement compared to what the scripture reveals for what 230 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:45,680 the resurrected body and the resurrected life is like. 231 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:48,880 You won't be left behind. God loves the physical world. 232 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:51,400 He built it. God doesn't hate things. 233 00:10:51,740 --> 00:10:53,460 God doesn't hate the material world. 234 00:10:53,660 --> 00:10:56,180 This is a foolish idea that Christians have sculpted at 235 00:10:56,180 --> 00:10:58,740 times where we think the physical, if I could just shed 236 00:10:58,740 --> 00:11:01,220 the physical, if I could just shed the physical, God doesn't 237 00:11:01,220 --> 00:11:03,980 hate or condemn the physical. God's going to redeem the 238 00:11:03,980 --> 00:11:06,340 physical. There's there's limitations and 239 00:11:06,340 --> 00:11:08,340 there's problems. God's going to remove all of 240 00:11:08,340 --> 00:11:10,900 those. In resurrection, all things will 241 00:11:10,900 --> 00:11:13,140 be made new. And when it says all things will 242 00:11:13,140 --> 00:11:14,260 be made new, he doesn't mean okay. 243 00:11:14,260 --> 00:11:17,220 We'll start, We'll rewind the tape and it will be in aging 244 00:11:17,220 --> 00:11:18,880 again. That's not what he means. 245 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:20,840 We're not going to rewind the tape and then it will just push 246 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:23,240 play again only to need to be rewound again. 247 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:26,600 That's not the idea of the resurrection of the body or life 248 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:29,240 eternal. The idea is eternal life 249 00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:34,280 presently continuously, Eternity in a moment continuously. 250 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:38,000 So yes, we enjoy length of time, but we enjoy the quality of it 251 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:40,760 as well. Jesus will not let our enemy 252 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:44,080 death get away with it. God hates it. 253 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:46,000 He hates death. That's why he beat it. 254 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:48,960 That's why Jesus owned it. That's why Jesus beat death. 255 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:50,720 How do you beat death with resurrection? 256 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:53,800 He tasted it. He drank the full cup and then 257 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:57,480 still he rose victorious. Jesus has the first word. 258 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:00,800 Jesus has the last word because he is the word. 259 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:03,720 He says. I am the Alpha, I am the Omega. 260 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:06,200 I am the beginning. I am the end. 261 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:08,720 There's nothing too great. There's nothing too difficult 262 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:10,360 for him. You really believe that? 263 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:13,360 Some Jewish guy. 2000 years? Yes. 264 00:12:14,070 --> 00:12:15,470 Yes. Is it in the Bible? 265 00:12:15,470 --> 00:12:17,670 Count me in. You really think that this fish 266 00:12:17,670 --> 00:12:20,110 swallowed this guy? Yeah, Yeah. 267 00:12:20,230 --> 00:12:23,350 Is that so hard to believe? Not if you know who God is. 268 00:12:23,630 --> 00:12:27,230 When you believe in a God, when you believe in the living one, 269 00:12:27,230 --> 00:12:30,510 the all powerful one, all the other stuff becomes ridiculously 270 00:12:30,510 --> 00:12:33,750 simple and very easy. He's how can he defy the laws of 271 00:12:33,750 --> 00:12:35,030 physics? Because he invented them. 272 00:12:35,030 --> 00:12:38,190 He can do whatever he wants. He doesn't operate within the 273 00:12:38,190 --> 00:12:39,990 limitations that you and I are stuck in. 274 00:12:40,380 --> 00:12:43,940 He put us inside of time. He put us inside of space. 275 00:12:44,260 --> 00:12:47,820 He put us inside of matter. He's not limited by any of this. 276 00:12:47,820 --> 00:12:50,500 He's outside of it. He invented in the beginning. 277 00:12:51,180 --> 00:12:54,300 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 278 00:12:54,300 --> 00:12:56,340 What do we see there? We see space. 279 00:12:56,340 --> 00:12:57,620 We see time. We see matter. 280 00:12:57,620 --> 00:13:00,700 Those were created things. My mind can't grasp any of this, 281 00:13:01,020 --> 00:13:02,780 and the scripture doesn't tell me that it will. 282 00:13:03,100 --> 00:13:06,020 The Scripture doesn't say God has placed eternity in the minds 283 00:13:06,020 --> 00:13:09,420 of man, but it does say God has placed eternity in the heart of 284 00:13:09,420 --> 00:13:11,500 man. This is why you and I have these 285 00:13:11,500 --> 00:13:14,620 endless longings that are not fulfilled on the earth. 286 00:13:14,940 --> 00:13:16,580 It was CS Lewis who said something. 287 00:13:16,860 --> 00:13:21,420 He said the the only logical explanation for for the things 288 00:13:21,420 --> 00:13:24,100 that I feel is I I have this drive. 289 00:13:24,100 --> 00:13:26,900 I have this desire for things that this world can never 290 00:13:26,900 --> 00:13:29,060 satisfy. The only logical explanation is 291 00:13:29,060 --> 00:13:30,300 there something beyond this world. 292 00:13:30,940 --> 00:13:33,020 That's the only logical explanation because I am 293 00:13:33,020 --> 00:13:35,940 insatiable in my desire for something. 294 00:13:36,260 --> 00:13:39,590 Until I come to the Lord, Until the Lord comes to me, I'm 295 00:13:39,590 --> 00:13:42,270 unsatisfied. And even still, though we walk 296 00:13:42,270 --> 00:13:45,510 with him, we do long for the day when our faith becomes sight. 297 00:13:46,030 --> 00:13:49,150 We long for that moment. I had a dream the other day. 298 00:13:49,310 --> 00:13:51,150 I don't even believe it was a dream from the Lord because it 299 00:13:51,150 --> 00:13:53,270 was like, weird. And, well, there's plenty of 300 00:13:53,270 --> 00:13:54,870 dreams that can come from Lord that are weird. 301 00:13:55,110 --> 00:13:56,950 We know that from Scripture. But I won't get it. 302 00:13:56,990 --> 00:14:00,070 I don't believe it was a supernatural meeting with the 303 00:14:00,070 --> 00:14:01,190 Lord. You know, I could have met 304 00:14:01,190 --> 00:14:03,070 Dwayne the Rob Johnson in a dream. 305 00:14:03,070 --> 00:14:06,150 And you know, that doesn't mean that the Lord wanted me to do 306 00:14:06,150 --> 00:14:08,960 that. But in my dream, I met Jesus and 307 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:11,920 it was just such a simple and joyful thing, and it wasn't very 308 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:12,960 long. You know how dreams are. 309 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:15,600 As soon as you wake up and you try and remember, it's like it 310 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:18,920 vanishes right away. But it was just such a a sweet 311 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:20,960 and glorious thing. All I did was fall down at his 312 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:23,160 feet because somebody else was like, that's Jesus. 313 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:26,080 So I went and dove down at his feet and I'm just crying right 314 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:28,120 away, but I'm looking for his wounds to make sure because I 315 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:30,840 was like, is this really him? And he showed me they were in 316 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:32,760 like a weird spot and I didn't understand it all. 317 00:14:33,080 --> 00:14:37,870 So but he showed me I was like, it was such a deep satisfaction, 318 00:14:37,870 --> 00:14:41,430 such an ultimate fulfillment. He wants our joy to be complete. 319 00:14:41,430 --> 00:14:44,670 That's why he says, I'm going to bring you to me if it if this 320 00:14:44,670 --> 00:14:47,030 was as good as it gets and if this was as good as it needed to 321 00:14:47,030 --> 00:14:49,590 be, then he would leave it as it is and say, hey, this is how I 322 00:14:49,590 --> 00:14:52,350 want it to be. And I and I always want you to 323 00:14:52,550 --> 00:14:55,350 to be at a distance. But as we're going to see later, 324 00:14:55,790 --> 00:14:58,990 that's not how he wants things. That's not how he leaves things. 325 00:14:59,790 --> 00:15:01,670 Let's keep going here. Y'all, y'all are going too slow 326 00:15:01,670 --> 00:15:02,790 this morning. We need to move along. 327 00:15:03,340 --> 00:15:07,420 Verse 32. Oh I need. 328 00:15:07,420 --> 00:15:09,180 I want to keep reading from verse 32. 329 00:15:09,300 --> 00:15:13,420 So yeah, verse 32, he says. What do I gain, Paul? 330 00:15:13,420 --> 00:15:15,980 Again what do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with the 331 00:15:15,980 --> 00:15:19,020 beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, he's 332 00:15:19,020 --> 00:15:21,140 saying if the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink for 333 00:15:21,140 --> 00:15:23,620 tomorrow we die for Do not be deceived. 334 00:15:23,620 --> 00:15:27,140 Bad company, ruins, good morals. Wake up from your drunken 335 00:15:27,140 --> 00:15:30,860 stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning for some. 336 00:15:30,860 --> 00:15:34,380 Have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame, Paul. 337 00:15:34,380 --> 00:15:35,380 That doesn't sound very Christian. 338 00:15:35,380 --> 00:15:36,660 You're not supposed to shame people, are you? 339 00:15:36,860 --> 00:15:37,940 No. There's a loving shame. 340 00:15:37,940 --> 00:15:41,340 There's a healthy shame not to condemn endlessly into the abyss 341 00:15:41,340 --> 00:15:44,700 of despair, but to restore. I want to shame you. 342 00:15:44,700 --> 00:15:46,340 To restore you. Hey, knock it off. 343 00:15:46,340 --> 00:15:47,220 That's bad. That's gross. 344 00:15:47,220 --> 00:15:48,820 That's dirty. You made me feel bad about 345 00:15:48,820 --> 00:15:49,860 myself. Good. 346 00:15:50,460 --> 00:15:52,140 Come on, up higher. There's a better way. 347 00:15:52,140 --> 00:15:55,430 There's a better place. Welcome to being loved verse 35. 348 00:15:55,590 --> 00:15:57,790 But someone will ask, how are the dead rays? 349 00:15:57,910 --> 00:16:00,070 With what kind of body do they come? 350 00:16:00,790 --> 00:16:04,590 You foolish person. What you sow does not become, 351 00:16:04,590 --> 00:16:07,750 does not come to life unless it dies sowing and reaping. 352 00:16:07,750 --> 00:16:11,590 We're thinking about seeds now, and what you sow is not the body 353 00:16:11,590 --> 00:16:15,030 that is to be but a bear kernel, perhaps of wheat or some other 354 00:16:15,030 --> 00:16:17,630 kind of grain. But God gives it a body as He 355 00:16:17,630 --> 00:16:20,910 has chosen. And each and to each it's kind 356 00:16:21,070 --> 00:16:24,500 of seed its own body. For not all flesh is the same, 357 00:16:24,740 --> 00:16:27,780 but there is one kind of flesh for humans, another for animals, 358 00:16:27,780 --> 00:16:29,380 another for birds, and another for fish. 359 00:16:29,660 --> 00:16:31,740 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. 360 00:16:32,020 --> 00:16:35,060 But the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of 361 00:16:35,060 --> 00:16:39,460 the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun 362 00:16:39,460 --> 00:16:42,580 and another glory of the moon and another glory of the stars. 363 00:16:42,740 --> 00:16:44,780 For star differs from star and glory. 364 00:16:45,100 --> 00:16:47,540 So it is with the resurrection of the dead. 365 00:16:48,060 --> 00:16:51,060 What is sown is perishable. He's making. 366 00:16:51,530 --> 00:16:53,770 He's comparing our body to a seed. 367 00:16:54,090 --> 00:16:56,290 We put a seed in the ground. Seeds are not impressive 368 00:16:56,610 --> 00:16:58,090 compared to what they're going to produce. 369 00:16:58,210 --> 00:17:01,050 Think about it. You know, we're used to it, you 370 00:17:01,050 --> 00:17:02,210 know? Yeah, you plant that and now the 371 00:17:02,210 --> 00:17:04,290 plant shows up. But that's crazy, right? 372 00:17:04,650 --> 00:17:06,730 If you look, you show a little child a seed. 373 00:17:06,730 --> 00:17:08,410 The first time in kindergarten, you're like, we're going to 374 00:17:08,410 --> 00:17:10,770 plant this and like, what's what can that do? 375 00:17:11,170 --> 00:17:13,290 It's a little Pebble. It's a rock. 376 00:17:13,650 --> 00:17:16,050 And now this thing begins to emerge in Acorn. 377 00:17:16,290 --> 00:17:18,490 OK, it's neat. It has a little hat on that 378 00:17:18,490 --> 00:17:21,540 looks cool, but Can you imagine what it could be in 100 years? 379 00:17:21,540 --> 00:17:23,380 Of course you can't. You can't. 380 00:17:23,380 --> 00:17:25,260 You would never have any idea it. 381 00:17:25,300 --> 00:17:28,780 It has to go down and die. And now something else. 382 00:17:28,780 --> 00:17:29,220 What? What? 383 00:17:29,220 --> 00:17:30,580 What? Like a bigger acorn? 384 00:17:30,620 --> 00:17:33,100 No. Like a like a more colorful 385 00:17:33,100 --> 00:17:35,780 acorn. No, dude, it's it's it's more 386 00:17:35,780 --> 00:17:38,180 glorious. So we think about our body going 387 00:17:38,180 --> 00:17:39,580 down into the ground. What's going to come up? 388 00:17:39,700 --> 00:17:42,100 Am I going to be, like, 25 again in the resurrection? 389 00:17:42,460 --> 00:17:45,300 First of all, I don't know. Second of all, it's going to be 390 00:17:45,300 --> 00:17:47,620 far more glorious than the thing that gets planted. 391 00:17:47,990 --> 00:17:50,390 It's going to be you, and yet it's going to be better. 392 00:17:50,990 --> 00:17:54,390 You know, you put you, a child would never believe, a person 393 00:17:54,390 --> 00:17:57,870 would never believe that the Caterpillar goes into this thing 394 00:17:57,870 --> 00:18:00,190 and spins itself tight. You're like, is it just going to 395 00:18:00,190 --> 00:18:02,630 go die now and like, know something crazy is going to 396 00:18:02,630 --> 00:18:04,070 happen? Like what? 397 00:18:04,070 --> 00:18:06,230 It's going to be a bigger Caterpillar when he comes out. 398 00:18:06,230 --> 00:18:10,310 No, no. This beautiful winged creature 399 00:18:10,430 --> 00:18:12,470 is going to be flying and fluttering around now. 400 00:18:12,710 --> 00:18:15,950 It's it goes in to die. A glorious resurrection comes 401 00:18:15,950 --> 00:18:18,700 out of it. Something bigger, something 402 00:18:18,700 --> 00:18:20,900 better. There's a glorious resurrection. 403 00:18:21,100 --> 00:18:23,620 Verse 42. So it is with the resurrection 404 00:18:23,620 --> 00:18:26,660 of the dead. What is sown is perishable, but 405 00:18:26,660 --> 00:18:30,740 what is raised is imperishable. So our body can die, but our 406 00:18:30,740 --> 00:18:32,740 resurrected body is imperishable. 407 00:18:32,740 --> 00:18:34,900 It'll live forever. It is sown in dishonor. 408 00:18:34,940 --> 00:18:38,020 It is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness. 409 00:18:38,140 --> 00:18:41,840 It is raised in power. It is sown a natural body. 410 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:45,000 It is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, 411 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:48,000 there's also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, The first 412 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:52,040 man, Adam became a living being. The last man, Adam, the last 413 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:55,480 atom, became a life giving spirit who's the last atom? 414 00:18:56,600 --> 00:19:00,840 Jesus. But it is not the spiritual that 415 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:03,560 is at first, but the natural and then the spiritual. 416 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:06,480 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust. 417 00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:11,050 The 2nd man is from heaven, as was the man of dust. 418 00:19:11,170 --> 00:19:13,370 So also are those who are of the dust. 419 00:19:13,570 --> 00:19:15,690 So we're like Adam. All of us are like Adam. 420 00:19:15,850 --> 00:19:17,370 He's from the dust. We're from the dust. 421 00:19:17,490 --> 00:19:22,370 Limited, broken, fallen, And as is the man of heaven, so also 422 00:19:22,370 --> 00:19:25,930 are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image 423 00:19:25,970 --> 00:19:29,370 of the man that is of dust, we also shall bear the image of the 424 00:19:29,370 --> 00:19:30,970 man of heaven. Praise God. 425 00:19:31,210 --> 00:19:35,650 So right now we're very we're acute, acutely aware of how we 426 00:19:35,650 --> 00:19:38,010 bear the image of Adam. We feel that. 427 00:19:38,010 --> 00:19:40,640 We see that all the time and our temptation to sin. 428 00:19:41,120 --> 00:19:44,840 Even as people who love the Lord Jesus Christ in our fallen 429 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:48,440 nature, in our flesh, it still has temptation or unrenewed 430 00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:50,320 mind. We still see brokenness. 431 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:52,320 We still see death. We still cry tears. 432 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:55,840 We still feel pain. These bodies are wearing out. 433 00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:58,880 The older we get, the more we realize this, the younger you 434 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:00,800 are, the more you think it's no big deal. 435 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:03,600 I'm a middle-aged man now and I realize man, like. 436 00:20:04,110 --> 00:20:06,310 I went to sleep last night. How did I wake up? 437 00:20:06,310 --> 00:20:07,830 In worse shape than when I went to sleep? 438 00:20:07,990 --> 00:20:10,030 Like I felt good when I got in the bed. 439 00:20:10,350 --> 00:20:12,430 You would think that sleeping all night would make me feel 440 00:20:12,430 --> 00:20:14,790 better. But now my neck is, like, 441 00:20:14,950 --> 00:20:16,990 bothering me. You know what's up with these 442 00:20:16,990 --> 00:20:19,030 pillows? Or what did you do to me while I 443 00:20:19,030 --> 00:20:19,950 was asleep? Natalie. 444 00:20:21,310 --> 00:20:22,950 And then I'm. I'm told that it doesn't get 445 00:20:22,950 --> 00:20:26,630 much better as you age. So this outward man is perishing 446 00:20:27,270 --> 00:20:30,630 day by day, but the inward man is being renewed day by day. 447 00:20:30,630 --> 00:20:32,870 But the Lord is not going to leave these bodies behind. 448 00:20:33,350 --> 00:20:35,830 His brokenness is not normal, although it's common. 449 00:20:36,070 --> 00:20:38,430 He says it's going to. I'm going to put it into it and 450 00:20:38,430 --> 00:20:43,270 I'm going to restore all things. In verse 32 you see Paul, he 451 00:20:43,270 --> 00:20:46,110 sarcastically. He sarcastically points out if 452 00:20:46,110 --> 00:20:49,750 this is as good as it gets, then just focus on physical pleasure. 453 00:20:50,950 --> 00:20:53,630 If you're not an immortal, then you may as well just get it, get 454 00:20:53,630 --> 00:20:54,710 get it. While the getting is good. 455 00:20:55,110 --> 00:20:56,670 Focus on the most that you can get. 456 00:20:56,670 --> 00:20:59,270 If there's no resurrection of the dead, if if we're truly 457 00:20:59,270 --> 00:21:02,860 going to be left behind, then there's no reason that you 458 00:21:02,860 --> 00:21:05,820 shouldn't pursue all physical pleasure possible. 459 00:21:05,820 --> 00:21:08,460 But the resurrection of the body is practical. 460 00:21:08,700 --> 00:21:11,100 If you believe your body will be raised from the dead and 461 00:21:11,100 --> 00:21:14,580 glorified, you will live differently in this body. 462 00:21:15,300 --> 00:21:17,620 You'll care for it differently. You'll think about it 463 00:21:17,620 --> 00:21:19,780 differently. You'll practice resurrection 464 00:21:19,780 --> 00:21:21,660 daily, like Jesus commands you to. 465 00:21:21,860 --> 00:21:24,660 This is why he says in verse 34, stop sinning. 466 00:21:25,550 --> 00:21:26,910 Why does that? Why is that in the middle of 467 00:21:26,910 --> 00:21:28,550 this whole section, you'll be raised from the day. 468 00:21:28,550 --> 00:21:30,190 You'll be raised from the day. You'll be raised from the day. 469 00:21:30,190 --> 00:21:31,870 You'll be raised from the dead. Stop sinning. 470 00:21:32,150 --> 00:21:33,790 You'll be raised from the dead. What does that have to do with 471 00:21:33,790 --> 00:21:36,190 anything? How would how would that relate? 472 00:21:36,190 --> 00:21:37,870 How does that tie in? Why was he? 473 00:21:37,870 --> 00:21:39,270 Why would he bring this rebuke in it? 474 00:21:39,830 --> 00:21:43,190 We're to lay down our cross daily and we're resurrected by 475 00:21:43,190 --> 00:21:44,990 the Holy Spirit. Like we said, even though the 476 00:21:44,990 --> 00:21:48,590 outward man is perishing, the inward man is being renewed day 477 00:21:48,710 --> 00:21:51,380 by day. Our body is the seed. 478 00:21:51,500 --> 00:21:54,220 It goes in like an acorn. What can this really do? 479 00:21:54,220 --> 00:21:56,020 But it has an incredible resurrection. 480 00:21:56,260 --> 00:21:57,860 Put a strawberry seed into the ground. 481 00:21:58,340 --> 00:22:00,420 Tiny. What can this actually do? 482 00:22:00,540 --> 00:22:02,820 But later, this is going to be something beautiful and 483 00:22:02,820 --> 00:22:05,740 something delicious. One day they were going to put 484 00:22:06,100 --> 00:22:09,540 our bodies into the ground, but what will come later will be far 485 00:22:09,540 --> 00:22:11,100 more glorious than we ever have now. 486 00:22:12,340 --> 00:22:16,900 It's a morbid thought unless you believe in the resurrection, to 487 00:22:16,900 --> 00:22:19,300 realize that this thing's going to decay. 488 00:22:19,830 --> 00:22:22,110 That's why the that's why the funeral business is the way it 489 00:22:22,110 --> 00:22:23,230 is. Like we're going to preserve 490 00:22:23,230 --> 00:22:25,070 you. Your body's going to last. 491 00:22:25,070 --> 00:22:26,990 You're going to be in a casket which is going to be in another 492 00:22:26,990 --> 00:22:30,910 casket like because I don't like the thought of my body decaying, 493 00:22:30,950 --> 00:22:33,190 right. People don't like it for all of 494 00:22:33,190 --> 00:22:34,270 human history. That's what happened. 495 00:22:34,270 --> 00:22:37,590 You just put them in the ground and or or you got a tomb if 496 00:22:37,590 --> 00:22:39,670 you're really fancy. But I don't like the thought of 497 00:22:39,670 --> 00:22:42,510 that decay. Well it's common for everybody 498 00:22:43,190 --> 00:22:45,270 if. Unless, unless the Lord comes. 499 00:22:45,710 --> 00:22:48,880 But if he tarries another thousand years, you and I, these 500 00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:51,080 are going to be skeletons. These are going to be bones. 501 00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:52,560 I don't. That's not very pleasant. 502 00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:54,960 But you're not left behind. To be absent from the body will 503 00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:57,520 be to be present with the Lord. And then, at the glorious 504 00:22:57,520 --> 00:22:59,800 resurrection, all things will be totally restored. 505 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:01,800 What does it look like? We don't know. 506 00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:03,920 Right now we see through a glass dimly. 507 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:07,760 We can't quite tell, but we know it's far more glorious than what 508 00:23:07,760 --> 00:23:11,780 we can imagine. God cares about the body. 509 00:23:11,780 --> 00:23:13,260 He cares about the physical world. 510 00:23:13,260 --> 00:23:15,380 He made you. He called you good. 511 00:23:15,580 --> 00:23:17,380 We don't despise the material world. 512 00:23:17,380 --> 00:23:19,620 And yet he is still going to make all things new. 513 00:23:20,860 --> 00:23:25,420 And then, just as we shared in Adam's death, we shared his 514 00:23:25,540 --> 00:23:27,860 death, we shared his sin, we shared his decay, his 515 00:23:27,860 --> 00:23:29,860 brokenness. Even so, we will share in 516 00:23:29,900 --> 00:23:33,700 Jesus's life Jesus's holiness. Jesus is righteousness, Jesus's 517 00:23:33,700 --> 00:23:39,280 glory and Jesus's wholeness. Flesh cannot receive all that 518 00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:42,560 God has intended for us, which is why, as he points out in 519 00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:44,640 verse 51, he says we will all be changed. 520 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:47,920 I'll read to you in verse 50. I tell you this, Brothers, flesh 521 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:50,800 and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, nor does the 522 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:52,920 perishable inherit the the imperishable. 523 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:56,470 Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we 524 00:23:56,470 --> 00:23:59,510 shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at 525 00:23:59,510 --> 00:24:01,990 the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and 526 00:24:01,990 --> 00:24:04,670 the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be 527 00:24:04,670 --> 00:24:07,110 changed. For this perishable body must 528 00:24:07,110 --> 00:24:10,110 put on the imperishable, and the mortal body must put on 529 00:24:10,270 --> 00:24:12,710 immortality. When the perishable puts on the 530 00:24:12,710 --> 00:24:15,830 imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall 531 00:24:15,830 --> 00:24:19,230 come to pass the saying which is written, Death is swallowed up 532 00:24:19,230 --> 00:24:21,670 in victory. Oh, death, where's your victory? 533 00:24:21,670 --> 00:24:24,310 Oh death, oh grave, where is your sting? 534 00:24:25,810 --> 00:24:29,690 This is good news for us Saints. You're immortal. 535 00:24:30,170 --> 00:24:32,850 Every person you ever interacted with is an immortal being. 536 00:24:34,130 --> 00:24:35,810 There's no such thing as a mere immortal. 537 00:24:36,290 --> 00:24:38,730 Everybody matters. Everyone has been made in the 538 00:24:38,730 --> 00:24:41,170 image of God, and it means something and it counts for 539 00:24:41,170 --> 00:24:43,250 something. And because you know that you'll 540 00:24:43,250 --> 00:24:45,970 be raised up, you. The work that you do for the 541 00:24:45,970 --> 00:24:47,870 Lord, you know isn't for nothing. 542 00:24:47,990 --> 00:24:49,830 You know that what you do in your body matters. 543 00:24:49,830 --> 00:24:51,470 What you do with your body matters. 544 00:24:51,630 --> 00:24:53,510 What you do to your body matters. 545 00:24:53,590 --> 00:24:56,550 What you allow for your body matters because it's God's 546 00:24:56,550 --> 00:24:59,550 temple, and it is your offering that you lay on the altar for 547 00:24:59,550 --> 00:25:01,550 God. Well, it's just my body. 548 00:25:01,950 --> 00:25:05,590 Careful, it's not. It's the temple of God. 549 00:25:05,590 --> 00:25:07,110 It's his. Everything's his. 550 00:25:07,630 --> 00:25:10,950 Everything's his. So I want to lay this on the 551 00:25:10,950 --> 00:25:11,870 altar. How? 552 00:25:11,870 --> 00:25:13,310 In every way. That's why we're called, to be a 553 00:25:13,310 --> 00:25:15,470 living sacrifice. If I don't take up my cross and 554 00:25:15,470 --> 00:25:18,390 follow him, I'm not worthy to be His disciple, is what Jesus 555 00:25:18,390 --> 00:25:21,350 says. The body will be raised. 556 00:25:21,430 --> 00:25:25,190 And now let's keep talking and dig in here in our last on the 557 00:25:25,190 --> 00:25:28,310 back end of things as as we look at the life everlasting. 558 00:25:29,030 --> 00:25:31,390 I want to point out first of all that life everlasting is not 559 00:25:31,390 --> 00:25:34,830 just that eternal timeline that's included. 560 00:25:34,990 --> 00:25:36,430 But that's not all we're talking about. 561 00:25:36,590 --> 00:25:38,870 Life everlasting is not just. I can't die. 562 00:25:39,610 --> 00:25:40,770 That would feel a bit like a trap. 563 00:25:40,770 --> 00:25:43,290 I would think Walking down an endless hallway that you can't 564 00:25:43,290 --> 00:25:44,890 escape from. It's just welcome to the 565 00:25:44,890 --> 00:25:46,130 hallway. You can never die. 566 00:25:46,130 --> 00:25:49,290 Like somebody please shoot me. I'd like to escape this. 567 00:25:49,490 --> 00:25:50,770 Like, no, you get to live forever. 568 00:25:50,770 --> 00:25:52,490 Aren't you happy? Well, no. 569 00:25:53,050 --> 00:25:54,850 Because I didn't want just duration. 570 00:25:54,850 --> 00:25:56,370 I didn't just want length of time. 571 00:25:56,650 --> 00:25:58,570 I wanted the quality. I wanted the joy. 572 00:25:58,730 --> 00:26:01,770 More importantly, I want him. He is the reward. 573 00:26:01,850 --> 00:26:05,220 But the scriptures make clear that everlasting life, although 574 00:26:05,220 --> 00:26:08,460 our English translation usually summarizes it, eternal or 575 00:26:08,460 --> 00:26:10,940 everlasting. We think about a timeline, but 576 00:26:10,940 --> 00:26:13,020 there's multiple things communicated in the original 577 00:26:13,020 --> 00:26:15,380 language that all the original hearers and readers would have 578 00:26:15,380 --> 00:26:18,580 understood. It's a glorious wholeness packed 579 00:26:18,580 --> 00:26:21,460 into everything. It's all there so that we're 580 00:26:21,460 --> 00:26:24,860 talking about a quality of flourishing, A thriving life not 581 00:26:24,860 --> 00:26:28,460 just limited by length of time. Go to Revelation, Chapter 21, 582 00:26:33,930 --> 00:26:41,910 Revelation 21. We're going to rejoice over 583 00:26:41,910 --> 00:26:45,950 these verses and we're going to close by reciting the creed here 584 00:26:45,950 --> 00:26:48,270 in a few minutes, and then we're going to enjoy communion 585 00:26:48,270 --> 00:26:51,350 together. First chapter 21, verse one. 586 00:26:51,550 --> 00:26:55,470 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the 1st heaven and 587 00:26:55,470 --> 00:26:58,150 the first earth had passed away and the sea was no more. 588 00:26:58,310 --> 00:27:01,190 And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of 589 00:27:01,190 --> 00:27:03,830 heaven from God, prepared as a bride for her husband. 590 00:27:04,150 --> 00:27:06,790 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, behold, the 591 00:27:06,790 --> 00:27:08,590 dwelling place of God is with man. 592 00:27:08,790 --> 00:27:14,710 He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God 593 00:27:14,710 --> 00:27:17,590 himself will be with them as their God. 594 00:27:17,910 --> 00:27:21,350 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall 595 00:27:21,350 --> 00:27:23,750 be no more. Neither shall there be mourning, 596 00:27:23,870 --> 00:27:27,550 nor crying, nor pain anymore. For the former things have 597 00:27:27,550 --> 00:27:30,390 passed away. Be comforted, Saints, This is 598 00:27:30,390 --> 00:27:32,670 good and glorious news, and this is coming for you. 599 00:27:32,910 --> 00:27:34,950 This is your future. This is what you can expect in 600 00:27:34,950 --> 00:27:36,670 Christ. Your God is good. 601 00:27:37,130 --> 00:27:40,210 You use your wildest imagination to imagine the the goodness of 602 00:27:40,210 --> 00:27:42,890 God and you won't come close. It won't be enough. 603 00:27:43,250 --> 00:27:46,770 God is better than you think. Your faith will be sight. 604 00:27:46,770 --> 00:27:49,330 Your God will dwell with you. Your God and Father will 605 00:27:49,330 --> 00:27:53,250 personally wipe tears from your cheeks. 606 00:27:55,250 --> 00:27:57,850 He will comfort you. He will reassure you and give 607 00:27:57,850 --> 00:28:00,930 you the new creation as He joins us in it. 608 00:28:00,930 --> 00:28:02,570 World without end. Amen. 609 00:28:04,450 --> 00:28:05,930 Verse five. We'll keep going here. 610 00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:10,800 And he who is seated on the throne said, Behold, I am making 611 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:14,600 all things new. Also he said, write this down, 612 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:16,480 for these words are trustworthy and true. 613 00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:20,520 And to me. And he said to me it is done. 614 00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:23,920 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. 615 00:28:24,040 --> 00:28:27,720 To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life 616 00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:30,080 without payment. The one who conquers will have 617 00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:32,960 this heritage. I will be his God and he will be 618 00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:35,560 my son. I am making all things new. 619 00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:38,640 Jesus is bringing his resurrection power to his entire 620 00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:40,360 universe. When he says all things, he 621 00:28:40,360 --> 00:28:42,800 means it. There's nothing outside of his 622 00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:45,200 creation. So all of space and whatever 623 00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:48,600 space is expanding into which I suppose is God himself, He's 624 00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:50,760 making all things new. He's resurrecting everything. 625 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:53,280 Adam broke it. Jesus is healing it. 626 00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:55,520 He is restoring it and making it all new. 627 00:28:57,160 --> 00:29:01,040 And at this time he's going to perfect everything forever. 628 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:05,310 That's why he says it is done. If you're thirsty, he'll give 629 00:29:05,310 --> 00:29:08,550 you the water of life. Your Father and my Father 630 00:29:08,550 --> 00:29:10,830 Church, your God and my God. They're really going to be with 631 00:29:10,830 --> 00:29:15,070 us. And we can't even begin to 632 00:29:15,070 --> 00:29:18,950 imagine how sweet it's going to be as we walk with the Lord, as 633 00:29:18,950 --> 00:29:22,870 we enjoy all the Saints, as we enjoy the the heavenly city. 634 00:29:23,230 --> 00:29:24,910 Read, Read The END of Revelation. 635 00:29:25,300 --> 00:29:26,860 Encourage your heart. A lot of times people read the 636 00:29:26,860 --> 00:29:29,780 middle of Revelation, like, what's this dragon eating this 637 00:29:29,780 --> 00:29:31,500 baby? Like, what's happening here? 638 00:29:31,500 --> 00:29:33,420 Like, there's plenty of questions, there's plenty of 639 00:29:33,420 --> 00:29:35,300 Revelation. That's up for debate, and 640 00:29:35,300 --> 00:29:36,500 Christians love to fight about it. 641 00:29:37,420 --> 00:29:39,580 But it's sweet because you got the first couple chapters of 642 00:29:39,580 --> 00:29:42,660 Revelation where everybody's in unity, like, OK, this is plain. 643 00:29:42,900 --> 00:29:45,500 And then the last few chapters of Revelation, everybody goes, 644 00:29:45,740 --> 00:29:48,420 This is also plain, like, it's going to be good. 645 00:29:48,820 --> 00:29:51,260 There's no debate there. It's going to be really, really 646 00:29:51,260 --> 00:29:53,040 good. We're going to be resurrected. 647 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:54,640 We're going to live with our God forever. 648 00:29:54,880 --> 00:29:57,200 The Lamb is going to get all the praise, all the glory and all 649 00:29:57,200 --> 00:29:59,360 the honor. And we will praise His name 650 00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:03,320 forever. Look in verse 22 of of chapter 651 00:30:03,320 --> 00:30:06,800 21. And I saw no temple in the city, 652 00:30:07,880 --> 00:30:11,680 for its temple is the Lord God, the Almighty and the Lamb. 653 00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:15,840 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it. 654 00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:20,200 For the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 655 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:23,840 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth 656 00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:27,040 will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut 657 00:30:27,040 --> 00:30:29,120 by day, and there will be no night there. 658 00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:32,520 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the 659 00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:34,920 nations. But nothing unclean will ever 660 00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:38,720 enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but 661 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:41,680 only those who are written in the Lambs Book of Life. 662 00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:46,960 We'll look here in in chapter 22 as well, versus one through 5. 663 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:49,680 Then the Angel showed me the river of the water of life, 664 00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:52,840 bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and from the 665 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:55,640 Lamb, through the middle of the street of the city, also on 666 00:30:55,640 --> 00:30:58,920 either side of the river, the tree of the Tree of Life, with 667 00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:03,200 its twelve kinds of fruit yielding its fruit each month. 668 00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:06,880 The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nation's. 669 00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:11,100 No longer will there be anything accursed that the throne of God 670 00:31:11,260 --> 00:31:14,060 and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship 671 00:31:14,060 --> 00:31:16,180 him. They will see his face, and his 672 00:31:16,180 --> 00:31:19,460 name will be on their foreheads, and night will be no more, and 673 00:31:19,460 --> 00:31:23,220 they will need no light, no light or lamp or sun. 674 00:31:23,380 --> 00:31:26,300 For the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign 675 00:31:26,380 --> 00:31:28,780 forever and ever. Verse 12. 676 00:31:29,900 --> 00:31:32,980 Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me 677 00:31:33,140 --> 00:31:34,940 to repay each one for what he has done. 678 00:31:35,100 --> 00:31:38,700 I am the alpha and Omega, the 1st and the last, the beginning 679 00:31:38,780 --> 00:31:41,220 and the end. Verse 17 The Spirit and the 680 00:31:41,220 --> 00:31:45,460 bride say, come, and let the one who hears say, come, and let the 681 00:31:45,460 --> 00:31:48,860 one who is thirsty come, and let the one who desires to take the 682 00:31:48,860 --> 00:31:54,680 water of life without price. Verse 20 and 21 He who testifies 683 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:58,120 to these things says, surely I am coming soon. 684 00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:02,120 Amen. Come Lord Jesus, the grace of 685 00:32:02,120 --> 00:32:09,080 the Lord Jesus, be with all. Amen the life everlasting that 686 00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:12,120 we believe in. When we say, I believe in the 687 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:15,320 everlasting life or I believe in the eternal life, it is the full 688 00:32:15,320 --> 00:32:18,080 life, It is the abundant life. It is the thriving life with God 689 00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:21,680 Himself, who has pleasures at His right hand forevermore. 690 00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:25,400 You are an eternal being, and because of Jesus is sacrificing 691 00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:27,960 your faith in Him. You will live in endless length, 692 00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:31,360 but equally important, you will live with endless joy. 693 00:32:31,920 --> 00:32:33,800 I believe in the resurrection of the body. 694 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:35,640 I believe in the life everlasting. 695 00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:39,600 And that's good news, because I know who my God is, I know His 696 00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:42,280 nature, I know His character, and you do as well. 697 00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:45,520 And then that brings us to the very last word in the Creed, the 698 00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:49,760 Amen or the Amen, depending on how we're feeling on that 699 00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:54,230 particular day. So Amen is not the period on the 700 00:32:54,230 --> 00:32:57,950 end of prayer. Amen is simply saying truly. 701 00:32:58,430 --> 00:33:01,950 Amen is saying, I believe, Amen is saying, so be it. 702 00:33:01,950 --> 00:33:05,150 Amen is saying, it is done. So This is why we say it to 703 00:33:05,150 --> 00:33:07,270 close prayer. And This is why you can say it 704 00:33:07,270 --> 00:33:10,790 when you hear the word of God preached, when when you agree or 705 00:33:10,790 --> 00:33:14,190 when you believe or when you receive, you can go, Yes, you're 706 00:33:14,190 --> 00:33:16,870 saying it's true, it's right, it's good. 707 00:33:17,070 --> 00:33:20,070 You're putting your hearty faith into something. 708 00:33:21,140 --> 00:33:23,180 So now we're going to recite the creed together. 709 00:33:23,180 --> 00:33:25,980 Let's stand. We're going to do it with joy. 710 00:33:25,980 --> 00:33:27,260 We're going to do it with boldness. 711 00:33:27,260 --> 00:33:30,140 We're going to do it with faith. I think I did. 712 00:33:30,140 --> 00:33:33,660 I turn that off. Okay, I messed this up then. 713 00:33:33,660 --> 00:33:37,740 And then we're going to receive communion together. 714 00:33:38,420 --> 00:33:40,780 So like I said, if you have Boxer, I dropped it in there 715 00:33:45,690 --> 00:33:48,130 with joy. I believe in God the Father 716 00:33:48,130 --> 00:33:50,690 Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. 717 00:33:51,170 --> 00:33:55,250 I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was 718 00:33:55,250 --> 00:33:59,090 conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. 719 00:33:59,490 --> 00:34:03,650 He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and 720 00:34:03,650 --> 00:34:06,010 was buried. He descended to hell. 721 00:34:06,450 --> 00:34:08,929 The third day He rose again from the dead. 722 00:34:09,409 --> 00:34:13,170 He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God 723 00:34:13,170 --> 00:34:16,630 the Father Almighty. From there he will come to judge 724 00:34:16,630 --> 00:34:19,989 the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, 725 00:34:20,429 --> 00:34:23,870 the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the 726 00:34:23,870 --> 00:34:27,750 forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the 727 00:34:27,750 --> 00:34:30,830 life everlasting. Amen. 728 00:34:31,630 --> 00:34:34,949 Amen. Ah, hey, you may be seated. 729 00:34:34,949 --> 00:34:36,790 We're going to prepare our hearts right now. 730 00:34:37,429 --> 00:34:39,310 Chris and Kayla are going to service the elements.