[0:00] There is a day appointed. Take your Bibles. It's going to be 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians 15. Our very first verse will help us to understand the key to this because we will start in verse 20.
[0:11] If you remember last week we were together. We went verses 1 through 19. We read verse 20 in the context, focusing on the first 19 verses. And last time we were together, we looked at the centrality of the resurrection.
[0:23] I know our kids are going to make their way back there in the back. We were looking at the centrality of the resurrection, how the resurrection is central. Paul says, I delivered unto you that which was of first importance.
[0:34] And he spoke of the resurrection. And he spoke of the reality of it and how central it is to the gospel message. If you remember the early church creed from three to five years after the resurrection, this church creed that we have recorded for us there in the 15th chapter of the resurrection of Christ, looking at the central issue that all of our faith hinges upon that.
[0:58] This morning, as we look at verses 20 through 34, we're going to be looking at the power of the resurrection because not only is the resurrection central to everything which we believe and profess, but it also possesses the power that we are in so desperate need of.
[1:13] So if you are physically able and desire to do so, I'm asking you to join with me as we stand together and we read the word of God in 1 Corinthians, starting in chapter 15, starting in verse 20. And we'll go down to verse 34 and then we will pray.
[1:27] Let's catch verse 19 so that we can see the power of verse 20, right? Paul says in verse 19, If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.
[1:40] And verse 20 says, But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.
[1:52] For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive, but each in his own order, Christ the firstfruits. After that, those who are Christ at his coming.
[2:04] And then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when he has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all things, or put all his enemies under his feet.
[2:19] The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For he has put all things in subjection under his feet. But when he says all things are put in subjection, it is evident that he is accepted, who put all things in subjection to him.
[2:33] When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all. Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead?
[2:46] If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them? Why are we also in danger every hour? I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
[3:01] If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. Do not be deceived.
[3:12] Bad company corrupts good morals. Verse 34, become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning. For some have no knowledge of God.
[3:22] I speak this to your shame. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for this day. We thank you for the opportunity which we've had to hear testimony. We thank you for the opportunity which we've had to sing praise.
[3:34] We thank you for the opportunity which we've had even to shed tears and to mourn. But Lord, now as we come to your word, we thank you that the opportunity has presented itself in which we can read it, we can hear it, and we can see it.
[3:45] Lord, as we come to it, we pray that your word would speak to our hearts and our minds, that it would penetrate and overcome every distraction, every stronghold of the enemy which establishes itself in our mind.
[3:56] Lord, we pray that it would be torn down. Lord, we pray that we would come to a greater understanding of your word so that our lives could be adjusted according to it for your glory. And we ask it all in Christ's name. Amen.
[4:07] You may be seated. 1 Corinthians 15, verses 20 through 34, the power of the resurrection. Sure, the resurrection is central to everything which we profess and proclaim.
[4:18] Sure, without the resurrection, a proclamation of faith in Jesus Christ is useless. Sure, without the resurrection, if Christ has not been raised, and we hope in Christ in this life, only we are of all men most to be pitied.
[4:30] When you read history, church history in particular, you understand the reality of that that if Christ has not been raised, then it is vanity of vanities for men to suffer for him.
[4:40] If Christ has not been raised, then it is foolish for men to be persecuted for him. If Christ has not been raised, then it is unspeakable the amount of things which people have borne for the sake of professing the resurrection of Christ.
[4:53] My mind immediately goes, and I know I've shared this account with you one time, to a martyr who was being martyred for the faith. His name escapes me. I could read it a hundred times, and it will still escape me.
[5:04] He's being martyred for the faith. He was in a jail cell with another individual. The individual sitting in the jail cell knew that the next day that this individual was going to be burned at the stake. And he asked him, he said, even today, do you still believe in the resurrected Savior?
[5:17] He said, yes, I believe. He said, will you believe tomorrow when they tie you to the stake? He said, yes, I believe. He said, will you believe when they light the pyre underneath your feet? He said, yes, I believe. He said, if Christ is still real to you, when the flames begin to descend upon your body, give me a sign.
[5:32] If Christ is still real to you in that moment, I want to know, because I want to know that you can believe even in the face of death. The next day comes. They lead the individual out. They tie him to the stake.
[5:43] The man is watching through the bars of the jail cell window. Nothing happens. They tie him to the stake. He asked them, when they tie him to the stake, let my hand stay free. They gave him that much. They tied his body.
[5:54] They built the pyre. They lit the fire. This flames ascend. The gentleman's watching from the flames, still nothing. He washed, and he washed, and he washed. I don't want to get too grotesque for you, but it came to the point where the man's skin was melting off of his body.
[6:06] When there was nothing left of his skin, then he raised his hands to heaven so that the man sitting in the jail cell would know that even in the midst of the torture, he believed in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
[6:17] If Jesus has not been raised, my friend, then that is vanity of vanities. It is useless. But, the Bible says, Jesus Christ has been raised. He says, but, he has been.
[6:31] That is a dramatic declaration of a certain truth. And since that is a certain truth, there are realities, there are power that come with that. There are realities which we must understand.
[6:41] There are applications which we must apply. Because since Christ has been raised, listen, my friend, all of history is changed by that one event. Not only the way that we record history, not only the birth of the church, but your history changes too with the reality of the resurrection.
[6:58] The moment you profess the central issue of the faith, that is the resurrection of Jesus Christ, your life is changed. The Bible says that whoever believes in Jesus Christ, don't you know this?
[7:09] I mean, I've preached this, I don't know how many times. I'm about to get worked up early in the sermon, but that's okay. I've preached this so many times at funerals. In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes this declaration.
[7:20] I love it. It gives me hope. It gives me hope no matter what comes my way. Jesus says this, he who has believed in me has passed from death and into life. That is a past tense.
[7:31] Jesus says, if you have believed in me, you have already passed out of death and into life. Your history has changed because you believe in the resurrection. That is, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, friend, listen to me, you are living a resurrection life right now.
[7:47] You have already passed out of death and into life. You say, oh, well, pastor, I don't know. No, there will be a day when I die. No, there will be a day where your body needs to be laid in the ground because it's tired, but you won't die because all of history has changed with the resurrection.
[8:01] Oh, see, you'll step across eternity, and the Bible says over and over again, all throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament, I've told you this, I love how the Bible, even in the book of Genesis, it starts with this, when you, and I'm about to get preachy, and you're about to stay a long time, but it's okay.
[8:19] Okay? It's okay. It starts in the book of Genesis, and it continues this theme all the way through the book of Revelation that every time it speaks of the death of a believer, it speaks of sleep.
[8:31] Every time it speaks of the death of a believer, it speaks of sleep. We started with the righteous descendants of, after Cain and Abel, you have Seth who comes along, you have the righteous descendants of Seth, it says, and then they pass on, they live, they live, they live, and they pass on, and it says, with the descendants of Cain, they died, they died, they died, they died, they died, they died.
[8:49] There's a finality in that. We'll get to that in just a moment, but every time a believer dies, every time the righteous dies, it speaks of sleep. Don't you know there's going to be a day where your body's so tired it needs to go to sleep? I don't know about you, but I've experienced that a little bit, right?
[9:05] There'll be a day where this body is so worn out, and Paul says that this tent needs to be laid aside so that we can be clothed, and we can be fully what we ought to be, because the resurrection changes everything, and the power of the resurrection, but now Christ has been raised from the dead.
[9:24] We'll just see a number of things. Number one, we see the power of the resurrection brings with us. The power of the resurrection sets before us, number one, a representative. A representative. We have one great representative which we do not get to choose, and there is a second representative which we have the freedom to choose.
[9:43] The Bible declares to us, but now Christ has been raised from the dead. There's a comma there, and it says, the first fruits of those who are asleep. Again, asleep, what a great word, right? Sleep never scared anyone.
[9:54] Sleep never bothered anyone. As a matter of fact, I like sleep. I don't know about you, but I really like sleep, and when you wake me up in the morning, I want to go back to sleep, because it doesn't matter how much you have. Sleep is a good thing, but now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.
[10:07] There were first fruits there. Very important to the Jewish people. It's very important throughout Scripture. It's one of the major festivals that we see in the book of Leviticus. It is the festival of the waving of sheaves, which seems to make no sense to us, or the festival of first fruits.
[10:19] Now, you need to pay attention to this, because Paul is declaring to us emphatically that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament type, which is the first fruit festival. When we were going through the book of Leviticus on Sunday night and Wednesday night, you remember, we looked at this, be holy as I am holy, and we looked at those five great festivals and how every one of those festivals point to Christ.
[10:39] We understand the Passover because he is our Passover lamb, but you also understand he is our first fruit too, and he is our festival of trumpets. He is all of those things, right? He's every one of those grand festivals. He is our festival of tabernacles.
[10:51] He is a tabernacle which we dwell in in this land called a wandering, and in the first fruits of festival, what they would do, it signified the coming on of spring. It was the very first barley, and they would bring the barley sheaves to the priest.
[11:04] It was a big deal, right? The priest would meet them at the gate of the city. Now, pay attention to this, and they would take the sheaves and they would wave the sheaves in the air for everybody to see. So the first thing you need to understand is the festival of first fruits is a public event, right?
[11:17] People notice it. By the way, the resurrection of Jesus Christ was a public event. More than 500 saw him at one time, right? Waved in the air, and then the priest would lead them in song and they would have a musical instrument and they would be praised.
[11:30] So this public event would lead to public praise. And the public praise was not for what had just taken place because they were praising God because since he was faithful in the first fruits that ensured them he would be faithful in the rest of the fruit, right?
[11:45] His faithfulness at the first was telling them he could be trusted to be faithful still. And since Jesus was put on public display it has led to the public praise of God's people because we know that since God has done it there God will do it here as well.
[12:01] It is a reminder you don't have first fruit unless you expect more fruit because if there are no more fruit then that's just fruit. It is only first because more comes after it.
[12:13] And Jesus is the first fruits of the resurrection. He is the representative and Paul begins to lay it out for us. For since by a man came death by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.
[12:25] We all have a common ancestor to blame for death. Right? Death was introduced very early in the biblical account in the book of Genesis we don't get but three chapters into it and all of a sudden we have Adam he can choose from the knowledge of the good and evil or he can choose from the knowledge of the tree of life or he can choose from the tree of life he chose from the knowledge of good and evil which he should not have done because he was told to leave alone and since he chose this I mean you ever thought about that he could have chosen the tree of life but he didn't he wanted to know things to live right?
[12:57] He didn't want to trust God to be there to disclose to him everything he should know he wanted to find out for himself which by the way men that seems to be a very common thing right? I'll figure it out as I go along and so Adam did it he said no Eve took the fruit right?
[13:11] But it was Adam that was blamed we don't need to go through that again Adam was the one who got in trouble and Adam introduced this thing called death because the command was from the day that you take of it and eat of it from that day on you will surely die and when we read the text we say well Adam didn't die God killed an animal twice in the script the animal and clothed Adam and Eve why didn't he die because it says on that day you will surely die no that day death was introduced into humanity and is that common ancestor it's amazing science has traced and I'd have to go back really declare to you all the scientific information science has traced over the years here they've taken DNA samples from men across every nation they've taken DNA samples from women across every nation and it's astounding to scientists because they can't quite figure it out because there seems to be according to the science not according to Bible but according to science that every man across the globe no matter where he lives shares a common ancestor according to his DNA and that ancestor is a descendant from somewhere and in contrast every woman across every nation across the globe apparently according to their DNA shares a common ancestor coming from one woman and that one woman seems to be someone from the Middle East
[14:29] I'm glad science is finally catching up with the Bible and maybe they're understanding some of that just as science had a long time figuring out what Isaiah said when God unfolds the heavens like a scroll that he's expanding them and scientists are telling us today the heavens are expanding well yeah Isaiah knew that in 500 BC way to be there way to catch on right but we understand this reality that we have a common ancestor and that ancestor introduced something to us called death and since that representative Adam has brought in death to us there has to be a representative who can bring in life to us it says since by man came death so by man also came life so the only one that could ever offer life to man would be another acceptable representative that is a perfect man we understand that man cannot be perfect man has this sin nature which he inherits from the seed of man but the promise proto-evangelium in Genesis 315 would be the seed of a woman Jesus is the seed of a woman he's not the seed of man he doesn't carry the seed of Adam because he is not born of man he's born of woman kind of makes us look at the virgin birth totally different because we understand the reality
[15:34] I know it's technical but stay with me so also in Christ all will be made alive all in Christ all will be made alive he said also say it's universal we have this universal resurrection because since universally everyone inherits death from one ancestor who is Adam universally everyone will have the hope of eternal life with Christ in Christ no because he conditions that but each in his own order Christ the first fruits and after those here it is after that those who are Christ at his coming so the reality is we have a representative which we cannot choose in Adam we have a common ancestor which we cannot choose in Adam and that ancestor has given us death but there is a representative which we can choose who has imparted life to us because he is an acceptable perfect representative and that is Christ and those who are Christ at his coming have life the power of the resurrection is now we have the opportunity to choose a greater representative we have the opportunity that by faith we can say well I'll stand on the side of Christ because Christ's perfection now is given to me it is imputed righteousness is imputed
[16:45] I don't earn it listen you don't earn death you inherit it you don't earn life you have it imputed it to you because it is Christ we have a representative who stands before us one offering death one offering life not only do we see in the resurrection that there is a representative in which we have the there is also a rule which we expect to come this is good news there is a rule and this is good news because right now we seem like we are out of control the reality is this death comes and no man can stop it no matter how hard we try no matter what great efforts we put forth no matter how much we pray no matter how much we struggle no matter how much we strive for perfection I love how Tony Evans says it Tony Evans says this he said you can eat the right food you can go to the gym every day you can work out you can be in the best shape of your life but you cannot stop that Mack truck coming down the road the day you step out of the gym and it runs you over because there is a day appointed unto man once to die no matter how hard we try no matter how much we seek after it there is an enemy which we cannot overcome because that enemy rules over us and it is the fear of death which we will get to later on in the 15th chapter but there is a rule and rain coming and rejoice him look at what it says it says but each in his own order
[18:02] Christ the first fruits after that those who are Christ that is coming then comes the end by the way here is one of the keys to help us understand end time events the resurrection then comes the end we will get to that later on as we make our way through this 15th chapter so there is Christ coming the resurrection of the saints then comes the end and when he hands over the kingdom to the God and father now all of a sudden we have introduced into the equation a word called the kingdom because not only is he just raised and life is given to us there is also the establishment of a kingdom and this kingdom is one that implies rule this kingdom implies authority this kingdom is something by the way which is anticipated throughout all of the Old Testament this kingdom is the longing of God's people from the ages and the past this kingdom is what has been alluded to through all the prophetic books in the Old Testament this kingdom is what we have been waiting on since we have the Davidic covenant established for us in 2 Samuel those that are with us on
[19:04] Sunday nights and Wednesday I understand we are making our way through 2 Samuel there is this Davidic covenant that the seed of David which is set upon his throne right and we have this kingdom that we are longing for and we are waiting for this kingdom is the thing that we can't wait to see because when we study the Old Testament it seems as if the kingdom fails in reality we are just in waiting Isaiah looks to it he is the prophet of the coming king and Isaiah looks to it and speaks of this kingdom we see others that look to it Ezekiel looks to it and speaks of this kingdom Daniel speaks to it looking at this kingdom in Daniel chapter 7 there is all these realities we are waiting on this and here we see it this kingdom that will be handed over when he has abolished all rule and all authority and power it's a wonderful thing you need to understand about this kingdom this kingdom is one of universal rule universal power universal authority that is there is none that is greater than it there are none that were superseded there are none that can overcome it open up Daniel chapter 7 and you read this vision which Daniel sees and he sees the ancient of days on their own right he sees one like unto the son of man approaching the ancient of days and it was given unto him the authority and the power to rule and he establishes his kingdom
[20:19] I love this and his kingdom he will reign and rule upon the earth and there will be no end it will be an eternal kingdom you know the reason I love that so much is because right now we live in a world in which we are a part of a kingdom but we're also battling another kingdom right because we fight not against flesh and blood but we wage war in the spiritual forces of the earth against principalities of darkness right we're in this kingdom conflict we're in this battleground where we're being tempted and tried and we have all these temptations coming our way we have all of these struggles right Paul would say it like this that which I want to do I do not do there's this battle which seems to be waging back and forth inside of me I know what I should do in my mind but what I find myself doing in the body doesn't seem to make sense why because there seems to be this opposing force there's coming a day because of the power of the resurrection when all of that is wiped out when there is no rule there is no authority there is no power but one and that one whose kingdom is over all it is a worldwide universal kingdom that will eternally exist that there will be no failing of it there will be no faltering there will be no stumbling that it will be one of authority and look at what it says because everything
[21:32] I love this everything will be subjected to him and the last that will be abolished is the greatest tool we have the thing we cannot overcome the greatest tool in our enemies belt the one thing that we have yet to figure out how to do away with them if you think of the advancement of mankind you think of everything that we have figured out I mean man is an intelligent being God has created us to be creators and to really be thinkers and it's astounding to me when you start looking at everything man has figured out you start looking at everything you say well we figured out how to lengthen days really because when I open up the book of Genesis I find people living 900 years we haven't got there yet because we still live in a fallen world you say pastor do you really believe that yes I believe when it says that they lived that long they lived that long right I believe when it says that Noah built an ark for 120 years 120 years he's building an ark that's what I think I believe these things reality
[22:33] I take them little interpretation and we have not got there yet because the further we get away from the garden the more down we go we're just in a spiral we may can lengthen our misery but we cannot overcome our enemy which is death but there will be a day where that enemy is placed under the feet of our savior and since we have a representative who is now greater than the greatest enemy which we have guess what we too have overcome death this is why Paul would write later on in this chapter death hell and the grave where's your stink the one who represents me is greater than the one who represents you why because you are put under the feet of the one who rules over me and I've read the rest of the story I've read the rest of scripture and the rest of scripture says that he has a throne on which he sits and then the bible tells me in the book of revelations that those who overcome will be able to sit on the throne with him and if I'm sitting on the throne with him and everything is under his throne then guess what where I'm at everything is also under my feet too not because it's my throne but because it's his throne because I have a greater representative who has established a rule and that rule has overcome nothing that I can defeat this is why
[23:40] I cannot figure out why we spend so many hours and so many years and so much of our time trying to fight battles which are not ours to fight we're just called to surrender to the king who's already won I can't figure out why even in my own life I want to battle and fight and I'm going to work my way out of this and I'm going to do this when the reality is we should just give up and surrender and say I want to trust my representation call the king in and let the king establish the rule because when he gets here the enemies won't be relevant anymore and when he gets here I won't have to worry about it when he gets here I won't have to be concerned over it right I'm not talking about some hyper spiritual I'm just talking about me submitting to the rule in the reign of Christ in which he is over all the Bible says everything is placed under his feet Paul quotes the book of Psalms in which God subjected all things to the king who sits upon the throne and I know it gets a little wordy there especially in the new American standard which is what I read from but it says and then when he has subjected all things under his feet it is accepted that the one who subjected it to him is also subjected which means there's order in the trinity of God
[24:41] God the father is not under God the son they're equal there but there is also consistent order because the son has everything under his feet and then he takes it to the father and he gives it to the father and by giving it to the father he puts himself in the right position there's father son and holy spirit and then it says and God is all in all isn't it going to be a wonderful place where God is all in all it will be for those who have the right representative for those who don't it will be a torturous place because they will be separated from that the reality is is there's a kingdom that is going to be established based upon the power of the resurrection because Jesus has the power and has already displayed the power by the way that has been raised is in the present active tense which means it is an active reality today so he was not only raised in the past he is being raised today he is even in a raised condition today I know that's bad English but that's what it means right he is living the resurrected life today and so today he can look at our enemy and say is death the greatest thing you have I've already overcome that today he can look at our enemy and says is the hell the greatest you can do I've already been there I've got the keys when I came out of there is the grave the greatest stronghold people in all I've already overcome that what else do you got
[25:53] Satan and the king someday who's already overcome the greatest tools of the enemy will say enough is enough I'm coming back and establish his rule and when the rule is set up the representative calls the saints and we reign with him and that's a glory hallelujah time I mean it's a wonderful season because we see here there's a representative and that representative brings the rule now those realities those truths are the power events now let's get to the application Paul was really good about this right when he wrote letters Paul would always start with theology by the way if you're on the fence as brother Caleb said about going to the retreat you need to jump off the fence one way or another I'd like to have a meeting right after church for those who plan on going I'll try to get out there as quick as I can my kids like to say I'm a pastor so I shake hands and kiss babies so when I get done shaking hands and kissing babies I'll be out there and we'll talk about the retreat okay it's better than kissing hands and shaking babies either way so when I get done doing that we'll be out there and we'll have a meeting and we'll go over that now the reason I say this came to my mind this is kind of the squirrel mentality we're going through the book of Colossians about being rooted in Christ the book of Colossians first two chapters in the book of Colossians Paul is very theologian right he gives a bunch of theology of who we are in Christ why we should be there and then the last two chapters he gives a lot of application a lot of
[27:10] Paul's letters are that way he gives you a heavenly truth and then he gives you an earthly reality how you ought to live out that heavenly truth because theology without application is useless that's a good way of saying no matter what you know about scripture until you apply it it doesn't mean a thing we're not here to get a bunch of information we're not here to gather a bunch of facts we're not here so that we can spit out a bunch of truth we're not here so that we can say well I know this this this and this but I live however I want to because then it's the so what since we know these things so what that's what Paul does even here he gives us the theology there is power in the resurrection there's a representative for man who establishes rule so what does that mean there has to be a realignment since these things are true and necessary realignment says in verse 28 when all things are subjected to him then the son himself will be subjected to the one who has subjected all things to him so that God may be all in all and in here is that very confusing verse probably won't leave with a whole lot more clarity because sometimes we just have to understand that scripture just says things it kind of makes us scratch our heads a little bit and in faith we accept them but we'll try our best it says in verse 29 otherwise what will those do who are baptized for the dead if the dead are not raised at all why then are they baptized for them Paul kind of brings this out of left field it seems but he's writing to a church that are doing certain things right so he's writing to a church never disconnect any portion of scripture from its intended audience and he's writing to the church at Corinth and evidently in the church Corinth this practice was going on it is our challenge to try to interpret what he is speaking of one of two things are happening here either he is referring to being baptized for the dead is those who say well if there is no resurrection then
[28:51] Jesus is still dead so if you're being baptized in the name of Jesus then you're being baptized for a dead person we know that's not true because Christ has been raised for the dead but many within the church were saying there is no resurrection and if you follow Paul's argument then if there is no resurrection at all then Christ has not been raised so when you're baptized in the name of Christ you're being baptized for a dead person why do that he said why even go through baptism if Christ is not raised from the dead but since he is raised from the dead we need to realign our lives the other thought could be this Paul was referring to a practice going on in the church at Corinth which some had already fallen asleep who believed in Jesus and never been baptized so they were practicing that baptism for them you just need to understand this Paul neither condemns nor endorses this practice this is the only place we ever see it in scripture so we don't need to make it a common practice you have to be very very very careful of having any kind of ecclesiology that is church practice based upon one single verse in scripture there are some faiths who do that and that is very dangerous territory because you cannot pull one thing out of one passage and say we're going to build here a doctrine and a truth on that we need to look at something that he was doing this thing at this local church this was going on and the power is not necessarily what he's addressing the power is this why are you even doing the things you're doing if the resurrection didn't happen and if the resurrection has no power why are you even doing the things you are doing and that has application to everything we can talk about things that we do in the church here locally the practices that we have which we do them just because they're a tradition to do it if Christ is not raised from the dead then why have a fish fry if Christ is not raised from the dead then why have the fall festival if Christ is not raised from the dead then why gather together and sing songs if Christ is not raised from the dead why do these things see there's a realignment the resurrection forces us to realize everything we do in light of it since he has been raised from the dead we have a reason because he goes on to say why are we also in danger every hour he said if there is no resurrection then why put myself in danger if there is no resurrection why would you do something as far as being bold in your witness if there is no resurrection why would you tell other people about it if there is no resurrection why put yourself in harm if there is no resurrection why go to the mission field if there is no resurrection why go to the workplace as ambassadors for Christ if there is no resurrection why do you do the things you do
[31:19] Paul says I affirm brethren by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord I die daily that is he realigns himself every single day with the reality of the resurrection because since Christ has been raised from the dead and since Christ is the first fruits that implies to me that I too will be raised from the dead and since there is coming a resurrection then everything I do will be done in light of not only his resurrection but my resurrection there will be a day where I stand before my risen Savior face to face there will be a day where I see him as he is there will be a day where I will be ready to walk in the newness of life and as good as that is it's also humbling right there will be a day where I will give an account for everything I have done since living the resurrection life there will be a day where I stand before him and I don't believe in just some spiritual resurrection and the spirit will be called to him but then continue reading first Corinthians the body will also join the spirit in the air so I will be standing before him in bodily form there will be a day where I have to give an account and here's the challenge I need to realign my life with the reality of not only his resurrection but also my resurrection the things that I do the actions that I take everything I do personally and corporately as a church ought to be done in light of the resurrection is the resurrection worth suffering yes is the resurrection worth dying every day yes is the resurrection putting worth putting myself in danger yes I read something not too long ago so so many times actually this was several years ago so so many times we pray for for one another we pray for safety we pray for safety we pray for safety we pray for safety we pray as if there is no resurrection rather than praying is to be bold in the faith in the reality of the resurrection that since this life is not the end there is a greater life coming then Lord give us boldness in this life and let us realign this life for your glory because we know this is not all we're living for to we pray as if this is all we have but the resurrection tells us the greater is still to come this is the only opportunity we have to labor for the Savior because by the way when we are resurrected with him in glory those days are over the kingdom is already established we need to realign our lives with the reality of a coming resurrection and that is saying this and I know it's hard to say in our American
[33:42] Western culture I know it's hard to kind of wrap our minds around this life is not for our good and our glory this life is for our laboring for his glory because there will be a day where we get the good that is ours it is the gift of God to live a resurrection there when I have seen scripture is the reward is in heaven he blesses us and furnishes us on earth so that we may labor for his glory here the reward is in heaven we live as if the reward is here and whatever I get here is all that matters this will all turn dust to dust ashes to ashes right it has come from dust to dust it will go back the more I labor the more I see it and this is struggle it's a personal struggle it's a spiritual struggle it's a battlefield of the mind this is why we need that enemy to overcome the real life lives as if the reward is still to be nothing that I get in this place called earth right the reward is there'll be a day where I'll walk on streets of gold and I don't have to worry about collecting gold that we will be walking around and treading upon the thing that is counted most precious in this life and when we realign our lives with that reality all of a sudden we become surrendered for the sake of the kingdom Paul says then everything I do matters it doesn't matter he's suffer because it matters I'll die daily because it matters I'll proclaim faith because it matters I'll labor because it matters when we don't think resurrection we think this is all it is and life is aligned with our desires and our ambitions and our feelings now we need a realignment to the reality that there'll be a day that because of our representative we will live eternally with him and there it will be good these suffering years I know it's hard in the moment but a realigned life looks there realigned life looks there so we see a representative realignment fourth and finally and I'll be finished I promise is this reality this reality it's in that last verse
[35:51] Paul says actually let's look at the last two verse 33 says do not be deceived bad company corrupts good morals that is here's a realignment there'll be a day where I give an account so bad company corrupts good morals don't be deceived by that and this leads us to this reality that we find 34 become sober minded I like how he says this as you ought and stop sinning he calls them to attention he doesn't say be depressed there's a dear friend of mine who used to tell the church he led singing he used to tell the church he said if you've got the joy of the Lord in your heart notify your face that doesn't sound real good but that's what he used to tell the church right he said if you got the joy of the Lord in your heart notify your face and some of you walking around like you're depressed and doom and gloom all the time he said let your face know you got the joy of the Lord there's joy he says become sober minded he says get your mind right and stop sinning that's part of the realignment and but here's the reality this is why we need to do these things not just because it'd be better for us not because that's a good way to live because here's the reality for some have no knowledge of
[36:58] God he's speaking to a local church and he's telling this church it could be the church at Wartash it could be the church at Corinth it could be the church anywhere you think about it he is reminding the believers of this church that there are men and women and boys and girls surrounding the church who have no knowledge of God and the answer to that would be for them to become sober minded and stop sinning and he says because there are people around you who just don't know God and he says this it's like a gut punch I speak this to your shame because the shame for the lack of knowledge of God falls at the door of the church reading to the book of Ezekiel there's some sobering messages in the book of Ezekiel right he says I have set you up as a watchman if you look and you see danger coming you see the sword coming and you blow the trumpet and you sound the trumpet and people respond to the trumpet and they are saved then that's good he said but if you see and
[38:13] I'll paraphrase he said if you see the sword coming and you're the watchman and you don't blow the trumpet and they die they will die in their own sins but Ezekiel their blood is on your hands because you didn't blow the trumpet the church is the watchman to a dying world not the pastor the church and Paul tells the church some have no knowledge of God and I speak this to your shame if there are multitudes of people and there are who surround the church who know nothing about this great God we serve then I don't mean to leave us on a depressing message but shame on us shame on us because we know I mean we know we know the one thing they can't overcome there's someone who already has we know that the sorrows and the sufferings of this world who are a defeated foe we know there's a risen
[39:16] Savior we know the realities and if we would become sober-minded stop sinning and live as if everyone else needed to know what we know and there would be no shame see that's the reality there's a power of the resurrection there's this representative who's going to bring in this rule and we need to realign our lives to that so that we could overcome the reality so that the shame doesn't fall on us and I'm closing with this I know we love to think and I remember we went through the book of revelations we did this there are no tears in heaven and I get that when I read the book of revelations we're looking at a picture of heaven after the third chapter the church is raptured actually yeah there's third chapter I believe there's a rapture the church so from revelations four on churches and churches in heaven there's a couple chapters into that there are tears being wiped away in heaven but those tears are the tears of those who are beheaded for their testimony it's not until we get to the end of the book of revelation that we find this emphatic declaration that there will be no tears that every tear will be wiped dry that every tear will be wiped off I understand we say well how can we have sorrow when we're in the presence of our Savior I also believe that when I enter into glory I'm going to have a full knowledge of everything that I should have done and could have done and would have done so my life interpretation of that and it's not a big rock issue right we can differ on this but my life interpretation of that is at minimum if he raptures the church today at minimum there's a thousand and seven years I have before every tear is wiped away because you have the seven year tribulation a thousand year reign of Christ and then it says in the book of Revelation every tear is wiped away at minimum I have a thousand seven now am I going to have joy and expressible in the presence of the Lord yes is there going to be forgiveness and redemption yes is there going to be mercy and compassion yes but is there also going to be knowledge yes and when I live in the reality that there is a resurrection I don't want to go in with that I speak this to my shame so there needs to be these things that are applied because they're it's good news right this is good news death is defeated this is great news and our life ought to live and look differently because of it let's pray
[41:59] Lord I thank you so much for this I thank you for your word I think for the assurance Lord we short we confess that we acknowledge that but God we also know your word tells us your mercies are new every morning your loving kindness is never cease so Lord you're not here to judge us in Christ that judgment is past or for those who don't know Christ Lord I pray that they would surrender that life today accept that representative who offers in eternal life and their sins would be forgiven or for those of us that know you the reality is as we come to you we run to you and we lean upon your mercy and say Lord I have failed I've stumbled Lord I acknowledge my own Lord even in my own mind help me to to walk humbly before you to bow before you Lord to live in the reality of a coming resurrection so that I may live out my days in this life for your glory not mine Lord we ask that you would lead in this moment have your way in every heart and every mind and we ask it all in Jesus name amen so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I asked so I
[43:55] Thank you.
[44:25] Thank you.