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Response to the ResurrectionAs we continue our studies of 1 Corinthians. We are nearing the ending of Paul’s letter and for the past four weeks we have been considering chapter 15. Where Paul has spoken about our future hope, the resurrection of the dead. We saw how the church in Corinth had been wrongly influenced by some who said there was no resurrection. So Paul draws from the old testament to tell us. 1 Cor 15:54-57…. "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Someone once said: “The best news the world has ever had came from a graveyard near Jerusalem.” When death ruled, and brought its sting, Jesus overcame it. The sting of death is sin because sin brought death, mankind. Sin brought death physically and death spiritually. The power of sin is the law. The law of God - his commands show us the perfection that God requires. But death has been swallowed up in victory. Those who trust in Jesus Christ have victory over the greatest of all fears, death. The grave was conquered by our Lord and we are victors because he rose from the grave, we too will be raised unto eternal life and the everlasting joys of heaven that is the news of chapter 15. Follow the flow of this chapter -folks in Corinth were being led astray and told there is no resurrection. So Paul reminds them of the gospel. That Jesus died for our sins, and rose again according to the scriptures. Then he speaks to them about he power of the resurrection, that it keeps us looking to our future hope. Then as we saw last week Paul speaks about the details of the resurrection. How we will not all sleep but we will all be raised when mortality puts on immortality. Finally in verse 58 Paul beings the closing statements of this letter. He gives us an interesting turn of thoughts then dispatches to us the only thing that we are to do with this understanding of the resurrection unto life. READ THE TEXT 1 CORINTHIANS 15:58 RESPONSE TO THE RESURRECTION Referring us back to the understanding that the resurrection of the dead is like a seed - in what comes out will not look anything like what was planted. “Flesh and blood can not inherit the kingdom of God.” Mortality must put on the new clothing of immortality. So Paul in concluding his thoughts on the resurrections with the adverb “therefore”, tells us what we are to do in light of the fact that there will someday be a resurrection. Three simple thoughts that Paul imparts to the church in Corinth. #1. Stand firm. #2. Move out. #3. Rest in.
Paul addresses them as “Dear Brothers.” Paul had a love for the brothers and sisters in Corinth, he loved them enough to speak hard truths to them. He rebuked them when necessary, and encouraged them where he could. That's what brotherly love does. Today’s text is an encouragement as Paul says “stand firm and let nothing move you.” Here s our action item – it's non-action, to stand firm. Because of the resurrection, followers of Christ - can stand firm no matter what happens in life. Stand firm in trouble, heartache, or trial. Because we are not standing in our own understanding, not standing in our own strength- but we stand upon the solid foundation of our faith. 1 John 5:5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. By faith in Jesus Christ, we can stand firm and not be moved by the world, the flesh or the devil. Because there is a resurrection from the dead. 1st. STAND FIRM IN YOUR FAITH. Isa 7:9 If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.'" Stand don’t fall. Stand firm don’t waver. G.K. Chesterton once said. “There are an infinity of angles at which one falls, but only one at which one stands.” Don't be moved in your faith, because you know what you believe, and in whom you believe. When Paul was near the end of his life, he would find himself suffering in chains and persecution, he writes Timothy and tells him what keeps him standing firm in his faith. 2 Tim 1:12….I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. “Timothy there is no shame in my life, because I know whom I have believed, and I know he will not let me down.” Paul knew Jesus, he knew him intimately, and he knew that Jesus would not abandoned him. Paul didn’t look at his circumstances and begin to whine. “Oh poor me... look at what happened to me... why do I have all the troubles.” No Paul looked around at this situation, which was much worse then any trial you or I have ever suffered, and he simply says: “I know Jesus - and I am convinced that he is able to keep me from falling until that day that I will be in the resurrection.” Jude 24-25 To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. I like that scripture because like Paul, Jude points us to the resurrection. How can Paul, or Jude or anyone have such assurance to stand firm in their faith even in the midst of a great trial? Because they knows Jesus and have hope of eternal life. Its as simple as that. How did they get to know Jesus so well? Paul never met him physically - like us, he had to get to know Jesus by divine revelation. How do we know Jesus? By divine revelation, it comes from the Holy Spirit who speaks to us. You want more faith, you want to know Jesus better? Let him speak to you, listen to his word, rest in the Holy Spirit. Spend time with him in prayer. Not just dinner blessings, and good night prayers, but honest communion listening to him - speaking to your heart as he guides you and directs you in life. John Bunyon once said: “You can do more than pray, after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.” Paul says to stand firm and that starts with standing firm in our faith. Know the scriptures, know the doctrines, know God. 1 Cor 16:13-14 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love. Again the context of this powerful chapter is the resurrection – so it is our understanding of the resurrection that can help us stand firm. Jesus will soon return for his church or for me, and there will be a resurrection to be with him in eternity. The second way we stand firm: #2nd. STAND FIRM IN YOUR LIFE. How many church goers are unstable in their lives. One day they are up and then next they are struggling, - their lives are not ruled by God - but by our culture and their circumstances. Too many say “Jesus is Lord”, yet not Lord of all. The name Christian means “little Christ” or simply “follower of Christ.” As believers, our lives should reflect our faith in Jesus Christ. Think about John the Baptist, when Jesus spoke about him he asked his adversaries. Luke 7:24…. "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? John was not swayed like a reed blowing in the wind, he was stable in his faith, and stable in his life. When trouble came, he was no different than when things were good. That's what God wants to do in our lives. To make us stand firm – to have us trust him no matter what is happening in our lives. When people see me, or see you, they will never see perfection because we are all in these bodies of sin. Even John the Baptist had some doubts, but they should see a man or woman who 's life has been transformed. Where does this stability come from? 2 Cor 1:21-22 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. We stand firm because – it is God who does it. We get to live in and rely on the Holy Spirit that is given to us as the deposit of heaven. TURN TO JOHN 16:13-15 The Holy Spirit will be your guide - it is the Spirit led man/ woman, who knows that nothing will happen that God has not ordained. You don’t fear man, nor the devil, because you know that you are a child of God - and “greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.” The Holy Spirit helps you hear from God, he brings glory to the father and he reveals the things of Jesus to our heart. Stand firm in your life every day by relying on the Holy Spirit. 2 Thess 2:15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. Live out the word of God every day, you can only do that with the infilling of the Holy Spirit. When trials or problems come, (and they will) ask God what great lesson he has for you in them. Then because of trials. Eph 6:13-14 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm. Stand firm not in your own strength, or your own armor, but in the armor of God. For “when”, not “if” the day of evil comes. You will stand firm. When Israel had left the bondage of Egypt, they found themselves in a bad place. The Red Sea is before them, the Egyptian army is behind them and they are panicked. Moses speaks words from God. “Stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord” Just don’t move, and God will move. How often we need to be like that, we need to wait on the Lord instead of rushing into something. Wait to find God’s plan before we go out and make it happen. Wait to see what God wants instead of moving out on our own. To stand firm in your life, is to trust God to make his will known to you. That is why we pray “thy will be done.” Our first response to the resurrection of the dead, is non- action, to stand firm.
“Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord.” Ok, we stood long enough, now lets get going. Again like Israel before that Red Sea, Moses calls out “Stand firm and see the salvation of God.” Then the sea parts and they move out across the dried up sea. After we have stood firm, we are to move out where God shows us. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, ... now any good preacher could use this text to lay a great deal of condemnation upon a congregation. “Do you know that the Sunday school needs teachers.” “Have you noticed how much things need painting around here.” But I will not do that……. Really that was not Paul’s intent, nor my heart. It is never right to take the good new, God's free gift of salvation to all who believe, and turn it into rules or law. And besides, although there is always things that can be done around the church, I’ve noticed that things always get done. The church is always clean, the projects seem to get done, God is faithful and so are you in your service to the church. What Paul is saying, is after we have stood firm, we are to move out in the work of the Gospel. The church grows by people doing kingdom type of work. It may involve cleaning the sanctuary, it could be about teaching a class, but the work of the Gospel is always about faith. The bible says, “the just shall live by faith.” To live by faith is to live a life of submission to Jesus Christ. From that all other activities will come. How will I love my wife more? By submission to Jesus. How will you honor your husband more? By submission to Jesus? Why will you witness for Christ? Because you are submitted to him. Once some guys came and asked Jesus . John 6:28-29 ... "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." They were expecting a list of dos and don't, but Jesus said have faith in me. The work of God is about faith. From that a myriad of different activities may or may not happen. As we live in godliness and faithfulness in service unto the Lord. Paul says, always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord. Do we evangelize? Sure we do. Do we live in Christian love? We better. But if we only see faith as activities we are sadly mistaken and have created a new set of rules, when the old ones were impossible to keep. When asked the greatest command, or law, Jesus said, to love the Lord your God. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Love God and move out in that love. 1 Peter 3:15-16 ….Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…. Even Peter's exhortation to apologetics, brings us back to the hope of the resurrection. With gentleness and respect tell people why you have hope. 1 Cor 15:19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. Hope is defined as: “The expectation of coming good.” Don’t get in their face and argue with the unbeliever, but with gentleness and with respect tell them about the hope we have in Christ. Hope, we were lost in our sins, we are alive in Christ, we were under the bondage of a perfect law that we can not keep, we are saved and accepted by grace. So our response to the resurrection is non-action to stand firm, secondly we are to move out, and finally we are “Resting in.”
“You know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” Rest in he assurance of the resurrection. Rest in the knowledge that everything you do in this life is seen by God. He knows the faith you have, he sees even the motives of your heart. For some that could brings fear, but for those who stand firm in their faith, that is a wonderful promise to rest in. Your labor, your faith is noticed by God, so don’t sweat, just relax, God knows your heartache, your pain, your devotion to him. Once when the Apostle John saw a man driving out demons in Jesus name - he told the man to stop, because he was not part of their little group. John tells Jesus and Jesus reply should encourage us in our work for the gospel. Mark 9:39-41 "Do not stop him,…. No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.
Anything you do for the Lord, as small as a cup of cold water given to a child is noticed by the Lord, valued by the Lord, and it is not in vain. God sees the faith you live by, he knows the way you trust him, and we can rest in that wonderful truth. Paul finished his life and his ministry in a Roman prison, then tradition tells us he was beheaded for the Gospel. He never saw what the world would call “success”, he never got to know how great an impact his ministry would have. Jeremiah is called the weeping prophet. He cried over Israel and their apostasy, he wept as he preached hard for 40 years and never saw a convert. Yet Jeremiah was faithful in his labor. How could Jeremiah, or Paul keep going with so much discouragement? Because as with all men /all women who have faith in Jesus Christ, they knew that anything done for the Lord is not in vain. Today in America, the church is being told that if you do not have massive amounts of people, you are not doing it right. If you want people to come, do these things, market this way, present things this way, be sensitive to the peoples needs and wants. But God says, even a cup of cool water given in love will be noticed and will be rewarded. Paul - unsuccessful Paul -when his life was about to end he wrote these words. 2 Tim 4:6-8 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. Have you longed for his appearing? If you are trying to work your way to God, you will never get there, but if your response to the resurrection. Is faith in Jesus Christ, you have already arrived. And there is noting more to add then to repeat Paul's words. 1 Cor 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. INVITE. PRAYER. BENEDICTION. SING Series: 1
Corinthians -Through the Bible |
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