10.11.10
Let’s take a look at the famous group of people, the 144,000. Revelation 14:1 reads, “Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.” So what about these 144,000? In short, in God’s history there were twelve tribes of Israel and twelve apostles. 12 times 12 equals 144. In this case the 144,000 could represent the whole redeemed people of God. The members of the 144,000 were very much different than those who wore the number of the beast. They do not have the mark of the beast on their foreheads, though they were forced to conform. Those who wore the number of the beast worshipped and served a godless leader and system. They were forced, not willing people. They were living by fear and they made war against the saints of God. (Rev 13:3b-6; Rev 13:14b-17)
Lets look a little close at what these 144,000 are like from this Bible passage. Revelation 14:2-5 reads, “. 2And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. 5No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.” They were talking together and singing and praising God, together, so much so that their voices sounded like rushing water. There were offering up their musical talents in their worship of the Lamb. They were singing the song of the redeemed. That means that their robes were washed white in the blood of the Lamb. They knew that they were purchased from slavery to sin and the devil and set free by the redeeming blood of Jesus They knew the grace of God personally and were compelled to sing about it. They struggle to live a pure life before God and they were devoted to following Jesus wherever Jesus led them. There lives were a living offering to God. They were very happy worshipping Jesus and they were not afraid to be around God’s people and stand, transparently before Jesus for they had nothing to hide. They were pure in heart and sincere and honest. These are the characteristics of the 144,000. Some may say, “Well. of course they are like that in heaven. If I was in heaven I would be just like that too.” Maybe? But I’m sure that these saints were putting into practice what they were doing in heaven, while they lived on earth. Let’s examine our hearts and find out how we can exude the characteristics of the 144,000 while we are walking on this earth and have a burning hope and desire to be included in those who will be praising Jesus around his throne.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Eve, Mother of All the Living
Did you know that people are not that different from each other? Even though we may look different on the outside, on the inside we are very similar. Our DNA is very similar. An Eskimo in the Canadian Arctic and an Aborigine native in Australia look like they are worlds apart, but in reality, when you analyze their DNA they are actually more closely related to each other than two chimpanzees from two neighboring chimp groups in West Africa. Evolutionists would have you think that a massive natural catastrophe killed all other forms of humanoids and left only one type of homosapien, and that is why were are so similar. But there is another, more believable explanation. How about exploring the fact that we all came from the same mother? And that mother is Eve. She went through so much and has an incredible spiritual journey to share with us. We should take a closer look at Eve and discover some of her qualities as a woman and a mother.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Do Everything In Love
1 Corinthians 16:1-24 NIU UBF
Key verse 16:13-14 3/21/10
“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.
Do everything in love."
Chapter 16 is the epilogue of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. Do you know how long we have been studying 1 Corinthians? Since September 9th (2009) of last year. We have learned a lot of how to solve many problems in life and ministry through the Gospel of Jesus. In this last chapter, Paul deals with several matters. He instructs the church about the collection for God's people (1-4). Not too popular a topic nowadays. He shares with them his future travel plans like any true friend and father would (4-8). He tells them to respect coworkers and leaders (9-12; 15-18). He exhorts them to faith and love (13-14). And finally, Paul shares greetings (19-24). There are many things to learn here. May God open your hearts to all that Paul wants to review in this epilogue and hold onto one point.
Part I: Prepare Your Gift For God's People (1-4)
First, the issue of offering. We don’t like to think about offering to God because we think that we are very poor in the present tough economy and we are in some special circumstance. We may be poor, granted, but we are not nearly as poor as these Corinthians were and Paul does not loosen up on his expectations on them. Look at verse 1a. "Now about the collection for God's people...." The word "collection," that is "logia" in Greek, appears only here in the Bible. It refers to collecting money for an offering. Sometimes preachers talk about money first, at the beginning of their message. And it may be of first importance…in order to keep up with building expenditures, salaries and programs. However, Paul mentions this collection last, at the end of his letter. He wanted to put the gospel at the forefront of all he did.
Let’s get back to this issue of offering. According to verse 1b, the Galatian churches would also participate. Verse 3b clarifies that it was to be sent to Jerusalem. No doubt, this refers to the collection Paul was taking up from the Gentile churches, mentioned in Romans 15:25-27. The believers in Jerusalem were in need, perhaps because of persecution (Ac 8:1) or widespread famine (Ac 11:28). Paul saw this as an opportunity for the Gentile Christians to express their love towards their Jewish brothers, and to acknowledge their spiritual debt by giving a material offering. It was not just a relief offering. It held a spiritual meaning serving to unite both Jew and Gentile in Christ. They were not just giving money, but making a spiritual relationship with Jerusalem believers, by the help of Paul (4). Here we learn that material giving is part of worship, and sharing with fellow believers, in their time, of need brings spiritual unity to the body of Christ. We thank God for all who have participated in the Christmas offering in helping to build the Bethesda Clinic in Uganda. There is another opportunity to offer at the upcoming Easter Conference. The offering is going to Haiti relief. Let's give as an act of worship to God, and for the blessing of our dear brothers and sisters in Christ in Haiti.
As an apostle of Christ Jesus, Paul gave spiritual direction about giving--not just to the Corinthians, but to other churches as well. In verse 1b, Paul said, "Do what I told the Galatian churches to do." In verse 2, Paul explained specifically what they should do: "On the first day of the week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made." The first day of the week was Sunday, the Lord's day. This is the day of Christian worship. The offering was to be presented as part of their worship of God. It was not just a relief offering for other people. It was an offering to God. We must view all of our offerings in this way. This is a great segue into some principles of offering.
Why should we offer to God? First, because God is the owner of all things. In Psalm 50:11,12 the Lord says, "I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it." The world belongs to God. As Jesus taught in the parable of the tenants, God is the owner and we are the tenants and stewards (Mk 12:2). To have a right relationship with God we must offer fruit to God. Second, God commanded his people to make a tithe offering in the Old Testament (Nu 18). According to Malachi, the tithe belongs to God. It is not ours. To withhold our tithe is tantamount to robbing God (Mal 3:8). Third, God promises to bless those who offer tithes to him. Malachi 3:10b says, "Test me in this, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." There are many who testify that God keeps his promise. When Abraham won a great victory over his enemies, he offered a tithe to God through his servant, Melchizedek (Gen 14:20). When Jacob made a covenant with God, he promised to give back a tenth of all God gave him (Gen 28:22). These ancestors of faith were abundantly blessed by God. In American history, John D. Rockefeller was faithful in giving a tithe to God throughout his lifetime. He confessed that his great success was God's blessing on tithing. One poor widow, who offered to God all she had to live on, was commended by Jesus (Mk 12:43-44). She teaches how to give our hearts to God, and how to give by faith. I can testify this same teaching with my own family. Ever since our family’s conception, Julie has been faithful to help us to tithe our gross income. We have been abundantly blessed by God in every way, even today in this tough economy. This kind of giving pleases God.
Giving to God should be first on our minds. Verse 2 says, "On the first day of every week...." It should take priority in one's budget planning, and should be done regularly, not just once in a while. Furthermore, "each one" should offer. It is not enough that one's father offers to God, "each one" must offer to God. I want my kids to learn this principle and so I require them to offer personally. We should "set aside a sum of money," preparing in advance--not shuffling through our pockets at the last minute as the offering basket comes around. Here is an example of one who prepares before hand. At a time after the Korean War, there was one Korean lady who would put one scoop of rice in a bag before cooking for the family. Then she would take the bag to the church for Sunday and offer the rice at church. If we just took time to prepare and make offerings in advance then it would not feel like such a burden to us In verse 3, this offering is called a "gift." Here, the Greek word for gift is "charis," which also means "grace." Christian giving should be willing and joyful, with a deep sense of God's grace. It should not be legalistic. Since Christ died for us, to forgive our sins and give us eternal life, we owe everything, even our very lives, to Christ. When we offer materially, it should be with a sense of gratitude and worship. (And there is another matter. Let’s face the facts…if you ever want to have any authority or clout in any church you must be a faithful giver.)
The Church should raise up faithful stewards of God’s money. Look at verse 3. "Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem." The Corinthians should choose faithful representatives to take the offering to Jerusalem (1 Cor 4:2). It is a high calling to be treasurer of a church or ministry. Such people must have a very high degree of integrity and live before God always.
Part II: Paul's Plans, And Requests Regarding Coworkers (5-12; 15-18)
Verses 5-7 explain Paul's travel plans. He would go through Macedonia, visiting churches, and then continue on to Corinth (5). Paul hoped he could "stay awhile, or even spend the winter" (6). He did not want to "make only a passing visit...[but] to spend time with [them]" (7). As we have studied, there were many problems in Corinth. Some pastors would have avoided the Corinthians, saying "Hello," as they passed by quickly, or sending superficial e-mails, not wanting to deal with their issues. However, Paul was a true shepherd. In their time of need, he wanted to be with them and spend time with them counseling them and praying for them and with them and studying the Bible with them. He was ready to bear misunderstanding and pain to share fellowship. Paul also respected them. In verse 6, Paul said, "...so that you can help me on my journey...." Paul knew they were spiritually immature. But he treated them as valuable coworkers who could participate meaningfully in world mission. Still, Paul concluded, "...if the Lord permits" (7). Ultimately, Paul submitted his plans to the Lord's guidance.
In keeping with these principles, Paul decided to stay in Ephesus. Why? He said in verse 9. "...because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me." As we learn in Acts 19, when Paul visited Ephesus, he found a handful of disciples already there. However, there was something strange about them. They never expressed any spiritual joy. When they sang a hymn, it sounded like a funeral. So Paul asked, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They said, "No, we did not even hear that there is a Holy Spirit." (Acts 19:2) So Paul shared the good news with them and baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they received the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues and prophesy. (Acts 19:6) Suddenly, they all became excited about Jesus and the gospel and eagerly shared the word of God. They became promising Bible messengers! Paul began to have Bible discussions with them daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. (Acts 19:9) Within two years, all the Jews and Greeks in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord (Ac 19:10). There was a great work of repentance and many burned their sorcery scrolls publicly to renounce their evil deeds. One whole region of the world was being liberated from the devil's power.
God was working powerfully and so the hindrance of Satan was to be expected. Paul suffered harm and his life was in danger. It was costly for Paul to remain in Ephesus. Moreover, Paul's heart ached to visit Corinth. However, Paul made a clear decision to stay in Ephesus, following the work of the Holy Spirit. This is what made Paul so useful in the work of God. When we follow the work of the Holy Spirit, we can be used greatly by God. However, one who ignores the leading of the Holy Spirit becomes useless. They may even hinder the work of God unknowingly. Where are there evangelical doors being opened up today? There are open doors in Latin America and China. There are miraculous things going in those regions. Some say there are 90-100 million house churches in China. It is impossible for man to evangelize in such large numbers. God is definitely working. In Brazil one church was filled in 6 months. In America a medium sized door is being opened. I pray that through this Easter conference the moving of the Holy Spirit may be reveal clearly, in each of our personal lives and ministries and especially in our co-working relationship with DuPage UBF.
Though Paul could not visit Corinth at exactly that time, he did what he could. Paul sent Timothy by way of Macedonia (Ac 19:22). Timothy, Paul's spiritual son, had learned his gospel faith and lifestyle. As 1 Corinthians 4:17 says, Paul wanted Timothy to share this faith and lifestyle with the Corinthians. However, Timothy was different than Paul. Paul was a strong, charismatic leader. Timothy was timid. (2 Tim 1:6,7) Paul worried that in the volatile Corinthian church, members would intimidate Timothy and make him fearful. Rude people would disrespect young Timothy. So Paul warned the Corinthians, "...see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am" (10). Let’s face it…disrespectful people create an atmosphere of cynicism and hostility in a church. They can not be blessed. When the Corinthians respected Timothy, as they did Paul, God would bless them. Let's respect God's servants from our hearts.
Look at verse 12. Paul wanted to send Apollos to Corinth as well. Paul valued Apollos as a coworker and called him "our brother." Paul declared his trust in Apollos and supported his ministry in Corinth, even though there had been a division problem. It was Apollos who was reluctant to go to Corinth.
In verses 15-18, Paul mentions some of the Corinthian leaders. The household of Stephanus was noteworthy because they were the first converts in Achaia and devoted themselves to the service of the saints. Together with Fortunatus and Achaicus they worked hard behind the scenes for reconciliation and unity. As they brought the news of Corinth to Paul, and Paul's words of instruction to Corinth, it required humility, much prayer and a constant spiritual struggle. Then through them, everyone was refreshed. Paul recognized their leadership and urged the Corinthians "to submit to such as these and to everyone who joins in the work, and labors at it" (16). In this part, we learn Paul's secret of following the work of the Holy Spirit and of coworking with others. Many think that Paul was fruitful because he was a kind of spiritual superman. But this is not true. Paul was fruitful because he followed the work of the Holy Spirit and coworked with many servants of God. Let's learn how to be fruitful through Paul's example, especially in co working with servants of God from Chicago, DuPage and Triton UBF and the DeKalb Christian church.
Part III: Stand Firm In The Faith (13-14; 19-24)
In the midst of giving practical instructions, Paul paused in verses 13-14 to share one last exhortation with the Corinthians. These words summarize the essential point of Paul's letter. Let's read verses 13-14. "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love." Here we find five words of exhortation.
First, "Be on your guard." This is a warning against the devil's work. Paul knew that our struggle is not against people, but against the devil (Eph 6:12). The devil prowls around like a roaring lion, trying to drag people away from God to be his prisoner. No mere human being can defeat the devil. Jesus warned his disciples to watch and pray not to fall into temptation (Mk 14:38). When we pray, Almighty God gives us victory over the devil.
Second, "...stand firm in the faith...." Christian faith stands on the fact that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures...[and] that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures..." (15:3,4). Christ saves those who believe in him from all the consequences of sin. Christ gives us eternal life and an inheritance in the kingdom of God. Christ will raise our bodies from the dead and give us glorious resurrection bodies. God gives us everything in Christ. Yet sometimes, Satan whispers, "Faith is useless. Take it easy and spend the rest of your days enjoying fun and relaxing. You only live once." If we lose our faith, we lose everything. We must stand firm in the faith. Then God gives us his Holy Spirit, joy and peace, and eternal victory.
Third, "...be men of courage...." Men and women must be courageous. People of faith must be courageous like warriors. The courage mentioned here comes from faith. It is the courage to boldly offer our lives for the work of God. Many are working hard and sacrificing much to serve the Easter Conference and the upcoming Midwest - Missouri valley regional conferences. Their labor in the Lord is not in vain. It will be richly rewarded by God. Let's be people of courage and live sacrificial lives of faith, picking up our own crosses. God will indeed bless us when we do.
Fourth, "...be strong." We should not be weak. With a weak mind we cannot overcome difficulties to serve God in this world. So we must be strong. How can we be strong? Shall we work out regularly by lifting weights and jogging? Sure. Why not? But this is not enough. We must be strong in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Ti 2:1). When we repent of our sins and receive the grace of forgiveness, we can be really strong--strong enough to bear God's mission.
Fifth, "Do everything in love." The love of Christ should be in our hearts at all times as our motive and life source. Whatever we do, we should do it in love, joyfully, with gratitude. We must do everything in love: Bible study, music, drama, serving guests, and so on. Then we can be happy and make others happy, too. God will be pleased, and our community will be healthy and strong.
In verses 19-24 Paul gives some final greetings from churches in the province of Asia, from Aquila and Priscilla and their house church, and from all the brothers. Paul said, "Greet one another with a holy kiss." It was customary for Greek people of the time to greet others of the same gender with a hug and kiss. Paul wanted to redeem this custom and use it to encourage the affection of Christ in the Christian community. This is not necessarily something we should take literally today. I am not good at this anyway. When ever I try to give a “Mediterranean style” kiss to my Italian friend I end up kissing his ear lobe. Look at verse 22. Paul is not expressing personal anger at those who do not love the Lord. He is explaining that only Christ can save us from curse. Without Christ, everyone is subject to the Lord's righteous judgment and subject to the curse of the fall. (Gen ) Then Paul cried, "Come, O Lord!" He longed for Jesus' coming in power and glory. Finally Paul says, "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen." Though Paul had said many things to them in his letter, some of which were hard to digest, he ends with the grace of Christ, and love. The grace of Christ is greater than all our sin. The love of God unites us in the body of Christ, even though we have many weaknesses and problems.
As we finish the study of 1 Corinthians, let's pray that we may do everything in love.
1 Corinthians 16:1-24 NIU UBF
Key verse 16:13-14 3/21/10
“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.
Do everything in love."
Chapter 16 is the epilogue of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. Do you know how long we have been studying 1 Corinthians? Since September 9th (2009) of last year. We have learned a lot of how to solve many problems in life and ministry through the Gospel of Jesus. In this last chapter, Paul deals with several matters. He instructs the church about the collection for God's people (1-4). Not too popular a topic nowadays. He shares with them his future travel plans like any true friend and father would (4-8). He tells them to respect coworkers and leaders (9-12; 15-18). He exhorts them to faith and love (13-14). And finally, Paul shares greetings (19-24). There are many things to learn here. May God open your hearts to all that Paul wants to review in this epilogue and hold onto one point.
Part I: Prepare Your Gift For God's People (1-4)
First, the issue of offering. We don’t like to think about offering to God because we think that we are very poor in the present tough economy and we are in some special circumstance. We may be poor, granted, but we are not nearly as poor as these Corinthians were and Paul does not loosen up on his expectations on them. Look at verse 1a. "Now about the collection for God's people...." The word "collection," that is "logia" in Greek, appears only here in the Bible. It refers to collecting money for an offering. Sometimes preachers talk about money first, at the beginning of their message. And it may be of first importance…in order to keep up with building expenditures, salaries and programs. However, Paul mentions this collection last, at the end of his letter. He wanted to put the gospel at the forefront of all he did.
Let’s get back to this issue of offering. According to verse 1b, the Galatian churches would also participate. Verse 3b clarifies that it was to be sent to Jerusalem. No doubt, this refers to the collection Paul was taking up from the Gentile churches, mentioned in Romans 15:25-27. The believers in Jerusalem were in need, perhaps because of persecution (Ac 8:1) or widespread famine (Ac 11:28). Paul saw this as an opportunity for the Gentile Christians to express their love towards their Jewish brothers, and to acknowledge their spiritual debt by giving a material offering. It was not just a relief offering. It held a spiritual meaning serving to unite both Jew and Gentile in Christ. They were not just giving money, but making a spiritual relationship with Jerusalem believers, by the help of Paul (4). Here we learn that material giving is part of worship, and sharing with fellow believers, in their time, of need brings spiritual unity to the body of Christ. We thank God for all who have participated in the Christmas offering in helping to build the Bethesda Clinic in Uganda. There is another opportunity to offer at the upcoming Easter Conference. The offering is going to Haiti relief. Let's give as an act of worship to God, and for the blessing of our dear brothers and sisters in Christ in Haiti.
As an apostle of Christ Jesus, Paul gave spiritual direction about giving--not just to the Corinthians, but to other churches as well. In verse 1b, Paul said, "Do what I told the Galatian churches to do." In verse 2, Paul explained specifically what they should do: "On the first day of the week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made." The first day of the week was Sunday, the Lord's day. This is the day of Christian worship. The offering was to be presented as part of their worship of God. It was not just a relief offering for other people. It was an offering to God. We must view all of our offerings in this way. This is a great segue into some principles of offering.
Why should we offer to God? First, because God is the owner of all things. In Psalm 50:11,12 the Lord says, "I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it." The world belongs to God. As Jesus taught in the parable of the tenants, God is the owner and we are the tenants and stewards (Mk 12:2). To have a right relationship with God we must offer fruit to God. Second, God commanded his people to make a tithe offering in the Old Testament (Nu 18). According to Malachi, the tithe belongs to God. It is not ours. To withhold our tithe is tantamount to robbing God (Mal 3:8). Third, God promises to bless those who offer tithes to him. Malachi 3:10b says, "Test me in this, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." There are many who testify that God keeps his promise. When Abraham won a great victory over his enemies, he offered a tithe to God through his servant, Melchizedek (Gen 14:20). When Jacob made a covenant with God, he promised to give back a tenth of all God gave him (Gen 28:22). These ancestors of faith were abundantly blessed by God. In American history, John D. Rockefeller was faithful in giving a tithe to God throughout his lifetime. He confessed that his great success was God's blessing on tithing. One poor widow, who offered to God all she had to live on, was commended by Jesus (Mk 12:43-44). She teaches how to give our hearts to God, and how to give by faith. I can testify this same teaching with my own family. Ever since our family’s conception, Julie has been faithful to help us to tithe our gross income. We have been abundantly blessed by God in every way, even today in this tough economy. This kind of giving pleases God.
Giving to God should be first on our minds. Verse 2 says, "On the first day of every week...." It should take priority in one's budget planning, and should be done regularly, not just once in a while. Furthermore, "each one" should offer. It is not enough that one's father offers to God, "each one" must offer to God. I want my kids to learn this principle and so I require them to offer personally. We should "set aside a sum of money," preparing in advance--not shuffling through our pockets at the last minute as the offering basket comes around. Here is an example of one who prepares before hand. At a time after the Korean War, there was one Korean lady who would put one scoop of rice in a bag before cooking for the family. Then she would take the bag to the church for Sunday and offer the rice at church. If we just took time to prepare and make offerings in advance then it would not feel like such a burden to us In verse 3, this offering is called a "gift." Here, the Greek word for gift is "charis," which also means "grace." Christian giving should be willing and joyful, with a deep sense of God's grace. It should not be legalistic. Since Christ died for us, to forgive our sins and give us eternal life, we owe everything, even our very lives, to Christ. When we offer materially, it should be with a sense of gratitude and worship. (And there is another matter. Let’s face the facts…if you ever want to have any authority or clout in any church you must be a faithful giver.)
The Church should raise up faithful stewards of God’s money. Look at verse 3. "Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem." The Corinthians should choose faithful representatives to take the offering to Jerusalem (1 Cor 4:2). It is a high calling to be treasurer of a church or ministry. Such people must have a very high degree of integrity and live before God always.
Part II: Paul's Plans, And Requests Regarding Coworkers (5-12; 15-18)
Verses 5-7 explain Paul's travel plans. He would go through Macedonia, visiting churches, and then continue on to Corinth (5). Paul hoped he could "stay awhile, or even spend the winter" (6). He did not want to "make only a passing visit...[but] to spend time with [them]" (7). As we have studied, there were many problems in Corinth. Some pastors would have avoided the Corinthians, saying "Hello," as they passed by quickly, or sending superficial e-mails, not wanting to deal with their issues. However, Paul was a true shepherd. In their time of need, he wanted to be with them and spend time with them counseling them and praying for them and with them and studying the Bible with them. He was ready to bear misunderstanding and pain to share fellowship. Paul also respected them. In verse 6, Paul said, "...so that you can help me on my journey...." Paul knew they were spiritually immature. But he treated them as valuable coworkers who could participate meaningfully in world mission. Still, Paul concluded, "...if the Lord permits" (7). Ultimately, Paul submitted his plans to the Lord's guidance.
In keeping with these principles, Paul decided to stay in Ephesus. Why? He said in verse 9. "...because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me." As we learn in Acts 19, when Paul visited Ephesus, he found a handful of disciples already there. However, there was something strange about them. They never expressed any spiritual joy. When they sang a hymn, it sounded like a funeral. So Paul asked, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They said, "No, we did not even hear that there is a Holy Spirit." (Acts 19:2) So Paul shared the good news with them and baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they received the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues and prophesy. (Acts 19:6) Suddenly, they all became excited about Jesus and the gospel and eagerly shared the word of God. They became promising Bible messengers! Paul began to have Bible discussions with them daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. (Acts 19:9) Within two years, all the Jews and Greeks in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord (Ac 19:10). There was a great work of repentance and many burned their sorcery scrolls publicly to renounce their evil deeds. One whole region of the world was being liberated from the devil's power.
God was working powerfully and so the hindrance of Satan was to be expected. Paul suffered harm and his life was in danger. It was costly for Paul to remain in Ephesus. Moreover, Paul's heart ached to visit Corinth. However, Paul made a clear decision to stay in Ephesus, following the work of the Holy Spirit. This is what made Paul so useful in the work of God. When we follow the work of the Holy Spirit, we can be used greatly by God. However, one who ignores the leading of the Holy Spirit becomes useless. They may even hinder the work of God unknowingly. Where are there evangelical doors being opened up today? There are open doors in Latin America and China. There are miraculous things going in those regions. Some say there are 90-100 million house churches in China. It is impossible for man to evangelize in such large numbers. God is definitely working. In Brazil one church was filled in 6 months. In America a medium sized door is being opened. I pray that through this Easter conference the moving of the Holy Spirit may be reveal clearly, in each of our personal lives and ministries and especially in our co-working relationship with DuPage UBF.
Though Paul could not visit Corinth at exactly that time, he did what he could. Paul sent Timothy by way of Macedonia (Ac 19:22). Timothy, Paul's spiritual son, had learned his gospel faith and lifestyle. As 1 Corinthians 4:17 says, Paul wanted Timothy to share this faith and lifestyle with the Corinthians. However, Timothy was different than Paul. Paul was a strong, charismatic leader. Timothy was timid. (2 Tim 1:6,7) Paul worried that in the volatile Corinthian church, members would intimidate Timothy and make him fearful. Rude people would disrespect young Timothy. So Paul warned the Corinthians, "...see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am" (10). Let’s face it…disrespectful people create an atmosphere of cynicism and hostility in a church. They can not be blessed. When the Corinthians respected Timothy, as they did Paul, God would bless them. Let's respect God's servants from our hearts.
Look at verse 12. Paul wanted to send Apollos to Corinth as well. Paul valued Apollos as a coworker and called him "our brother." Paul declared his trust in Apollos and supported his ministry in Corinth, even though there had been a division problem. It was Apollos who was reluctant to go to Corinth.
In verses 15-18, Paul mentions some of the Corinthian leaders. The household of Stephanus was noteworthy because they were the first converts in Achaia and devoted themselves to the service of the saints. Together with Fortunatus and Achaicus they worked hard behind the scenes for reconciliation and unity. As they brought the news of Corinth to Paul, and Paul's words of instruction to Corinth, it required humility, much prayer and a constant spiritual struggle. Then through them, everyone was refreshed. Paul recognized their leadership and urged the Corinthians "to submit to such as these and to everyone who joins in the work, and labors at it" (16). In this part, we learn Paul's secret of following the work of the Holy Spirit and of coworking with others. Many think that Paul was fruitful because he was a kind of spiritual superman. But this is not true. Paul was fruitful because he followed the work of the Holy Spirit and coworked with many servants of God. Let's learn how to be fruitful through Paul's example, especially in co working with servants of God from Chicago, DuPage and Triton UBF and the DeKalb Christian church.
Part III: Stand Firm In The Faith (13-14; 19-24)
In the midst of giving practical instructions, Paul paused in verses 13-14 to share one last exhortation with the Corinthians. These words summarize the essential point of Paul's letter. Let's read verses 13-14. "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love." Here we find five words of exhortation.
First, "Be on your guard." This is a warning against the devil's work. Paul knew that our struggle is not against people, but against the devil (Eph 6:12). The devil prowls around like a roaring lion, trying to drag people away from God to be his prisoner. No mere human being can defeat the devil. Jesus warned his disciples to watch and pray not to fall into temptation (Mk 14:38). When we pray, Almighty God gives us victory over the devil.
Second, "...stand firm in the faith...." Christian faith stands on the fact that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures...[and] that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures..." (15:3,4). Christ saves those who believe in him from all the consequences of sin. Christ gives us eternal life and an inheritance in the kingdom of God. Christ will raise our bodies from the dead and give us glorious resurrection bodies. God gives us everything in Christ. Yet sometimes, Satan whispers, "Faith is useless. Take it easy and spend the rest of your days enjoying fun and relaxing. You only live once." If we lose our faith, we lose everything. We must stand firm in the faith. Then God gives us his Holy Spirit, joy and peace, and eternal victory.
Third, "...be men of courage...." Men and women must be courageous. People of faith must be courageous like warriors. The courage mentioned here comes from faith. It is the courage to boldly offer our lives for the work of God. Many are working hard and sacrificing much to serve the Easter Conference and the upcoming Midwest - Missouri valley regional conferences. Their labor in the Lord is not in vain. It will be richly rewarded by God. Let's be people of courage and live sacrificial lives of faith, picking up our own crosses. God will indeed bless us when we do.
Fourth, "...be strong." We should not be weak. With a weak mind we cannot overcome difficulties to serve God in this world. So we must be strong. How can we be strong? Shall we work out regularly by lifting weights and jogging? Sure. Why not? But this is not enough. We must be strong in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Ti 2:1). When we repent of our sins and receive the grace of forgiveness, we can be really strong--strong enough to bear God's mission.
Fifth, "Do everything in love." The love of Christ should be in our hearts at all times as our motive and life source. Whatever we do, we should do it in love, joyfully, with gratitude. We must do everything in love: Bible study, music, drama, serving guests, and so on. Then we can be happy and make others happy, too. God will be pleased, and our community will be healthy and strong.
In verses 19-24 Paul gives some final greetings from churches in the province of Asia, from Aquila and Priscilla and their house church, and from all the brothers. Paul said, "Greet one another with a holy kiss." It was customary for Greek people of the time to greet others of the same gender with a hug and kiss. Paul wanted to redeem this custom and use it to encourage the affection of Christ in the Christian community. This is not necessarily something we should take literally today. I am not good at this anyway. When ever I try to give a “Mediterranean style” kiss to my Italian friend I end up kissing his ear lobe. Look at verse 22. Paul is not expressing personal anger at those who do not love the Lord. He is explaining that only Christ can save us from curse. Without Christ, everyone is subject to the Lord's righteous judgment and subject to the curse of the fall. (Gen ) Then Paul cried, "Come, O Lord!" He longed for Jesus' coming in power and glory. Finally Paul says, "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen." Though Paul had said many things to them in his letter, some of which were hard to digest, he ends with the grace of Christ, and love. The grace of Christ is greater than all our sin. The love of God unites us in the body of Christ, even though we have many weaknesses and problems.
As we finish the study of 1 Corinthians, let's pray that we may do everything in love.
The Glory Of The Resurrection
1 Corinthians 15:35-58 Easter Conference 4-3-10
Key verse 15: 49 Shp Kevin Jesmer
“And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.”
I thank and praise Jesus for helping us to take these last few days to think exclusively about the Gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection. We needed this time together, to take our eyes off the perishing things of this world and focus them exclusively on what is truly important, our eternal hope in Christ. Let us review a little. From Tim Sagel’s message we have learned about the gospel of our salvation – Jesus’ death and resurrection and how Jesus’ death and resurrection solves all of our sin and death problems, which is really at the heart of all of our problems. Through Jeremy Hajek’s message, we learn about the power of the resurrection that totally discards our old nature and makes us alive in Christ. And now, we will see how Paul concludes this beautiful chapter with yet another aspect of the gospel of the resurrection called, “The glory of the resurrection.” The resurrection is glorious beyond our imagination. It is the glory that we must behold and it is the glory that we seek after with all of our hearts. Let’s see…
Part l: Death…A Necessary Prerequisite To The Resurrection (35-38)
There were some questions among the Corinthians, as to the nature of the resurrected bodies. Paul continues to tell us more about the resurrection of the dead. Let’s read verse 35 all together. “But someone may ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?’" Apparently, some of the people had a question about how the dead were raised. They wondered about what kind of body they would they be raised in (35). It is hard to imagine what a resurrected body will look like. We see many pictures about the resurrected Jesus but not many about the resurrected believers. As we see every day on the news, some people's bodies are victims of natural disasters. Most people who pass away are very old and their bodies as weak and frail. After death more people are being cremated. If I am ever cremated then please sprinkle half may ashes over NIU campus and the other half over the Hamburger University campus. It is so beautiful here. These Corinthians couldn’t imagine what a resurrected body would look like. Would it look like a scene from the movie Zombie Land? Would it be like a huge nursing home convention? So in their confusion, some people asked, "How are the dead raised?" They did not understand the very nature of the resurrection. So, Paul sets out to explain the facts.
Paul did not accept their misunderstanding. Look at verse 36a. “How foolish!” Paul considers such unbelieving speculation as foolish. Why? It is because God has revealed the resurrection so clearly to us. Let’s think about it is and then you will say, “Dah! How foolish!” Since it is spring, we can see the resurrection revealed clearly in nature. Look at the ground outside. What do you see? Yes! Beautiful lilies are blossoming through cold dark earth. A beautiful plant is produced from a lowly, ordinary bulb. God has provided this evidence about the nature of the resurrection. Romans 1:19-20 reads, “since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” To Paul, and to those who have eyes to see the glory of God in this created world, it is foolish to question the resurrection. So through this message let us cast off all foolishness and believe!
Let’s think more about Paul’s metaphor of a seed and a plant. Let’s read verses 36b- 38, “…What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.”
It is natural law that a seed must die if a beautiful plant is ever to come to life, producing a colorful blossom full of life and beauty. We can say that the death of the seed is a necessary pre-requisite for the beautiful plant. More than that, we do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed. Then God gives it a body. To each kind of seed he gives its own body. If we sow an apple seed, an apple tree will grow. If we sow an orange seed, an orange tree is produced. Our physical bodies are like seeds. And, like seeds, our bodies necessarily should die order to receive a glorious, new resurrection body with all of its accompanying eternal beauty and glory.
It is interesting to note that that Paul states, “What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.” (36b) People tend to think that their lives in this world and in this “seed like” body are everything. They equate living with only breathing, eating, resting and being entertained. Now that’s living! Not really. They don’t seem to care if their hearts are lifeless or if the vitality of their bodies is being smothered by the dead and perishing hopes in this world. They claim that they are alive but in reality they are like the living death. Paul sets us straight here. According to Paul, compared to our resurrection bodies, the seed of our present bodies has not even come to life yet! The seed of our present body is lifeless compared the explosion of life that is going to be revealed at the time of the resurrection. We will be infused with so much life, that we won’t even be able to handle it, unless we are changed.
But must we wait until we all pass away in our old age until we taste it? No. Listen again to what Paul says, “What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.” This brings to mind a resurrection principle. This resurrection principle is spoken of by Jesus in John 12:24, Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” Jesus also tells us that our bodies are like seeds that must fall the ground and die, in order for fruit to be born and for us to gain life. In Jennifer Jesmer’s message we learn of Jesus’ bold declaration about himself. Do you remember? Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who lives and believes in me will live, even though he dies; and he who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” We can get a taste of the glory of the resurrection and the resurrected life, not decades from now, but even today. God will manifest the glory of the resurrection in us, as we allow this earthly body to fall to the ground and die. This can be done by deciding to believe in Jesus and living for Jesus and his precious gospel. Then we will begin to taste the life of God flowing though your soul.
Paul saw this fact in the faces of the first believers. In the Book of Acts, Stephen, a faithful man of God, was just about to give a long discourse concerning the coming Messiah to the enemies of God. He would be stoned for this. But before the discourse the Bible says, “All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” (Acts 6:15) Stephen had been allowing “seed”, his body to fall to the ground and die for the glory of God. And the glory of the resurrection was being revealed in him. There is evidence of this even among us. Look at Monica Barry. She is in her retirement years, but she has applied the resurrection principle in her life. She is laying down her life for Jesus. Recently she came back from Uganda serving a medical mission there. She is not planning a quiet retirement but planning how she can continually allow her seed to fall to the ground for the glory of God. She is youthful and glorious. In front of my computer is Mother Sarah Barry. She is in her late seventies in the photo and just had hip replacement surgery. And yet she is in the Middle East riding a camel smiling from ear to ear! She is full of life and vitality because she practically lets her body fall to the ground and die serving Jesus. She is glorious too. I can see many among you who are manifesting some of the glory of the resurrection as you lay down your lives for Jesus. To all those who think that living life with a dead feeling in your hearts and powerlessness in your limbs is normal, it is not normal. Come to Jesus. Hear his word. Allow your seeds to fall to the ground and die. You will cross over from death to life (John 5:24) and a glimpse of the glory of the resurrection will be manifest in you too!
Part ll: The Glory Of The Resurrection (39-49)
Paul changes his metaphors from flora to fauna and then to the celestial in order to explained more about the glory of the resurrection. Listen to what he says in verses 39b-41, “…All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 40There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. 41The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.” Here Paul is trying to establish the fact that just every body in our universe has its own purpose and splendor. There are many kinds of bodies: animals, people, birds and fish. Each has been given a physical body in order to live in this world. Each has its own unique splendor. Have you ever seen a lion in the wild take down a wildebeest? (Go to an African Summer Bible Conference and you might see it.) Have you seen a huge marlin fish fly through the air after breaking through the surface of the ocean? Have you taken time to see the moon and the stars on a cloudless night? Come to DeKalb on a cloudless night and you will be amazed! Just as there are earthly bodies, there are also heavenly bodies. We can not go to heaven and dwell their in our present bodies. Do you really want to? I don’t think so. Our heavenly bodies will be uniquely equipped to spend eternal life in heaven with Jesus forever. Let’s learn more about our resurrection bodies!
The nature of the resurrection body is necessarily different from our physical bodies. Look at verses 42-44b. "So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." We all want to live a glorious life, forever in this world. But the reality is we are perishing. Even the bodies star Olympians will be disintegrate in the earth. The Bible refers to our bodies as being like jars of clay. (Rom 4:7) Jars of clay crumble to dust. Some people may look strong. But even a tiny flu bug makes them powerless. In our jars of clay, we discover our weaknesses and limitations. In these bodies we suffer from constant temptation from our sinful desires. We get weaker and weaker and finally, in the end, we become dishonorable. We can not and must not live forever in these jars of clay!!
The spiritual body is fully equipped to dwell with Jesus forever in the Kingdom of God. Look at verses 42b-44 again. The spiritual body is not limited. It is imperishable, glorious, powerful, and, of course, spiritual. Our bodies will be changed into these resurrection bodies. I am very happy about this. I will not go to heaven with my pot belly that doesn’t seem to go away, nor with my tired muscles, vague anxieties and sinful heart. No way! All those in Christ will be given an imperishable, glorious, powerful resurrection body.
But how is this fantastic transformation possible? Look at verses 45-48, “45So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being]; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.” 46The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.” The reality is that we are born of the dust, born in the likeness of the earthly man. But at the resurrection we will bear the likeness of Christ. We can not change inner selves, no matter how much we try. Flesh gives birth to flesh and spirit gives birth to spirit. (Jn 3:6) You can exercise and take all the vitamins you want. On our own there is no way. But there is a way in Christ! Look at verse 45 again. We can and will be changed through the life giving spirit of Jesus. Praise God!
What will our resurrection bodies look like? Let’s read verse 49. “And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we[f] bear the likeness of the man from heaven.” To put it simply, our resurrection bodies will be like that of Jesus after his own resurrection. Jesus rose with a different body. He was not in the tortured body that he died in on the cross. He rose up through his burial clothes. (Jn 20:7) He passed through locks doors. (Jn 20:19) He ate with his disciples. He rose up into the air. (Acts 1:9). Jesus gave his three top disciples a glimpse of full glory while on the mount of transfiguration. “ 2There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” (Matt 17:2) John, in his Book Of Revelation, saw the glorious Jesus in a vision and wrote about him. “I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man,"[a]dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance..” (Rev 1:12-16) This image of the resurrection Jesus, in his full glory, was so magnificent that John fell as though dead. The Bible says that when Jesus comes again, we shall be like him. (1 John 3:2) Just as we have born the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven. (49) Will we recognize each other in heaven? You bet we will. Paul says that star differs from star in splendor. We will be unique as we are now. I will take one look at Julie and say, “Julie, Before I thought you were the most beautiful woman in the world, but wow! Look at you now!”
Part lll: Seek After The Glory Of The Resurrection
Our upcoming resurrection is glorious. Our resurrection bodies will be glorious! This is the glory that we should desire the most and seek the most while living in this world. The sad reality is that most people live for physical glory more than the glory of the resurrection. Physical glory is the glory of the flesh – the physical body. People waste their entire lives chasing physical glory, that actually eludes them. Spending their time seeking wordly glory is akin to polishing the seed that God has given them, never allowing it to fall to the ground and die. Such people are ignoring Jesus and heavenly glory for the perishing things of this world.
But Christians are different. Christians are those who seek after heavenly glory with their whole hearts! Heavenly glory is spiritual glory. True Christians know that their immortal souls can never be happy until it achieves heavenly glory. True Christians know that their physical bodies are only seeds compared to the heavenly body God has in store for them. For these reasons and more, they seek spiritual glory with all of their hearts.
In this life I have a tendency to live for physical glory. I enjoy it when people perceive me as a noble father. I enjoy it when I sing with the Kish-wau-keys Barbershop singers at local nursing homes. Hey! A person has to start somewhere. I enjoy the feelings I get when people respect me as a nurse. I enjoy being tall and relatively healthy. All of these things are earthly glory and they tempt me to ignore Jesus and seek after the recognition and praise of the world. Sometimes desire for this glory supersedes my desires for heavenly glory and my seeking after heavenly glory wanes. But I learn from this passage that I must repent and seek heavenly glory the most. It is hard at times, but I know that through the life giving spirit of Jesus and his gospel, Jesus has provided a way for me and all of us.
Part lV: Ultimate victory (50-58)
Paul tells of the ultimate victory we have in Jesus. Let’s read verses 51-52, "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed" (51-52). Here, the trumpet sound signals the Second Coming of Jesus. At that time Jesus will come again as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus, “ himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” We will be changed and dwell with our beloved Lord Jesus forever. (1 Thess 4:16-17) The last day is a day of judgment for the enemies of God, but it is a day of salvation for all who are in Christ.
We suffer a lot because the elements of death, like fear, despair, sorrow and fatalism. These have a tenacious hold on us causing stinging pain. But on that great day, the power of death will be completely destroyed. When Jesus comes again the elements of death no longer have any hold. Look at verses 54-56. Let’s read those together, “54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."[c] 55"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"[d] 56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” More than that, death will be swallowed up in victory, completely defeated forever more. Knowing this caused Paul to shout, "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” We all want the mantra of our lives to be victory shout. But only in Jesus, who destroyed the power of death, through his resurrection, can give us the victory that we all long for.
Knowing that we will be partakers of the resurrection, how must we live? Let’s read verse 58 together. "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." In this world, we can easily forget the gospel in our quest for lesser things. Our hearts are swayed by alluring philosophies of life. We are tempted and tried and have one foot in Jesus and one foot in the world. But know this fact…this world and its desires will all pass away! Only the word of the Lord remains forever. Only our resurrection bodies will live forever in the Kingdom of God. (1 Peter 1:3-4) Only the fruit of our labor in the Lord lasts forever. So let's pray that we may stand firm in our gospel faith and let nothing move us from seeking the glory of the resurrection. Let’s give our hearts all the more to the work of the Lord, because our labor in the Lord is never in vain. The Risen Christ will reward believers 100 times, whatever they do for him. (Mark 4:20) Someday we will be clothed in the imperishable, immortal image of the Risen Christ. We will receive the kingdom of heaven as our inheritance.
This Easter, may God help each of you to decide to seek after the glory of the resurrection as of first importance. May you taste the glory of the resurrection even now as you allow yourself to fall to ground, living for Jesus’ glory. And one glorious day…may you be enclothed in your brand new, resurrection body and meet Jesus and dwell with him forever more in the kingdom of God. May the mantra of your lives be a victory shout through your resurrection faith in Christ.
Let’s read our Key verse together, verse 49, ““And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.”
1 Corinthians 15:35-58 Easter Conference 4-3-10
Key verse 15: 49 Shp Kevin Jesmer
“And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.”
I thank and praise Jesus for helping us to take these last few days to think exclusively about the Gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection. We needed this time together, to take our eyes off the perishing things of this world and focus them exclusively on what is truly important, our eternal hope in Christ. Let us review a little. From Tim Sagel’s message we have learned about the gospel of our salvation – Jesus’ death and resurrection and how Jesus’ death and resurrection solves all of our sin and death problems, which is really at the heart of all of our problems. Through Jeremy Hajek’s message, we learn about the power of the resurrection that totally discards our old nature and makes us alive in Christ. And now, we will see how Paul concludes this beautiful chapter with yet another aspect of the gospel of the resurrection called, “The glory of the resurrection.” The resurrection is glorious beyond our imagination. It is the glory that we must behold and it is the glory that we seek after with all of our hearts. Let’s see…
Part l: Death…A Necessary Prerequisite To The Resurrection (35-38)
There were some questions among the Corinthians, as to the nature of the resurrected bodies. Paul continues to tell us more about the resurrection of the dead. Let’s read verse 35 all together. “But someone may ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?’" Apparently, some of the people had a question about how the dead were raised. They wondered about what kind of body they would they be raised in (35). It is hard to imagine what a resurrected body will look like. We see many pictures about the resurrected Jesus but not many about the resurrected believers. As we see every day on the news, some people's bodies are victims of natural disasters. Most people who pass away are very old and their bodies as weak and frail. After death more people are being cremated. If I am ever cremated then please sprinkle half may ashes over NIU campus and the other half over the Hamburger University campus. It is so beautiful here. These Corinthians couldn’t imagine what a resurrected body would look like. Would it look like a scene from the movie Zombie Land? Would it be like a huge nursing home convention? So in their confusion, some people asked, "How are the dead raised?" They did not understand the very nature of the resurrection. So, Paul sets out to explain the facts.
Paul did not accept their misunderstanding. Look at verse 36a. “How foolish!” Paul considers such unbelieving speculation as foolish. Why? It is because God has revealed the resurrection so clearly to us. Let’s think about it is and then you will say, “Dah! How foolish!” Since it is spring, we can see the resurrection revealed clearly in nature. Look at the ground outside. What do you see? Yes! Beautiful lilies are blossoming through cold dark earth. A beautiful plant is produced from a lowly, ordinary bulb. God has provided this evidence about the nature of the resurrection. Romans 1:19-20 reads, “since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” To Paul, and to those who have eyes to see the glory of God in this created world, it is foolish to question the resurrection. So through this message let us cast off all foolishness and believe!
Let’s think more about Paul’s metaphor of a seed and a plant. Let’s read verses 36b- 38, “…What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.”
It is natural law that a seed must die if a beautiful plant is ever to come to life, producing a colorful blossom full of life and beauty. We can say that the death of the seed is a necessary pre-requisite for the beautiful plant. More than that, we do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed. Then God gives it a body. To each kind of seed he gives its own body. If we sow an apple seed, an apple tree will grow. If we sow an orange seed, an orange tree is produced. Our physical bodies are like seeds. And, like seeds, our bodies necessarily should die order to receive a glorious, new resurrection body with all of its accompanying eternal beauty and glory.
It is interesting to note that that Paul states, “What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.” (36b) People tend to think that their lives in this world and in this “seed like” body are everything. They equate living with only breathing, eating, resting and being entertained. Now that’s living! Not really. They don’t seem to care if their hearts are lifeless or if the vitality of their bodies is being smothered by the dead and perishing hopes in this world. They claim that they are alive but in reality they are like the living death. Paul sets us straight here. According to Paul, compared to our resurrection bodies, the seed of our present bodies has not even come to life yet! The seed of our present body is lifeless compared the explosion of life that is going to be revealed at the time of the resurrection. We will be infused with so much life, that we won’t even be able to handle it, unless we are changed.
But must we wait until we all pass away in our old age until we taste it? No. Listen again to what Paul says, “What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.” This brings to mind a resurrection principle. This resurrection principle is spoken of by Jesus in John 12:24, Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” Jesus also tells us that our bodies are like seeds that must fall the ground and die, in order for fruit to be born and for us to gain life. In Jennifer Jesmer’s message we learn of Jesus’ bold declaration about himself. Do you remember? Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who lives and believes in me will live, even though he dies; and he who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” We can get a taste of the glory of the resurrection and the resurrected life, not decades from now, but even today. God will manifest the glory of the resurrection in us, as we allow this earthly body to fall to the ground and die. This can be done by deciding to believe in Jesus and living for Jesus and his precious gospel. Then we will begin to taste the life of God flowing though your soul.
Paul saw this fact in the faces of the first believers. In the Book of Acts, Stephen, a faithful man of God, was just about to give a long discourse concerning the coming Messiah to the enemies of God. He would be stoned for this. But before the discourse the Bible says, “All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” (Acts 6:15) Stephen had been allowing “seed”, his body to fall to the ground and die for the glory of God. And the glory of the resurrection was being revealed in him. There is evidence of this even among us. Look at Monica Barry. She is in her retirement years, but she has applied the resurrection principle in her life. She is laying down her life for Jesus. Recently she came back from Uganda serving a medical mission there. She is not planning a quiet retirement but planning how she can continually allow her seed to fall to the ground for the glory of God. She is youthful and glorious. In front of my computer is Mother Sarah Barry. She is in her late seventies in the photo and just had hip replacement surgery. And yet she is in the Middle East riding a camel smiling from ear to ear! She is full of life and vitality because she practically lets her body fall to the ground and die serving Jesus. She is glorious too. I can see many among you who are manifesting some of the glory of the resurrection as you lay down your lives for Jesus. To all those who think that living life with a dead feeling in your hearts and powerlessness in your limbs is normal, it is not normal. Come to Jesus. Hear his word. Allow your seeds to fall to the ground and die. You will cross over from death to life (John 5:24) and a glimpse of the glory of the resurrection will be manifest in you too!
Part ll: The Glory Of The Resurrection (39-49)
Paul changes his metaphors from flora to fauna and then to the celestial in order to explained more about the glory of the resurrection. Listen to what he says in verses 39b-41, “…All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 40There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. 41The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.” Here Paul is trying to establish the fact that just every body in our universe has its own purpose and splendor. There are many kinds of bodies: animals, people, birds and fish. Each has been given a physical body in order to live in this world. Each has its own unique splendor. Have you ever seen a lion in the wild take down a wildebeest? (Go to an African Summer Bible Conference and you might see it.) Have you seen a huge marlin fish fly through the air after breaking through the surface of the ocean? Have you taken time to see the moon and the stars on a cloudless night? Come to DeKalb on a cloudless night and you will be amazed! Just as there are earthly bodies, there are also heavenly bodies. We can not go to heaven and dwell their in our present bodies. Do you really want to? I don’t think so. Our heavenly bodies will be uniquely equipped to spend eternal life in heaven with Jesus forever. Let’s learn more about our resurrection bodies!
The nature of the resurrection body is necessarily different from our physical bodies. Look at verses 42-44b. "So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." We all want to live a glorious life, forever in this world. But the reality is we are perishing. Even the bodies star Olympians will be disintegrate in the earth. The Bible refers to our bodies as being like jars of clay. (Rom 4:7) Jars of clay crumble to dust. Some people may look strong. But even a tiny flu bug makes them powerless. In our jars of clay, we discover our weaknesses and limitations. In these bodies we suffer from constant temptation from our sinful desires. We get weaker and weaker and finally, in the end, we become dishonorable. We can not and must not live forever in these jars of clay!!
The spiritual body is fully equipped to dwell with Jesus forever in the Kingdom of God. Look at verses 42b-44 again. The spiritual body is not limited. It is imperishable, glorious, powerful, and, of course, spiritual. Our bodies will be changed into these resurrection bodies. I am very happy about this. I will not go to heaven with my pot belly that doesn’t seem to go away, nor with my tired muscles, vague anxieties and sinful heart. No way! All those in Christ will be given an imperishable, glorious, powerful resurrection body.
But how is this fantastic transformation possible? Look at verses 45-48, “45So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being]; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.” 46The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.” The reality is that we are born of the dust, born in the likeness of the earthly man. But at the resurrection we will bear the likeness of Christ. We can not change inner selves, no matter how much we try. Flesh gives birth to flesh and spirit gives birth to spirit. (Jn 3:6) You can exercise and take all the vitamins you want. On our own there is no way. But there is a way in Christ! Look at verse 45 again. We can and will be changed through the life giving spirit of Jesus. Praise God!
What will our resurrection bodies look like? Let’s read verse 49. “And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we[f] bear the likeness of the man from heaven.” To put it simply, our resurrection bodies will be like that of Jesus after his own resurrection. Jesus rose with a different body. He was not in the tortured body that he died in on the cross. He rose up through his burial clothes. (Jn 20:7) He passed through locks doors. (Jn 20:19) He ate with his disciples. He rose up into the air. (Acts 1:9). Jesus gave his three top disciples a glimpse of full glory while on the mount of transfiguration. “ 2There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” (Matt 17:2) John, in his Book Of Revelation, saw the glorious Jesus in a vision and wrote about him. “I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man,"[a]dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance..” (Rev 1:12-16) This image of the resurrection Jesus, in his full glory, was so magnificent that John fell as though dead. The Bible says that when Jesus comes again, we shall be like him. (1 John 3:2) Just as we have born the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven. (49) Will we recognize each other in heaven? You bet we will. Paul says that star differs from star in splendor. We will be unique as we are now. I will take one look at Julie and say, “Julie, Before I thought you were the most beautiful woman in the world, but wow! Look at you now!”
Part lll: Seek After The Glory Of The Resurrection
Our upcoming resurrection is glorious. Our resurrection bodies will be glorious! This is the glory that we should desire the most and seek the most while living in this world. The sad reality is that most people live for physical glory more than the glory of the resurrection. Physical glory is the glory of the flesh – the physical body. People waste their entire lives chasing physical glory, that actually eludes them. Spending their time seeking wordly glory is akin to polishing the seed that God has given them, never allowing it to fall to the ground and die. Such people are ignoring Jesus and heavenly glory for the perishing things of this world.
But Christians are different. Christians are those who seek after heavenly glory with their whole hearts! Heavenly glory is spiritual glory. True Christians know that their immortal souls can never be happy until it achieves heavenly glory. True Christians know that their physical bodies are only seeds compared to the heavenly body God has in store for them. For these reasons and more, they seek spiritual glory with all of their hearts.
In this life I have a tendency to live for physical glory. I enjoy it when people perceive me as a noble father. I enjoy it when I sing with the Kish-wau-keys Barbershop singers at local nursing homes. Hey! A person has to start somewhere. I enjoy the feelings I get when people respect me as a nurse. I enjoy being tall and relatively healthy. All of these things are earthly glory and they tempt me to ignore Jesus and seek after the recognition and praise of the world. Sometimes desire for this glory supersedes my desires for heavenly glory and my seeking after heavenly glory wanes. But I learn from this passage that I must repent and seek heavenly glory the most. It is hard at times, but I know that through the life giving spirit of Jesus and his gospel, Jesus has provided a way for me and all of us.
Part lV: Ultimate victory (50-58)
Paul tells of the ultimate victory we have in Jesus. Let’s read verses 51-52, "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed" (51-52). Here, the trumpet sound signals the Second Coming of Jesus. At that time Jesus will come again as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus, “ himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” We will be changed and dwell with our beloved Lord Jesus forever. (1 Thess 4:16-17) The last day is a day of judgment for the enemies of God, but it is a day of salvation for all who are in Christ.
We suffer a lot because the elements of death, like fear, despair, sorrow and fatalism. These have a tenacious hold on us causing stinging pain. But on that great day, the power of death will be completely destroyed. When Jesus comes again the elements of death no longer have any hold. Look at verses 54-56. Let’s read those together, “54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."[c] 55"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"[d] 56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” More than that, death will be swallowed up in victory, completely defeated forever more. Knowing this caused Paul to shout, "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” We all want the mantra of our lives to be victory shout. But only in Jesus, who destroyed the power of death, through his resurrection, can give us the victory that we all long for.
Knowing that we will be partakers of the resurrection, how must we live? Let’s read verse 58 together. "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." In this world, we can easily forget the gospel in our quest for lesser things. Our hearts are swayed by alluring philosophies of life. We are tempted and tried and have one foot in Jesus and one foot in the world. But know this fact…this world and its desires will all pass away! Only the word of the Lord remains forever. Only our resurrection bodies will live forever in the Kingdom of God. (1 Peter 1:3-4) Only the fruit of our labor in the Lord lasts forever. So let's pray that we may stand firm in our gospel faith and let nothing move us from seeking the glory of the resurrection. Let’s give our hearts all the more to the work of the Lord, because our labor in the Lord is never in vain. The Risen Christ will reward believers 100 times, whatever they do for him. (Mark 4:20) Someday we will be clothed in the imperishable, immortal image of the Risen Christ. We will receive the kingdom of heaven as our inheritance.
This Easter, may God help each of you to decide to seek after the glory of the resurrection as of first importance. May you taste the glory of the resurrection even now as you allow yourself to fall to ground, living for Jesus’ glory. And one glorious day…may you be enclothed in your brand new, resurrection body and meet Jesus and dwell with him forever more in the kingdom of God. May the mantra of your lives be a victory shout through your resurrection faith in Christ.
Let’s read our Key verse together, verse 49, ““And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.”
Sunday, April 11, 2010
1 Corinthians 15:35-38 Easter Sunday Message
The Glory Of The Resurrection
1 Corinthians 15:35-58 Easter Conference 4-3-10
Key verse 15: 49 Shp Kevin Jesmer
“And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.”
I thank and praise Jesus for helping us to take these last few days to think exclusively about the Gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection. We needed this time together, to take our eyes off the perishing things of this world and focus them exclusively on what is truly important, our eternal hope in Christ. Let us review a little. From Tim Sagel’s message we have learned about the gospel of our salvation – Jesus’ death and resurrection and how Jesus’ death and resurrection solves all of our sin and death problems, which is really at the heart of all of our problems. Through Jeremy Hajek’s message, we learn about the power of the resurrection that totally discards our old nature and makes us alive in Christ. And now, we will see how Paul concludes this beautiful chapter with yet another aspect of the gospel of the resurrection called, “The glory of the resurrection.” The resurrection is glorious beyond our imagination. It is the glory that we must behold and it is the glory that we seek after with all of our hearts. Let’s see…
Part l: Death…A Necessary Prerequisite To The Resurrection (35-38)
There were some questions among the Corinthians, as to the nature of the resurrected bodies. Paul continues to tell us more about the resurrection of the dead. Let’s read verse 35 all together. “But someone may ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?’" Apparently, some of the people had a question about how the dead were raised. They wondered about what kind of body they would they be raised in (35). It is hard to imagine what a resurrected body will look like. We see many pictures about the resurrected Jesus but not many about the resurrected believers. As we see every day on the news, some people's bodies are victims of natural disasters. Most people who pass away are very old and their bodies as weak and frail. After death more people are being cremated. If I am ever cremated then please sprinkle half may ashes over NIU campus and the other half over the Hamburger University campus. It is so beautiful here. These Corinthians couldn’t imagine what a resurrected body would look like. Would it look like a scene from the movie Zombie Land? Would it be like a huge nursing home convention? So in their confusion, some people asked, "How are the dead raised?" They did not understand the very nature of the resurrection. So, Paul sets out to explain the facts.
Paul did not accept their misunderstanding. Look at verse 36a. “How foolish!” Paul considers such unbelieving speculation as foolish. Why? It is because God has revealed the resurrection so clearly to us. Let’s think about it is and then you will say, “Dah! How foolish!” Since it is spring, we can see the resurrection revealed clearly in nature. Look at the ground outside. What do you see? Yes! Beautiful lilies are blossoming through cold dark earth. A beautiful plant is produced from a lowly, ordinary bulb. God has provided this evidence about the nature of the resurrection. Romans 1:19-20 reads, “since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” To Paul, and to those who have eyes to see the glory of God in this created world, it is foolish to question the resurrection. So through this message let us cast off all foolishness and believe!
Let’s think more about Paul’s metaphor of a seed and a plant. Let’s read verses 36b- 38, “…What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.”
It is natural law that a seed must die if a beautiful plant is ever to come to life, producing a colorful blossom full of life and beauty. We can say that the death of the seed is a necessary pre-requisite for the beautiful plant. More than that, we do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed. Then God gives it a body. To each kind of seed he gives its own body. If we sow an apple seed, an apple tree will grow. If we sow an orange seed, an orange tree is produced. Our physical bodies are like seeds. And, like seeds, our bodies necessarily should die order to receive a glorious, new resurrection body with all of its accompanying eternal beauty and glory.
It is interesting to note that that Paul states, “What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.” (36b) People tend to think that their lives in this world and in this “seed like” body are everything. They equate living with only breathing, eating, resting and being entertained. Now that’s living! Not really. They don’t seem to care if their hearts are lifeless or if the vitality of their bodies is being smothered by the dead and perishing hopes in this world. They claim that they are alive but in reality they are like the living death. Paul sets us straight here. According to Paul, compared to our resurrection bodies, the seed of our present bodies has not even come to life yet! The seed of our present body is lifeless compared the explosion of life that is going to be revealed at the time of the resurrection. We will be infused with so much life, that we won’t even be able to handle it, unless we are changed.
But must we wait until we all pass away in our old age until we taste it? No. Listen again to what Paul says, “What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.” This brings to mind a resurrection principle. This resurrection principle is spoken of by Jesus in John 12:24, Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” Jesus also tells us that our bodies are like seeds that must fall the ground and die, in order for fruit to be born and for us to gain life. In Jennifer Jesmer’s message we learn of Jesus’ bold declaration about himself. Do you remember? Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who lives and believes in me will live, even though he dies; and he who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” We can get a taste of the glory of the resurrection and the resurrected life, not decades from now, but even today. God will manifest the glory of the resurrection in us, as we allow this earthly body to fall to the ground and die. This can be done by deciding to believe in Jesus and living for Jesus and his precious gospel. Then we will begin to taste the life of God flowing though your soul.
Paul saw this fact in the faces of the first believers. In the Book of Acts, Stephen, a faithful man of God, was just about to give a long discourse concerning the coming Messiah to the enemies of God. He would be stoned for this. But before the discourse the Bible says, “All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” (Acts 6:15) Stephen had been allowing “seed”, his body to fall to the ground and die for the glory of God. And the glory of the resurrection was being revealed in him. There is evidence of this even among us. Look at Monica Barry. She is in her retirement years, but she has applied the resurrection principle in her life. She is laying down her life for Jesus. Recently she came back from Uganda serving a medical mission there. She is not planning a quiet retirement but planning how she can continually allow her seed to fall to the ground for the glory of God. She is youthful and glorious. In front of my computer is Mother Sarah Barry. She is in her late seventies in the photo and just had hip replacement surgery. And yet she is in the Middle East riding a camel smiling from ear to ear! She is full of life and vitality because she practically lets her body fall to the ground and die serving Jesus. She is glorious too. I can see many among you who are manifesting some of the glory of the resurrection as you lay down your lives for Jesus. To all those who think that living life with a dead feeling in your hearts and powerlessness in your limbs is normal, it is not normal. Come to Jesus. Hear his word. Allow your seeds to fall to the ground and die. You will cross over from death to life (John 5:24) and a glimpse of the glory of the resurrection will be manifest in you too!
Part ll: The Glory Of The Resurrection (39-49)
Paul changes his metaphors from flora to fauna and then to the celestial in order to explained more about the glory of the resurrection. Listen to what he says in verses 39b-41, “…All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 40There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. 41The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.” Here Paul is trying to establish the fact that just every body in our universe has its own purpose and splendor. There are many kinds of bodies: animals, people, birds and fish. Each has been given a physical body in order to live in this world. Each has its own unique splendor. Have you ever seen a lion in the wild take down a wildebeest? (Go to an African Summer Bible Conference and you might see it.) Have you seen a huge marlin fish fly through the air after breaking through the surface of the ocean? Have you taken time to see the moon and the stars on a cloudless night? Come to DeKalb on a cloudless night and you will be amazed! Just as there are earthly bodies, there are also heavenly bodies. We can not go to heaven and dwell their in our present bodies. Do you really want to? I don’t think so. Our heavenly bodies will be uniquely equipped to spend eternal life in heaven with Jesus forever. Let’s learn more about our resurrection bodies!
The nature of the resurrection body is necessarily different from our physical bodies. Look at verses 42-44b. "So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." We all want to live a glorious life, forever in this world. But the reality is we are perishing. Even the bodies star Olympians will be disintegrate in the earth. The Bible refers to our bodies as being like jars of clay. (Rom 4:7) Jars of clay crumble to dust. Some people may look strong. But even a tiny flu bug makes them powerless. In our jars of clay, we discover our weaknesses and limitations. In these bodies we suffer from constant temptation from our sinful desires. We get weaker and weaker and finally, in the end, we become dishonorable. We can not and must not live forever in these jars of clay!!
The spiritual body is fully equipped to dwell with Jesus forever in the Kingdom of God. Look at verses 42b-44 again. The spiritual body is not limited. It is imperishable, glorious, powerful, and, of course, spiritual. Our bodies will be changed into these resurrection bodies. I am very happy about this. I will not go to heaven with my pot belly that doesn’t seem to go away, nor with my tired muscles, vague anxieties and sinful heart. No way! All those in Christ will be given an imperishable, glorious, powerful resurrection body.
But how is this fantastic transformation possible? Look at verses 45-48, “45So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being]; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.” 46The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.” The reality is that we are born of the dust, born in the likeness of the earthly man. But at the resurrection we will bear the likeness of Christ. We can not change inner selves, no matter how much we try. Flesh gives birth to flesh and spirit gives birth to spirit. (Jn 3:6) You can exercise and take all the vitamins you want. On our own there is no way. But there is a way in Christ! Look at verse 45 again. We can and will be changed through the life giving spirit of Jesus. Praise God!
What will our resurrection bodies look like? Let’s read verse 49. “And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we[f] bear the likeness of the man from heaven.” To put it simply, our resurrection bodies will be like that of Jesus after his own resurrection. Jesus rose with a different body. He was not in the tortured body that he died in on the cross. He rose up through his burial clothes. (Jn 20:7) He passed through locks doors. (Jn 20:19) He ate with his disciples. He rose up into the air. (Acts 1:9). Jesus gave his three top disciples a glimpse of full glory while on the mount of transfiguration. “ 2There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” (Matt 17:2) John, in his Book Of Revelation, saw the glorious Jesus in a vision and wrote about him. “I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man,"[a]dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance..” (Rev 1:12-16) This image of the resurrection Jesus, in his full glory, was so magnificent that John fell as though dead. The Bible says that when Jesus comes again, we shall be like him. (1 John 3:2) Just as we have born the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven. (49) Will we recognize each other in heaven? You bet we will. Paul says that star differs from star in splendor. We will be unique as we are now. I will take one look at Julie and say, “Julie, Before I thought you were the most beautiful woman in the world, but wow! Look at you now!”
Part lll: Seek After The Glory Of The Resurrection
Our upcoming resurrection is glorious. Our resurrection bodies will be glorious! This is the glory that we should desire the most and seek the most while living in this world. The sad reality is that most people live for physical glory more than the glory of the resurrection. Physical glory is the glory of the flesh – the physical body. People waste their entire lives chasing physical glory, that actually eludes them. Spending their time seeking wordly glory is akin to polishing the seed that God has given them, never allowing it to fall to the ground and die. Such people are ignoring Jesus and heavenly glory for the perishing things of this world.
But Christians are different. Christians are those who seek after heavenly glory with their whole hearts! Heavenly glory is spiritual glory. True Christians know that their immortal souls can never be happy until it achieves heavenly glory. True Christians know that their physical bodies are only seeds compared to the heavenly body God has in store for them. For these reasons and more, they seek spiritual glory with all of their hearts.
In this life I have a tendency to live for physical glory. I enjoy it when people perceive me as a noble father. I enjoy it when I sing with the Kish-wau-keys Barbershop singers at local nursing homes. Hey! A person has to start somewhere. I enjoy the feelings I get when people respect me as a nurse. I enjoy being tall and relatively healthy. All of these things are earthly glory and they tempt me to ignore Jesus and seek after the recognition and praise of the world. Sometimes desire for this glory supersedes my desires for heavenly glory and my seeking after heavenly glory wanes. But I learn from this passage that I must repent and seek heavenly glory the most. It is hard at times, but I know that through the life giving spirit of Jesus and his gospel, Jesus has provided a way for me and all of us.
Part lV: Ultimate victory (50-58)
Paul tells of the ultimate victory we have in Jesus. Let’s read verses 51-52, "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed" (51-52). Here, the trumpet sound signals the Second Coming of Jesus. At that time Jesus will come again as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus, “ himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” We will be changed and dwell with our beloved Lord Jesus forever. (1 Thess 4:16-17) The last day is a day of judgment for the enemies of God, but it is a day of salvation for all who are in Christ.
We suffer a lot because the elements of death, like fear, despair, sorrow and fatalism. These have a tenacious hold on us causing stinging pain. But on that great day, the power of death will be completely destroyed. When Jesus comes again the elements of death no longer have any hold. Look at verses 54-56. Let’s read those together, “54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."[c] 55"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"[d] 56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” More than that, death will be swallowed up in victory, completely defeated forever more. Knowing this caused Paul to shout, "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” We all want the mantra of our lives to be victory shout. But only in Jesus, who destroyed the power of death, through his resurrection, can give us the victory that we all long for.
Knowing that we will be partakers of the resurrection, how must we live? Let’s read verse 58 together. "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." In this world, we can easily forget the gospel in our quest for lesser things. Our hearts are swayed by alluring philosophies of life. We are tempted and tried and have one foot in Jesus and one foot in the world. But know this fact…this world and its desires will all pass away! Only the word of the Lord remains forever. Only our resurrection bodies will live forever in the Kingdom of God. (1 Peter 1:3-4) Only the fruit of our labor in the Lord lasts forever. So let's pray that we may stand firm in our gospel faith and let nothing move us from seeking the glory of the resurrection. Let’s give our hearts all the more to the work of the Lord, because our labor in the Lord is never in vain. The Risen Christ will reward believers 100 times, whatever they do for him. (Mark 4:20) Someday we will be clothed in the imperishable, immortal image of the Risen Christ. We will receive the kingdom of heaven as our inheritance.
This Easter, may God help each of you to decide to seek after the glory of the resurrection as of first importance. May you taste the glory of the resurrection even now as you allow yourself to fall to ground, living for Jesus’ glory. And one glorious day…may you be enclothed in your brand new, resurrection body and meet Jesus and dwell with him forever more in the kingdom of God. May the mantra of your lives be a victory shout through your resurrection faith in Christ.
Let’s read our Key verse together, verse 49, ““And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.”
1 Corinthians 15:35-58 Easter Conference 4-3-10
Key verse 15: 49 Shp Kevin Jesmer
“And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.”
I thank and praise Jesus for helping us to take these last few days to think exclusively about the Gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection. We needed this time together, to take our eyes off the perishing things of this world and focus them exclusively on what is truly important, our eternal hope in Christ. Let us review a little. From Tim Sagel’s message we have learned about the gospel of our salvation – Jesus’ death and resurrection and how Jesus’ death and resurrection solves all of our sin and death problems, which is really at the heart of all of our problems. Through Jeremy Hajek’s message, we learn about the power of the resurrection that totally discards our old nature and makes us alive in Christ. And now, we will see how Paul concludes this beautiful chapter with yet another aspect of the gospel of the resurrection called, “The glory of the resurrection.” The resurrection is glorious beyond our imagination. It is the glory that we must behold and it is the glory that we seek after with all of our hearts. Let’s see…
Part l: Death…A Necessary Prerequisite To The Resurrection (35-38)
There were some questions among the Corinthians, as to the nature of the resurrected bodies. Paul continues to tell us more about the resurrection of the dead. Let’s read verse 35 all together. “But someone may ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?’" Apparently, some of the people had a question about how the dead were raised. They wondered about what kind of body they would they be raised in (35). It is hard to imagine what a resurrected body will look like. We see many pictures about the resurrected Jesus but not many about the resurrected believers. As we see every day on the news, some people's bodies are victims of natural disasters. Most people who pass away are very old and their bodies as weak and frail. After death more people are being cremated. If I am ever cremated then please sprinkle half may ashes over NIU campus and the other half over the Hamburger University campus. It is so beautiful here. These Corinthians couldn’t imagine what a resurrected body would look like. Would it look like a scene from the movie Zombie Land? Would it be like a huge nursing home convention? So in their confusion, some people asked, "How are the dead raised?" They did not understand the very nature of the resurrection. So, Paul sets out to explain the facts.
Paul did not accept their misunderstanding. Look at verse 36a. “How foolish!” Paul considers such unbelieving speculation as foolish. Why? It is because God has revealed the resurrection so clearly to us. Let’s think about it is and then you will say, “Dah! How foolish!” Since it is spring, we can see the resurrection revealed clearly in nature. Look at the ground outside. What do you see? Yes! Beautiful lilies are blossoming through cold dark earth. A beautiful plant is produced from a lowly, ordinary bulb. God has provided this evidence about the nature of the resurrection. Romans 1:19-20 reads, “since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” To Paul, and to those who have eyes to see the glory of God in this created world, it is foolish to question the resurrection. So through this message let us cast off all foolishness and believe!
Let’s think more about Paul’s metaphor of a seed and a plant. Let’s read verses 36b- 38, “…What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.”
It is natural law that a seed must die if a beautiful plant is ever to come to life, producing a colorful blossom full of life and beauty. We can say that the death of the seed is a necessary pre-requisite for the beautiful plant. More than that, we do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed. Then God gives it a body. To each kind of seed he gives its own body. If we sow an apple seed, an apple tree will grow. If we sow an orange seed, an orange tree is produced. Our physical bodies are like seeds. And, like seeds, our bodies necessarily should die order to receive a glorious, new resurrection body with all of its accompanying eternal beauty and glory.
It is interesting to note that that Paul states, “What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.” (36b) People tend to think that their lives in this world and in this “seed like” body are everything. They equate living with only breathing, eating, resting and being entertained. Now that’s living! Not really. They don’t seem to care if their hearts are lifeless or if the vitality of their bodies is being smothered by the dead and perishing hopes in this world. They claim that they are alive but in reality they are like the living death. Paul sets us straight here. According to Paul, compared to our resurrection bodies, the seed of our present bodies has not even come to life yet! The seed of our present body is lifeless compared the explosion of life that is going to be revealed at the time of the resurrection. We will be infused with so much life, that we won’t even be able to handle it, unless we are changed.
But must we wait until we all pass away in our old age until we taste it? No. Listen again to what Paul says, “What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.” This brings to mind a resurrection principle. This resurrection principle is spoken of by Jesus in John 12:24, Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” Jesus also tells us that our bodies are like seeds that must fall the ground and die, in order for fruit to be born and for us to gain life. In Jennifer Jesmer’s message we learn of Jesus’ bold declaration about himself. Do you remember? Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who lives and believes in me will live, even though he dies; and he who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” We can get a taste of the glory of the resurrection and the resurrected life, not decades from now, but even today. God will manifest the glory of the resurrection in us, as we allow this earthly body to fall to the ground and die. This can be done by deciding to believe in Jesus and living for Jesus and his precious gospel. Then we will begin to taste the life of God flowing though your soul.
Paul saw this fact in the faces of the first believers. In the Book of Acts, Stephen, a faithful man of God, was just about to give a long discourse concerning the coming Messiah to the enemies of God. He would be stoned for this. But before the discourse the Bible says, “All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” (Acts 6:15) Stephen had been allowing “seed”, his body to fall to the ground and die for the glory of God. And the glory of the resurrection was being revealed in him. There is evidence of this even among us. Look at Monica Barry. She is in her retirement years, but she has applied the resurrection principle in her life. She is laying down her life for Jesus. Recently she came back from Uganda serving a medical mission there. She is not planning a quiet retirement but planning how she can continually allow her seed to fall to the ground for the glory of God. She is youthful and glorious. In front of my computer is Mother Sarah Barry. She is in her late seventies in the photo and just had hip replacement surgery. And yet she is in the Middle East riding a camel smiling from ear to ear! She is full of life and vitality because she practically lets her body fall to the ground and die serving Jesus. She is glorious too. I can see many among you who are manifesting some of the glory of the resurrection as you lay down your lives for Jesus. To all those who think that living life with a dead feeling in your hearts and powerlessness in your limbs is normal, it is not normal. Come to Jesus. Hear his word. Allow your seeds to fall to the ground and die. You will cross over from death to life (John 5:24) and a glimpse of the glory of the resurrection will be manifest in you too!
Part ll: The Glory Of The Resurrection (39-49)
Paul changes his metaphors from flora to fauna and then to the celestial in order to explained more about the glory of the resurrection. Listen to what he says in verses 39b-41, “…All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 40There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. 41The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.” Here Paul is trying to establish the fact that just every body in our universe has its own purpose and splendor. There are many kinds of bodies: animals, people, birds and fish. Each has been given a physical body in order to live in this world. Each has its own unique splendor. Have you ever seen a lion in the wild take down a wildebeest? (Go to an African Summer Bible Conference and you might see it.) Have you seen a huge marlin fish fly through the air after breaking through the surface of the ocean? Have you taken time to see the moon and the stars on a cloudless night? Come to DeKalb on a cloudless night and you will be amazed! Just as there are earthly bodies, there are also heavenly bodies. We can not go to heaven and dwell their in our present bodies. Do you really want to? I don’t think so. Our heavenly bodies will be uniquely equipped to spend eternal life in heaven with Jesus forever. Let’s learn more about our resurrection bodies!
The nature of the resurrection body is necessarily different from our physical bodies. Look at verses 42-44b. "So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." We all want to live a glorious life, forever in this world. But the reality is we are perishing. Even the bodies star Olympians will be disintegrate in the earth. The Bible refers to our bodies as being like jars of clay. (Rom 4:7) Jars of clay crumble to dust. Some people may look strong. But even a tiny flu bug makes them powerless. In our jars of clay, we discover our weaknesses and limitations. In these bodies we suffer from constant temptation from our sinful desires. We get weaker and weaker and finally, in the end, we become dishonorable. We can not and must not live forever in these jars of clay!!
The spiritual body is fully equipped to dwell with Jesus forever in the Kingdom of God. Look at verses 42b-44 again. The spiritual body is not limited. It is imperishable, glorious, powerful, and, of course, spiritual. Our bodies will be changed into these resurrection bodies. I am very happy about this. I will not go to heaven with my pot belly that doesn’t seem to go away, nor with my tired muscles, vague anxieties and sinful heart. No way! All those in Christ will be given an imperishable, glorious, powerful resurrection body.
But how is this fantastic transformation possible? Look at verses 45-48, “45So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being]; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.” 46The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.” The reality is that we are born of the dust, born in the likeness of the earthly man. But at the resurrection we will bear the likeness of Christ. We can not change inner selves, no matter how much we try. Flesh gives birth to flesh and spirit gives birth to spirit. (Jn 3:6) You can exercise and take all the vitamins you want. On our own there is no way. But there is a way in Christ! Look at verse 45 again. We can and will be changed through the life giving spirit of Jesus. Praise God!
What will our resurrection bodies look like? Let’s read verse 49. “And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we[f] bear the likeness of the man from heaven.” To put it simply, our resurrection bodies will be like that of Jesus after his own resurrection. Jesus rose with a different body. He was not in the tortured body that he died in on the cross. He rose up through his burial clothes. (Jn 20:7) He passed through locks doors. (Jn 20:19) He ate with his disciples. He rose up into the air. (Acts 1:9). Jesus gave his three top disciples a glimpse of full glory while on the mount of transfiguration. “ 2There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” (Matt 17:2) John, in his Book Of Revelation, saw the glorious Jesus in a vision and wrote about him. “I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man,"[a]dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance..” (Rev 1:12-16) This image of the resurrection Jesus, in his full glory, was so magnificent that John fell as though dead. The Bible says that when Jesus comes again, we shall be like him. (1 John 3:2) Just as we have born the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven. (49) Will we recognize each other in heaven? You bet we will. Paul says that star differs from star in splendor. We will be unique as we are now. I will take one look at Julie and say, “Julie, Before I thought you were the most beautiful woman in the world, but wow! Look at you now!”
Part lll: Seek After The Glory Of The Resurrection
Our upcoming resurrection is glorious. Our resurrection bodies will be glorious! This is the glory that we should desire the most and seek the most while living in this world. The sad reality is that most people live for physical glory more than the glory of the resurrection. Physical glory is the glory of the flesh – the physical body. People waste their entire lives chasing physical glory, that actually eludes them. Spending their time seeking wordly glory is akin to polishing the seed that God has given them, never allowing it to fall to the ground and die. Such people are ignoring Jesus and heavenly glory for the perishing things of this world.
But Christians are different. Christians are those who seek after heavenly glory with their whole hearts! Heavenly glory is spiritual glory. True Christians know that their immortal souls can never be happy until it achieves heavenly glory. True Christians know that their physical bodies are only seeds compared to the heavenly body God has in store for them. For these reasons and more, they seek spiritual glory with all of their hearts.
In this life I have a tendency to live for physical glory. I enjoy it when people perceive me as a noble father. I enjoy it when I sing with the Kish-wau-keys Barbershop singers at local nursing homes. Hey! A person has to start somewhere. I enjoy the feelings I get when people respect me as a nurse. I enjoy being tall and relatively healthy. All of these things are earthly glory and they tempt me to ignore Jesus and seek after the recognition and praise of the world. Sometimes desire for this glory supersedes my desires for heavenly glory and my seeking after heavenly glory wanes. But I learn from this passage that I must repent and seek heavenly glory the most. It is hard at times, but I know that through the life giving spirit of Jesus and his gospel, Jesus has provided a way for me and all of us.
Part lV: Ultimate victory (50-58)
Paul tells of the ultimate victory we have in Jesus. Let’s read verses 51-52, "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed" (51-52). Here, the trumpet sound signals the Second Coming of Jesus. At that time Jesus will come again as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus, “ himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” We will be changed and dwell with our beloved Lord Jesus forever. (1 Thess 4:16-17) The last day is a day of judgment for the enemies of God, but it is a day of salvation for all who are in Christ.
We suffer a lot because the elements of death, like fear, despair, sorrow and fatalism. These have a tenacious hold on us causing stinging pain. But on that great day, the power of death will be completely destroyed. When Jesus comes again the elements of death no longer have any hold. Look at verses 54-56. Let’s read those together, “54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."[c] 55"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"[d] 56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” More than that, death will be swallowed up in victory, completely defeated forever more. Knowing this caused Paul to shout, "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” We all want the mantra of our lives to be victory shout. But only in Jesus, who destroyed the power of death, through his resurrection, can give us the victory that we all long for.
Knowing that we will be partakers of the resurrection, how must we live? Let’s read verse 58 together. "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." In this world, we can easily forget the gospel in our quest for lesser things. Our hearts are swayed by alluring philosophies of life. We are tempted and tried and have one foot in Jesus and one foot in the world. But know this fact…this world and its desires will all pass away! Only the word of the Lord remains forever. Only our resurrection bodies will live forever in the Kingdom of God. (1 Peter 1:3-4) Only the fruit of our labor in the Lord lasts forever. So let's pray that we may stand firm in our gospel faith and let nothing move us from seeking the glory of the resurrection. Let’s give our hearts all the more to the work of the Lord, because our labor in the Lord is never in vain. The Risen Christ will reward believers 100 times, whatever they do for him. (Mark 4:20) Someday we will be clothed in the imperishable, immortal image of the Risen Christ. We will receive the kingdom of heaven as our inheritance.
This Easter, may God help each of you to decide to seek after the glory of the resurrection as of first importance. May you taste the glory of the resurrection even now as you allow yourself to fall to ground, living for Jesus’ glory. And one glorious day…may you be enclothed in your brand new, resurrection body and meet Jesus and dwell with him forever more in the kingdom of God. May the mantra of your lives be a victory shout through your resurrection faith in Christ.
Let’s read our Key verse together, verse 49, ““And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.”
Sunday, March 28, 2010
What Am I Trying To Prevent?
What am I trying to prevent? I am trying to prevent people from perishing in their sins, crime in my neighborhood, peoples' lost dreams and hopes for the future due to their sin, preventing a further drifting away from Jesus, Biblical illiteracy, people forgetting what it means to be truly a disciple of Jesus, people forgetting that our only true hope is in the kingdom of God, people from not knowing that Jesus is the way that they must follow, my own degeneration as a Christian, pollution by recycling, letting my yard grow wild and not putting chemicals on my lawn, my kids failure, my wife from feeling unloved, people from not reaching their full potential, preventable health problems.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
How I Deal With Stress
Pastors Blog Kevin Jesmer 2-3-10
There are a lot of people under a lot of stress these days. I once saw a picture of a little baby wearing shades with a caption saying, “I don’t do stress.” I wish it were as easy as just saying it, to overcome stress. I thought I would share with the world how I try to overcome stress. Maybe someone may benefit from it. There are three components to overcoming: physical, psychological and most importantly spiritual. I strongly feel that all three components are needed to have victory over stress.
First, physical. Physical means to overcome stress, for me, include walking my dog 3-4 times a week in a local park, enjoying the sights and sounds of nature. I go to a small, quiet, local gym to stretch and work out times a week. I try to eat healthy and when it is possible, get enough sleep. And how about plenty of water and a multivitamin?
Second, psychological. This has to do with our inner thought world. I try to have a positive mental attitude towards stress, for most of the battle is waged in our own minds. “Whatever doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.” “No pain no gain.” We need to find a positive purpose for being in our stressful environment. There are ER nurses who really thrive in stressful environments. I am trying to embrace stresses knowing that I am getting stronger in my inner person to be a better pastor, shepherd, nurse, father and husband. We need to learn how to roll with the punches and to let things roll off of our backs. In other words don’t let things get to you. Deal with issues as they come and move on. Learn something from the moment and move ahead. Be willing to stand alone, if need be. We get stressed thinking that nobody is helping us and nobody cares. Well that may be true. Nobody may be helping and only a few people care. People expect us to keep the wheels greased and make things run smoothly or get lost. Accept this fact and stop expecting things from others and learn how to stand and fight. Be patient with yourself. This does not mean lowering the bar. It means be patient. A lot of our stresses have to do with wanting something to happen soon, but as with all things of quality in this world, it takes a lot of hard work, and time for quality outcomes. Lastly, surround yourself with friends that support you and encourage you and make you laugh sometimes. I thank God for friends at church, work, at the gym and especially for my family. All of these help me to overcome stress.
Third, spiritually. We get stressed out because there are things in our daily lives that seem overwhelming. They may be. But Christians have the Creator of the heavens and the earth on our side. We can pray to this God and he listens to us. 1 John 5 14-15 reads, “14This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” We can lay all our burdens on God and he will deal with them for he is mighty and he cares. 1 Peter 5:6-7 reads, “6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” We can not trust the things of the world. There are only a few people we can trust. But they may be thousands of miles away. But we can always trust in God who is at our side 24/7. Psalm 31:14-15 reads, “But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." 15 My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.” Trusting God is hard to do, but those who can do this can be set free from tons of stress. We need to find out what God wants us to do and stick to it faithfully. Jesus gives a very warm invitation to those who are weary and burdened while living in this stress laden world. The invitation is found in Matthew 11:28-29, “ 28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Answering this invitation is a surefire way to overcome all that makes our souls weary and burdened. The yoke Jesus talks about is the yoke of mission. Jesus wants us to co-work with him in doing his mission in this world. Taking our minds off of our problems and focusing on what God wants us to do is a way to overcome stress. And to be certain the yoke of going it alone and dealing with stress in the ways that this world deals with it, is a heavier yoke than serving our Christian mission.
I hope this helps you to overcome stress in your life. Include all three components, physical, psychological and spiritual in your quest to overcome.
There are a lot of people under a lot of stress these days. I once saw a picture of a little baby wearing shades with a caption saying, “I don’t do stress.” I wish it were as easy as just saying it, to overcome stress. I thought I would share with the world how I try to overcome stress. Maybe someone may benefit from it. There are three components to overcoming: physical, psychological and most importantly spiritual. I strongly feel that all three components are needed to have victory over stress.
First, physical. Physical means to overcome stress, for me, include walking my dog 3-4 times a week in a local park, enjoying the sights and sounds of nature. I go to a small, quiet, local gym to stretch and work out times a week. I try to eat healthy and when it is possible, get enough sleep. And how about plenty of water and a multivitamin?
Second, psychological. This has to do with our inner thought world. I try to have a positive mental attitude towards stress, for most of the battle is waged in our own minds. “Whatever doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.” “No pain no gain.” We need to find a positive purpose for being in our stressful environment. There are ER nurses who really thrive in stressful environments. I am trying to embrace stresses knowing that I am getting stronger in my inner person to be a better pastor, shepherd, nurse, father and husband. We need to learn how to roll with the punches and to let things roll off of our backs. In other words don’t let things get to you. Deal with issues as they come and move on. Learn something from the moment and move ahead. Be willing to stand alone, if need be. We get stressed thinking that nobody is helping us and nobody cares. Well that may be true. Nobody may be helping and only a few people care. People expect us to keep the wheels greased and make things run smoothly or get lost. Accept this fact and stop expecting things from others and learn how to stand and fight. Be patient with yourself. This does not mean lowering the bar. It means be patient. A lot of our stresses have to do with wanting something to happen soon, but as with all things of quality in this world, it takes a lot of hard work, and time for quality outcomes. Lastly, surround yourself with friends that support you and encourage you and make you laugh sometimes. I thank God for friends at church, work, at the gym and especially for my family. All of these help me to overcome stress.
Third, spiritually. We get stressed out because there are things in our daily lives that seem overwhelming. They may be. But Christians have the Creator of the heavens and the earth on our side. We can pray to this God and he listens to us. 1 John 5 14-15 reads, “14This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” We can lay all our burdens on God and he will deal with them for he is mighty and he cares. 1 Peter 5:6-7 reads, “6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” We can not trust the things of the world. There are only a few people we can trust. But they may be thousands of miles away. But we can always trust in God who is at our side 24/7. Psalm 31:14-15 reads, “But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." 15 My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.” Trusting God is hard to do, but those who can do this can be set free from tons of stress. We need to find out what God wants us to do and stick to it faithfully. Jesus gives a very warm invitation to those who are weary and burdened while living in this stress laden world. The invitation is found in Matthew 11:28-29, “ 28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Answering this invitation is a surefire way to overcome all that makes our souls weary and burdened. The yoke Jesus talks about is the yoke of mission. Jesus wants us to co-work with him in doing his mission in this world. Taking our minds off of our problems and focusing on what God wants us to do is a way to overcome stress. And to be certain the yoke of going it alone and dealing with stress in the ways that this world deals with it, is a heavier yoke than serving our Christian mission.
I hope this helps you to overcome stress in your life. Include all three components, physical, psychological and spiritual in your quest to overcome.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Why We Need Jesus And The Gospel To Keep Our Spiritual Resolutions
Why We Need Jesus And The Gospel To Keep Our Spiritual Resolutions
1. We Need To Have Clear Direction “9So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.”( 2 Corinthians 5:6)
2. We Need To Have Faith In the Almighty Creator God. “He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (Matt 17:20)
3. We Need To Have God’s Hope. 2 "I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” (Gen 12:2)
4. We Need To Have God’s Forgiveness. “10Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11"No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." (John 8:10)
5. We Need To Know Our Present Condition “25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.”(James 1:24)
6. We Need To Trust In God’s Faithfulness. ““"May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,”(Gen 48:15)
7. God Gives Us A Reason To Try To Make A Change. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)
8. Jesus Provides An Environment For Us To Change “ 22Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (2 Tim 2:22)
9. Jesus helps us to Substitute worldly things for spiritual things.
10. Keep the focus on the goal. “2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)
1. We Need To Have Clear Direction “9So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.”( 2 Corinthians 5:6)
2. We Need To Have Faith In the Almighty Creator God. “He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (Matt 17:20)
3. We Need To Have God’s Hope. 2 "I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” (Gen 12:2)
4. We Need To Have God’s Forgiveness. “10Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11"No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." (John 8:10)
5. We Need To Know Our Present Condition “25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.”(James 1:24)
6. We Need To Trust In God’s Faithfulness. ““"May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,”(Gen 48:15)
7. God Gives Us A Reason To Try To Make A Change. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)
8. Jesus Provides An Environment For Us To Change “ 22Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (2 Tim 2:22)
9. Jesus helps us to Substitute worldly things for spiritual things.
10. Keep the focus on the goal. “2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)
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