(#079) 1 Corinthians 15 - For Christians There is No EndThis is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.
Welcome To BARAH MINISTRIES a Christian Church
Rory Clark Pastor-Teacher
Good Morning!
Welcome to Barah Ministries…an intimate, local Christian Church with worldwide impact. My name is Pastor Rory Clark. Welcome to this Bible lesson! Who is Jesus Christ? At Barah Ministries we know this truth…that Jesus Christ is God. In his New Testament gospel, the apostle John’s entire subject matter an answer to the question, “Who is Jesus Christ?” These three verses tell the story…John, Chapter 1, Verse 1…
JOHN 1:1 In the beginning was the Word (ho logos…the Lord…God the Son)…and the Word was with God the Father…and the Word was God.
John, Chapter 1, Verse 14…
JOHN 1:14 And the Word (ho logos…the Lord…God the Son)…became flesh (Jesus… the Christ…the Jewish Messiah)…and He lived among us…and we saw His glory…glory as of the only begotten One from the source of God the Father… full of grace and full of truth.
John, Chapter 20, Verse 31…
JOHN 20:31 …these things written in the Bible have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ…The Jewish Messiah…the Son of God in human form…and that by believing in Him you may have the resurrection life in His name.
Why does Barah Ministries exist? At Barah Ministries, we introduce people to the Lord…and we make a difference by teaching the Word of God verse-by-verse from the Lord’s perspective and not from man’s perspective. Barah Ministries exists for the benefit of Christians…those who want a deep, intimate, and personal relationship with the Lord through the study of His Word. Why study the Word of God? In First Peter, Chapter 2, Verses 1 to 3, the apostle Paul tells us how to look at the Word…
FIRST PETER 2:1 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and all hypocrisy and all envy and all slander…
FIRST PETER 2:2 …like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the Word of God…so that by the Word you may grow in respect to your salvation…
FIRST PETER 2:3 …if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord….and of course you have.
As believers in Christ, ridding ourselves of sin and gravitating to the Word of God is a blessing beyond description. I’m glad you are here to taste the deliciousness of the Word. We implore you to always compare what you learn, both at Barah Ministries and in the world, with what the Bible says. That’s not just an invitation, it’s a responsibility for believers in Christ!
God has an enemy…Satan…whom God made ‘the ruler of this world.’ First John, Chapter 5, Verse 19…
FIRST JOHN 5:19 We believers in Christ know that we are possessions of God the Father… and we also know that the whole world lies in the power of Satan…the evil one.
Let’s really look at how this scumbag operates. The Bible has many functional titles for Satan…one of them is the accuser of the brethren. Revelation, Chapter 12, Verse 10…
REVELATION 12:10 Now the salvation…and the power…and the kingdom of our God…and the authority of His Christ have come…for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down (from heaven)…he who accuses believers in Christ before our God…both day and night.
Satan whispers the enticement to sin into our ears…and we listen! We obey him, acting on the temptation and simultaneously disobeying God. As if the guilt and shame of the sin were not enough, Satan then accuses us before our God. "You call this person a Christian? He disobeyed you. The only reason he worships you is that you bless him. Destroy him! Curse him and let him die!"
If God were to listen to Satan about you, destroying and cursing you, to be fair He’d have to do the same thing to Satan. The Lord would have to destroy and curse the devil. He doesn’t. Instead, the Lord paid for our sins…paid for Satan’s sins…and offers grace when we make mistakes.
As believers in Christ, we triumphantly rest in the victorious proclamation of Philippians, Chapter 4, Verse 13…
PHILIPPIANS 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON For Christians There is No End
LESSON INTRODUCTION
You hear people say it all the time. “Life is short.” Some think of this expression as a call to appreciate every moment in life. Well, I don’t know what your experience is, but as grateful as I am for God and to God, I find it virtually impossible to appreciate every moment I live. I think of the “Life is short” idea as the fatalistic end of the idea, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” How many times have you said, “Life is short?” As Christians, we should be careful what expressions we adopt.
For believers in Christ, life is NOT short at all. Our lives are eternal. That's right! We are going to live for all eternity. From the moment of salvation, we are privileged to share the life of God that has no beginning and no end. For believers in Christ, life is forever. In that context, the brief time we spend on earth…these eighty or ninety years or a hundred years… is simply a learning experience. If we are wise, we study the Word of God during this time, and we learn about our Almighty God…about His power, His plan, His protection, His provision, and His presence in our lives.
As we wrap up First Corinthians, Chapter 15, the apostle Paul brings to a thrilling close his argument about the power of resurrection from the dead. From his argument, we learn that believers in Christ have an amazing future…or as the Carpenters put it in their song, "We've Only Just Begun.” In today’s lesson, we are reminded by Paul that Christians have no end, and the resurrection from the dead assures it.
SONG INTRODUCTION
God’s intent for His believers is expressed in Philippians, Chapter 4, Verse 11…Paul says…
PHILIPPIANS 4:11 …I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
That’s what God wants for each of us…that we learn the secret power of contentment. Romans, Chapter 15, Verse 13…
ROMANS 15:13 Now may God the Father of hope fill you believers in Christ with all joy and peace in believing…so that you will abound in hope…through the (enabling) power of God the Holy Spirit.
Here’s King and Country to sing about contentment in their song JOY.
MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
JOY For King and Country
MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
JOY For King and Country
OPENING PRAYER Let us pray...
We’re grateful, Heavenly Father, for the privilege of studying Your absolute truth...the Word of God…
Father, thank you for caring about every detail of our lives…thank you for caring where we are and knowing where we are every moment of every day…thank you for providing the solutions in our lives before we even know we have problems…
…help us to pray as we should…help us to come to prayer to get orders from You rather than to give orders to You…order our steps…influence our minds…open our spiritual eyes…help us to see as You see and to value what You value…
…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ's name...Amen.
TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON For Christians There is No End
In the final section, section six, of First Corinthians, Chapter 15, the apostle Paul summarizes his thoughts about resurrection. He answers the question that is bussing around in the heads of the believers in the first-century church at Corinth…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15 How is the Resurrection Possible?
SECTION 5 Verses 35 to 49 SECTION 6 Verses 50 to 58 Let’s remind ourselves of what we learned in section five of the chapter, and then we’ll hear the apostle Paul’s concluding thoughts. First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 12…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:12 Now if Christ is preached, and He is…that He has been raised from the dead…how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
As we now know, if there is no resurrection from the dead, there is a domino effect that makes our life meaningless. Paul has put this false idea to rest in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 20…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:20 But now (as a matter of fact) Christ HAS been raised from the dead…the Christ (the Messiah) is the firstfruits of those who are asleep.
Now a reminder of what we studied last week…First Corinthians, Chapter 5, Verses 35 to 49…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:35 But some will ask, “How (is it possible that) the dead are raised (resurrected from the dead)? And with what kind of body do the dead come (back)?”
Paul is not amused by this ridiculous assumption.
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:36 You fool! That which you sow (a seed) does not come to life unless it dies…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:37 …and that which you sow (a seed)…you do not sow the body which the seed is to become (when the seed is fully grown)…but you sow a bare grain… perhaps of wheat or of something else.
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:38 But God GIVES the seed a body just as God WILLS…and to each of the seeds God gives a body of its own (one that is proper for its situation).
God is intricate and intimate in all His dealings…paying attention to every detail.
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:39 All flesh is not the same flesh…but there is one flesh of men (humans)…and there is another flesh of beasts (animals)…and there is another flesh of birds…and there is another flesh of fish.
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:40 There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies…but the glory of the heavenly body is one thing…and the glory of the earthly body is another thing (it’s different).
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:41 There is one glory of the (blazing) sun…and there is another glory of the (soft glow of the) moon…and there is another glory of the (twinkling) stars…and star differs from star in glory (stars have individual qualities).
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:42 So it is with the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body (the human body…like a seed)…and it is raised (by God) an imperishable body (a resurrection body…like a plant)…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:43 …it is sown in dishonor…and it is raised (by God) in glory…it is sown in weakness…and it is raised (by God) in power…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:44 …it is sown a natural body…and it is raised (by God) a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, and there is, there is also a spiritual body.
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:45 Also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul (in a human body).” The last Adam (Jesus…the Christ) became a life-giving spirit (in a resurrection body).
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:46 However, the spiritual body is not first…but the natural body is first…then the spiritual body comes after. FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:47 The first man (Adam) is from the earth, thus earthy…the second man (Jesus) is from heaven (thus heavenly).
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:48 As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy…and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly.
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy…we will also bear the image of the heavenly.
When we return from the break, we’ll take the offering, and then continue our study the final section of First Corinthians, Chapter 15.
FIVE MINUTE BREAK NOBODY Casting Crowns
TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON For Christians There is No End
When we GIVE, we present something voluntarily without any expectation of return compensation. We can give our time…we can give our talent…we can give our treasure. Because of my relationship with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I've learned to make giving my life's work, without expecting anything in return. I can tell you with all honesty that the Lord has not honored my desire to not get anything in return. He always gives in abundance. John, Chapter 10, Verse 10 says…
JOHN 10:10 The thief (Satan) comes only to steal and kill and destroy…I (the Lord Jesus Christ) came that believers in Christ may have the resurrection life…and I came so they might have the resurrection life abundantly.
As a result of the Lord’s generosity, I have learned not to have a mindset of scarcity in the matter of giving. As you give today…give without fear… give abundantly…knowing that with the Lord you will ALWAYS get abundance in return. Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall with one of His always inspiring offering messages.
THE OFFERING Deacon Denny Goodall
OFFERING VERSE
SECOND CORINTHIANS 12:9 And the Lord has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for divine power is perfected in human weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
OFFERING SONG HAVEN’T SEEN IT YET Danny Gokey
TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON For Christians There is No End
Let's take a look at Paul's concluding remarks on resurrection…how are the dead raised in the resurrection? First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 50 to 58…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:50 Now I say this (and I mean it), brethren…(a summary of the previous section)… that flesh and blood (a perishable, human body) cannot inherit the kingdom of God (a heavenly entity)…(said another way)…the perishable cannot inherit the imperishable.
There is quite a difference between an earthly entity and a heavenly entity. A perishable human body cannot exist in an imperishable heavenly environment. Therefore, a change must take place in our bodies if they are going to be fit to inhabit heaven. God is the one who makes the change for us because He has the power to change us. Our current human body is not the body that will be resurrected. It will be our heavenly body that is resurrected.
The kingdom referred to here is God the Father’s eternal kingdom. After the Millennial reign of Christ on the earth, when all of His enemies have been made a footstool under His feet, the Lord will return the kingdom to His Father, and things will be once again as they were before Satan’s rebellion. Now Paul speaks to his flock, the Gentile Church Age believers…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:51 Behold, I (Paul) tell you a mystery (about the exit resurrection of Church Age believers… the Rapture)…we will not all (be) sleep (when the Lord returns for us) …but we will ALL be changed (by God…transformed)…
The word “mystery” does not mean mysterious…mystery in this context means something revealed to a select group…the Old Testament saints were not privy to the Rapture. The term “we will not all be sleep” indicates that the Rapture will of the Church will be an interruption of human history.
How will the ‘seemingly impossible” resurrection of the dead happen?
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:52 …in a flash…in the twinkling of an eye (at the speed of light)…at the last trumpet (for the Church…signaling God’s appearance)…for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable…and we will be changed.
The change to a resurrection body is not gradual…it is immediate.
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:53 For this perishable body (the human body) must put on (like clothing) the imperishable body (a resurrection body)…and this mortal body must put on (like clothing) immortality.
Once our resurrection is accomplished, the Lord takes care of the final enemy…DEATH. Death’s power is removed forever for Church Age believers. First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 54…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:54 But when this perishable body will have put on the imperishable body…and this mortal body will have put on the immortal body…then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
Now Paul personified death, and he taunts it.
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
Check Hosea, Chapter 13, Verse 14.
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:56 The sting of death is (from the source of) sin…and the power of sin is the law…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:57 …but thanks be to God the Father, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
At the Cross, the Lord defeated sin…Romans, Chapter 6, Verse 14…
ROMANS 6:14 For sin shall not (any longer) be a master (a lord…a sovereign) over you…for you are not under law but you are under grace.
At the Cross, the Lord defeated the power of the law…Galatians, Chapter 3, Verse 13 and 14…
GALATIANS 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law…having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (everyone who is crucified)”—
The Lord purchased us with blood from the curse of the law…He redeemed us from slavery to sin and the law…all of our sins were transferred to Him… the sinless One. Why?
GALATIANS 3:14 …in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles (the blessing of salvation)…so that we would receive the promise of God the Holy Spirit through faith (the blessing of sanctification).
…and now, He defeats death. Romans, Chapter 7, Verse 4…
ROMANS 7:4 Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to your marriage to the Mosaic Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Lord Jesus Christ who was raised from the dead, so that we might bear fruit for God the Father.
Because resurrection removes the power of death, the Lord recommends through Paul…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren (you divinely loved ones)…be steadfast…be immovable…keep on abounding in the work of the Lord, always…knowing that your labor is not in vain in union with the Lord.
GOD WANTS YOU! Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life
The Lord Jesus Christ wants a relationship with you…His creature…His creation…and He wants the relationship so badly, that He was willing to die for you!
How often do you think about eternal things? As human beings, we tend to be concerned only with the here and now…the things that busy us… temporary things. Yet nobody gets out of this life alive, so there are questions about "the afterlife" … the things that happen when we die…the things eternal. Again, I ask you, how often do you think about eternal things?
The Bible tells us that God's enemy, Satan, deceives us into being short-sighted. Satan diverts our focus to temporary things so we don't prepare for eternal things. First Peter, Chapter 5, Verse 8 warns us to…
FIRST PETER 5:8 Be of sober spirit…be on the alert. The adversary…the devil (Satan) … prowls around like a roaring lion…seeking someone to devour.
For example, the Bible tells us how easy it is to be deceived by material wealth, a problem that pervaded the church at Laodicea. In Revelation, Chapter 3, Verses 15 to 18…the Lord says to the Laodicean believers…
REVELATION 3:15 “I (the Lord Jesus Christ) know your deeds…that you (like the water in your homes) are neither cold nor hot…I (the Lord Jesus Christ) wish that you were cold or hot.”
REVELATION 3:16 “So, because you are lukewarm (like the water in your homes) … and neither hot nor cold…I will vomit you out of My mouth.”
REVELATION 3:17 “Because you Laodicean believers say, ‘I am rich…and have become (materially) wealthy…I have need of nothing,’ and you do not know that you are (spiritually) wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked…”
REVELATION 3:18 “…I (the Lord Jesus Christ) advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become (spiritually) rich…and white garments so that you may clothe yourself (unlike the black wool that gave you material wealth)… so that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed…and I advise you to buy from Me eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.”
Material wealth often blinds us to our spiritual poverty. We think only about now and not about eternity.
What is it that the Lord wants us to see? Matthew, Chapter 6, Verse 24…
MATTHEW 6:24 “No one can serve two masters…for either he will hate the one master and he will love the other master…or he will be devoted to one master and he will despise the other master. You cannot serve God and wealth.”
The Lord wants us to see that He is the way to get to heaven. First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 3 and 4…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3 For I (Paul) delivered to you as of primary importance the gospel message I also received from God… that it was Jesus Christ who died for our sins according to the Old Testament Scriptures…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:4 …and that He was buried…and that He was raised from the dead on the third day…according to the Old Testament Scriptures…
Once you realize you can’t buy your way into heaven, the only other way to get to heaven is by means of God’s grace, which is free of charge. In John, Chapter 14, Verse 6, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself said…
JOHN 14:6 …to the doubting apostle, Thomas, “I am the way (to salvation)…and I am the truth (through the Word of God…the gospel message)…and I am the resurrection life (eternal life)…and no one comes to God the Father (in heaven) but through believing in Me.”
Accepting the Lord Jesus Christ’s grace gift of eternal life saves you. As a result of the Lord’s work at the Cross…the work that paid for the sins of all mankind, including yours…sin was eliminated as a barrier between you and God. Second Corinthians, Chapter 5, Verse 21 says…
SECOND CORINTHIANS 5:21 God the Father made Jesus Christ who knew no sin to be a sin payment substitute on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God the Father in union with Him.
You can ask God the Father to credit your account with real wealth… spiritual wealth…His own righteousness…His own perfection...your admission ticket to heaven. God the Father will honor your request when you ask for His righteousness, and you will be saved. Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31…
ACTS 16:31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”
John, Chapter 3, Verse 36 warns what happens if you reject a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ…
JOHN 3:36 “He who believes in the Son has the resurrection life right at that moment… but he who does not obey the command to believe in the Son will not see the resurrection life…instead the wrath of God (the Lake of Fire) abides on him.”
Take the free gift of eternal life right now! There’s no time to waste! Just tell God the Father that you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is the moment of eternal life for you. NOW is the time to think about eternal things. God wants you. Real wealth happens when you decide to have a relationship with Him.
SONG INTRODUCTION
Are you worthy of God’s blessings? In and of yourself, you aren’t. But God has done everything for you as it says in First Peter, Chapter 2, Verse 9…
FIRST PETER 2:9b …so that you may proclaim the excellencies of God the Father who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…
So if, as a believer in Christ, you’re ever wondering how worthy you are, look for two words in the Bible…IN CHRIST…IN KRITO IESU. Second Corinthians, Chapter 5, Verse 17…
SECOND CORINTHIANS 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is Christ, and all believers in Christ are…there is a new creation…the old man things passed away (they died)… behold, the new creation has come into being.
Here's June Murphy to tell us in a song that we are WORTHY.
MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
WORTHY June Murphy
MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
WORTHY June Murphy
CLOSING VERSES
A Doxology of Praise to Our God
Let’s close with words of worship for our Almighty God.
EPHESIANS 1:3 Worthy of praise is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us believers IN CHRIST in eternity past with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms (a place of permanence)…through our union with Christ…
God wants us to enjoy His gracious provisions…
EPHESIANS 1:7-8 IN CHRIST…we have redemption through His blood (deliverance from slavery to sin)…we have the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the glorious wealth provided by His grace which He lavished on us…including as a gift to us, wisdom and insight…
EPHESIANS 3:20 Now to God the Father…who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we could ask or imagine (more than is humanly possible) …according to the divine power (omnipotence) that works within us…
EPHESIANS 3:21 …to Him be the glory…through the Church Age believers IN CHRIST Jesus…and to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
CLOSING PRAYER Let us pray...
Thanks for coming! Thanks for watching! Thanks for listening! |