May 1, 2016
Morning Service

I Cor. 15:31-58

 

            We began a couple weeks ago to look at what’s revealed concerning the second coming of Christ.  We touched on His promise in St. 14:1-3.  “let not your hearts be troubled…………..”.  Then we looked at what the Apostle Paul gives us in I Thess. 4:13-18.  A very clear explanation of what will happen.  Sam gave us some food for thought Wednesday evening when we looked at Rev. 20.  We must take into consideration that this book of Revelation was written some 30 – 40 years after Paul wrote his letters.  We might consider it to be new, and additional revelation from God.  Difficult to understand, but very worthy of our reading.  I will finish up this morning with the completion of chapter 15 of I Cor.   

                                                                                      Paul began this chapter by telling us of the gospel he preached.  And, in the letter to the Galatians, he speaks of the importance of not straying from it, or preaching another gospel.   They were to be accursed if anyone did.  We look back on history, and we find many that have done it.  Also, remembering what Jesus said concerning  the way to the Father, the Almighty God that all of these false prophets worshipped.  Jesus said, Joh 14:6  I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”   This also is very clear, and we who hold on to the Bible as the infallible Word of God, believe this to be true.  History tells us of Muhammad, ( 620 AD) started Islam, maybe the first to draw away people after his proclamation of a divine revelation, and a new message from God.  Martin Luther( 1483-1546) came out of the Catholic church, and created a following for his teachings, the Lutherans. Then there are the Methodists, came out to form a denomination, from the teachings of John, and Charles Wesley, also the Weselyns, and Pilgrim Holiness.  So many different ideas, and theologies, it will blow your mind.  Then there was Joseph Smith,( Mormons) who claimed to receive divine revelation, but it was not the gospel that Paul taught.      The Seventh Day Adventist, who began by following the teachings of Ellen G. White, in which Paul taught that a woman is not to teach or to usurp authority over a man.  Anything other than what he taught is to be accursed.  Time would fail me to tell you of all the branches, and different groups within the Baptist organization, Christian churches, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, so on, and so forth.  So, what kind of a conclusion should we come too?  Well, I came to the conclusion that God was smart enough to write me a love letter disclosing His will for mankind.  THAT LETTER IS THE HOLY BIBLE, that can be read, and understood enough to use it as a guideline to salvation.  Paul urged the church to all speak the same thing.  We can when we don’t add our own interpretation of it, and just take it as it is.  It’s okay if we don’t understand everything about it, as the song says “we’ll understand it better by and by.”

            I want to finish chapter 15 of I Cor. So let’s get started.  But first, Paul started this chapter with his gospel, then began speaking concerning the resurrection, and we begin in verse 31, just after he explained how that our baptism is a D.B. R.  into Jesus Christ.

 

1Co 15:31-58  I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.  (32)  If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.  (33)  Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.  (34)  Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. 

·         Paul again confirming, and encouraging good living, because there will be a resurrection, and judgment.

(35)  But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?  (36)  Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:  (37)  And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:  (38)  But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. 

(39)  All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.  (40)  There are also celestial bodies,( heavenly) and bodies terrestrial(earthly) : but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.  (41)  There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.  (42)  So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption (immortal):  (43)  It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:  (44)  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.  (45)  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.  (46)  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.  (47)  The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.  (48)  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.  (49)  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.  (50)  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 

·         Now Paul will tell of what happens when Jesus returns for the church.

(51)  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,  (52)  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 

·         This is what he said in the letter to the Thessalonians.

(53)  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 

·         We actually receive immortality when we obey the gospel message, and receive our measure of the Holy Spirit.  He is what is eternal, and immortal, and we partake of His immortality.  But we sleep until the time ot the change for our bodies, which is at the resurrection.

(54)  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.  (55)  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 

·         Isa 25:8  He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

Paul goes on;

(56)  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.  (57)  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  (58)  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Here in this chapter we have seen:

1.       Paul’s gospel that Jesus gave him to teach.

2.      The importance of the resurrection.

3.      What happens after the resurrection, THE END, when Jesus turns everything back over to the Father, the Eternal Spirit of Love.

4.      How that our baptism is a type of D.B.R. to rise in the newness of life.

5.      The explanation of what our bodies will be like in the resurrection, and eternity.

6.      How that we have total victory through Christ.

7.      And how we should continue in the faith, working and growing in our walk with God.

ALMIGHTY GOD, THERE ARE STILL MANY QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED, BUT WE THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE GIVEN US TO LIVE BY.  PLEASE CONTINUE TO BLESS YOUR PEOPLE, AND GIVE US ALL PEACE WITH ONE ANOTHER.  AMEN.