• In the first sermon I talked to you about THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH.
• In the second sermon I talked to you about the SECOND COMING
In this sermon I want us to return back to the rapture of the church and I want to talk to you about something that is just as exciting as the RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH AND THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
What could be as exciting as these two
Great events?
When the rapture of the church takes place every
Child of God will receive a glorified body.
WHAT IS A GLORIFIED BODY?
Illus: A glorified body is incapable of dying,
Suffering, or becoming sick.
We will have the same resurrected body of
the Lord Jesus.
Look at Philippians 3:21, we read, “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”
Our earthly bodies are perfectly suited for life on earth; our resurrected bodies will be suited for life in heaven.
Let me share with you some of the things people ask questions about this glorified bodies.
(1) Will we have body in heaven?
Yes!!!
HOW DO WE KNOW THAT?
After the Lord received His glorified body He told the disciples in Luke 24:39-40 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
(2) Will we be able to enjoy food in heaven?
Yes!
How do we know that?
Again let us look again at the Lord’s glorified body.
Look at Luke 24:41-43 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them.
(3) HOW WILL WE RECEIVE THESE GLORIFIED BODIES?
Look at these verses in 1 Cor. 15:51-52, “Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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.”
Notice, when Paul talks about those who are living when Christ returns, he says that these mortal bodies of our will be changed to a glorified body in the twinkling of an eye.
Paul refers to this as a mystery. I do not know how it is going to take place, nor does anyone else, that is why Paul refers to this as a “mystery”.
But notice how fast this is going to happen. The Word of God says, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.”
It does not say the wink of an eye, that would be fast, but in the twinkling of an eye is much faster.
The rapture is going to take place so fast that it is going to be over before we realize what happened.
• All those who have died in the Lord are coming out of those graves in the twinkling of an eye and when they return with the Lord in the air and their SOUL shall be placed in their glorified bodies and then salvation shall be complete for them.
• But also almost simultaneously when the dead in Christ shall be resurrected the Bible states that those who are living at this time will be changed in the twinkling of an eye and they will receive their glorified bodies and salvation will be complete for them also.
(4) WHY ARE WE GIVEN THESE NEW GLORIFIED BODIES?
Because these mortal bodies that we are living in are not designed for celestial living.
Illus: We all have seen these astronauts when they travel into the second heaven. They have to wear space suits in order to survive. Their physical bodies would not last one second in space nor can our physical bodies survive in heaven in these physical bodies.
For us to survive in the third heaven God is going to give us a glorified body or else we would perish.
Look at 1 Cor. 15:53-55, we read, “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 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. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”
The Bible refers to physical death as something all of us will experience.
It is referred to as the “Sting of death”.
Illus: Have you ever been stung by a yellow jacket…the pain is almost unbearable but the pain diminishes over a period of time.
• When a loved one dies, the “Sting of death” is so severe that it is almost unbearable and it takes months and years to get over it.
• In some cases we never do get over it, we just get to where we can live with it.
But one day, when the Lord comes back and raptures the church, we will never again have to stand beside the grave of a loved one, weeping. All those who are saved are going to be given a glorified body, and we can point our finger in the face of death and say, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”
No wonder God’s Word says in 1 Thess. 4:1, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
One of these days, we are going to receive our NEW GLORIFIED BODIES! Every Christian here should be excited about receiving their NEW GLORIFIED BODY!
WHY? Because these mortal bodies that we live in are constantly giving us problems.
Illus: A national television program was doing a documentary on the demand for plastic surgery in our society.
What made this documentary so interesting was that they were showing what we consider some of the most attractive people in Hollywood who are not happy with their bodies. They are paying big bucks to have their bodies changed, because they are so unhappy with them.
God’s people are going to be changed from their MORTAL BODIES into their GLORIFIED BODIES. And I can guarantee every child of God is going to be happy with their GLORIFIED BODIES!!!
I have answered some of the questions about this glorified body but let me share with you some of the things the Bible tells us about this glorified body.
THE WORD OF GOD TELLS US WHAT KIND OF BODY WE CHRISTIANS WE will RECEIVE…
I. A BODY FASHION as the body of our resurrected Savior.
Look at Philippians 3:21, we read, “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”
Notice, the Word of God says we are going to be changed from our “Vile” bodies into GLORIFIED BODIES LIKE HIS.
Look at the word “Vile”. This is the word “tapeinosis” (Pronounced as, tap-i'-no-sis) which means TO BE MADE LOW.
This old sinful flesh that we live in NOW is so vile there is nothing it will not stoop to do.
For example, we read and hear of this VILE body that we live in each day.
For example…
Illus: When the terrorist (Hamas) attacked Israel we were all horrified to hear of some of the horrible things they did to the Israelis they captured.
This old body that we live in is VILE!!!
We hear frequently of…
• Evil men who will take a helpless woman out in the woods and rape her, and when he is through with her, he will kill her and dispose of her as an old dirty dish rag. THESE BODIES ARE VILE!!!
• We hear frequently of evil men who will go into a country store and kill an old man or woman for the few dollars in the cash register. THESE BODIES ARE VILE!!!
• We hear about men who violate their own children sexually. THESE BODIES ARE VILE!!!
• We hear across this nation mothers killing their babies and they say it is a woman’s right. THESE BODIES ARE VILE!!!
• We hear about gang members to join a gang they have to kill someone! THESE BODIES ARE VILE!!!
The Word of God tells us these bodies that we live in are VILE, but even if the Word of God did not say that...life itself teaches us these bodies we live in are vile.
There are times I read what people have done in these vile bodies, and I am ashamed that I belong to the human race. There is nothing on this earth that is as “Vile” as mortal man.
Illus: I recently read of two monkeys talking and they were saying to each other that mortal man is teaching school children they are descendants of us but when I see and hear how evil man lives…thank God they are not descendants of us!
God’s Word tells us that the human race is VILE!!!
Illus: We look at pigs as filthy creatures, but there are things that evil man will do, that even a pig will not do.
For example, only among mortals do you find the sin of homosexuality. You cannot find a homosexual pig in the whole world, but man is so vile that he will stoop to the sin of homosexuality.
We mortals live in a vile body. Sometimes, it is all we can do to keep it in line with the Word of God.
But one of these days, the rapture is going to take place and I am going to get a glorified body that is not controlled by this SINFUL FLESH, but by the SPIRIT OF GOD.
• From the first Adam, I have received a body of flesh that is vile.
• From the Second Adam, I am going to have a body like Christ.
Look again at Philippians 3:21, we read, “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”
The Bible says that this new glorified body will be FASHIONED LIKE UNTO HIS GLORIOUS BODY.
Every dedicated Christian every day of our life has to battle this old flesh from THINKING WRONG and DOING WRONG!
No wonder the Word of God tells us there is NONE GOOD!!!
Look at Romans 3:10-18 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.
The only way any of us can be good is to accept the Lord Jesus as our Savior and allow His goodness to flow through us.
One day when we receive our glorified bodies we shall be like Him!!!
So if we want to know, as Christians, what kind of body we Christians will have for eternity, we have to look at the glorified body of Christ. Our new glorified body will be FASHIONED LIKE HIS GLORIOUS BODY!
Did you get that? One day we shall be LIKE HIM!
Look at 1 John 3:2, we read, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: BUT WE KNOW THAT, WHEN HE SHALL APPEAR, WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM; for we shall see him as he is.”
Let this sink deep into your minds. The Bible says that when He appears, “…We shall be like him…”
So what kind of body will we receive?
Illus: Dr. Odell Belger tells that when he teenager he was an admirer of body builders. He would look at magazines of these muscular fellows, such as Steve Reeves or Carl Strader, and it would inspire him to pump weights because he wanted to be like them.
The lost people of the world look at other mortals and say, “I wish I had a body like that!”
That is, we have:
• Women who will look at some movie actress and say, “I wish I had a body like that!”
• Men will look at some handsome actor and say, “I wish I had a body like that!”
But when the Holy Spirit reveal to us that this old fleshly body that we live in is VILE and began to show us we can have a body fashion after the body of Christ we start singing that song “I want to be like Jesus”.
Chorus: Old Friends Quartet - I Want to Be More Like Jesus Every Day [Live]
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Oct 12, 2012
Another thing the Bible tells us about our glorified body…
5:41
II.OUR GLORIFIED BODY WILL HAVE FLESH AND BONES
HOW DO WE KNOW THIS?
Remember, the Word of God said that one of these days DURING THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH, these vile bodies of ours are going to be FASHIONED after the body of Christ.
WHAT KIND OF BODY DID HE HAVE?
Look at Luke 24:39, after His resurrection, Jesus said, “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.”
I grew up in a church where the preacher did not know the Word of God and as a child I thought when we get to heaven we all would be there in SPIRIT.
That is heaven will be filled with ALL THESE SPIRITS AND I THOUGHT HEAVEN IS GOING TO BE A SPOOKY PLACE!!!
I was thrilled to find out that when we get to heaven we are going to have a GLORIFIED BODY!!!
Remember we are going to have a body fashion after the resurrected body of Christ.
It is a body that has substance:
• IT IS A BODY WE CAN SEE. He said, “Behold my hands and my feet.”
• IT IS A BODY WE CAN TOUCH. He said, “Handle me.”
• IT IS A BODY WITH FLESH AND BONES. He said “For a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.”
WHAT KIND OF BODY WILL OUR GLORIFIED BODY BE?
It will be fashioned after the body of Christ. It will be a body of flesh and bones, that we can see and touch,.
• The skeleton gives our body height and depth
• The flesh gives our body the appearance
I am often asked…
III. “WILL WE BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE EACH OTHER IN HEAVEN
Yes!!!
When Christ appeared unto the disciples in His glorified body, they recognized Him.
Illus: He did not have to go up to them and reintroduce Himself to them. They knew Him when He appeared before them. OUR GLORIFIED BODY WILL BE RECOGNIZEABLE.
We will all have a body fashioned like His body, but that does not mean we will all look alike.
We will have our separate identity.
Illus: For example, I am the son of _________________. I do not look exactly like my dad but I do:
• Have his black hair
• Talk like him
• Have his good looks (why are you laughing)
• Have his good intelligence (Why are you laughing, you ought to be ashamed of yourself)
The point I am trying to make is this, my body is fashioned something like his.
And when I get to heaven we will not be cloned to look like Christ, but my body will be fashioned after His body.
I will be recognizable for who I am.
Look at 1 Cor. 13:12, we read, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; (Get this) BUT THEN SHALL I KNOW EVEN AS ALSO I AM KNOWN.”
You see, I have the characteristics of my heavenly Father, but at the same time I am different.
Paul shows us that difference by comparing us to the differences we find among the stars.
1 Cor. 15: 42-44, we read, “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. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; 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. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.”
Paul is saying that even the stars are different. Paul is saying that we all will have a body in heaven that is fashioned after the body of Christ, but we will all have our own distinct differences.
IV.OUR GLORIFIED BODY WILL BE A BODY FILLED WITH NEW KNOWLEDGE
When we get to heaven, there will be people we have never met in our lifetime, yet we are going to know them.
We are not going to be walking around asking can someone tell us:
• Which one is Jesus - We will know!
• Which one is Paul - We will know!
• Which one is Peter - We will know!
• Which one is Abraham - We will know!
We will have a body that is fashioned after the Lord Jesus Christ, which means we will have the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In fact, there will be no strangers in heaven, in these glorified bodies we all will be one happy family.
Now let me say this, someone might be thinking how can we be a happy family in heaven knowing that we have loved ones in hell?
In this glorified body there will not be any human relationships, such as our spouse, children, cousins and etc.
Illus: There will be no one in heaven arguing about things that took place on earth.
There will be no HUMAN RELATIOSHIPS IN HEAVEN…THEY WILL CEASE TO EXIST!!!
Illus; We frequently hear people say when they get to heaven they are going to find their MOTHER, FATHER, BROTHER OR SISTER!
But listen in heaven human relationship will no longer exist and when we get to heaven JESUS IS GOING TO BE THE FOCUS OF ATTENTION!!!
In this glorified body we all will have the same love for each other in heaven and those who died and went to hell in this glorified body we will not be mourning those who chose to go to hell.
We will have the body that is fashion as the resurrected body of the Lord Jesus.
Also in these glorified bodies…
V. IT WILL BE A BODY WHERE THE SPIRIT DOMINATES
Look at 1 Cor. 15:44, we read, “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.”
At the present, Christians who are living in a body that is dominated by the flesh.
Illus: A man said to me one time preacher I am concern about my spiritual life.
I asked him what his problem was.
He said I literally have to make myself make time to pray, read my Bible and attend church.
He went on to say, “Shouldn’t I have a natural desire to do these things that the bible teaches I should do?”
I told him as long as we live in this sinful flesh we have to literally “MAKE OURSELVES DO THESE THINGS!?
THIS BODY OF FLESH WANTS TO DOMINATE OUR LIVES.
Illus: This old flesh that we live in is like a spoiled child. It wants to dominate our lives.
But one day the Lord is going to give us a body that is NOT dominated by the flesh, but by the Spirit.
• The flesh does not want to read the Bible
• The flesh does not want to witness for Christ
• The flesh does not want to pray
• The flesh does not want to attend church
• The flesh is in opposition to everything God is for
That is why God has to give us a NEW GLORIFIED BODY!
In Mark 14:38, we read, “Watch you and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, BUT THE FLESH IS WEAK.”
One day we are going to be changed in the twinkling of eye and this glorified body will no longer have to battle the flesh.
VI. OUR GLORIFIED BODY WILL BE UNLIMITED BY TIME, SPACE AND GRAVITY
Look at Luke 24:30-39, we read, “And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread. And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.”
Notice that after Christ received His glorified body, the Bible tells us in verse 31, “…he vanished out of their sight.”
That is as He was talking to them the Bible does not say He left them, the Bible tells us HE VANISHED OUT OF THEIR SIGHT.
In other words, He was there teaching them, and all of a sudden, He WAS GONE! He was THERE and all of a sudden He is NOT THERE!
Illus: This makes me think of this program that use to be on television call STARTREK. Mr. Spock would be standing there and all of a sudden HE WAS GONE!!!
The Lord’s resurrected body gives further proof of this…
Look at John 20:18-19, we read, “Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her. Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.”
Notice, the Bible says He appeared in a room where the doors were shut!
The Word of God purposely makes a point that the room he appeared in the door was shut!!!
Look also at verse 26, we read, “And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.”
There is a reason that the Bible tells us the doors were shut. Look at what happened. All of a sudden, the Lord was standing in the midst of them.
Remember, the Bible tells us our glorified body will be fashioned like his glorified body.
Beloved, I am here to tell you that one day we are going to receive our glorified bodies and…IS THIS SIGNIFICANT!!!
YES!!!
• Those who have died trusting in Christ for salvation will come out of a grave, from six feet in the ground, and never disturb a grain of sand.
• Those who are living for Christ when He returns will pass through the buildings they are in without doing any damage to the buildings.
• We can be standing here one moment, and vanish and appear somewhere else.
Today, we live in a body that is transported by the will of the flesh, but one day we are going to live in a body that will be transported by the will of the Spirit.
Conclusion:
The greatest surprise will be how fast the RAPTURE of the church is going to take place.
The greatest blessing will be when all the Saints of God receive their glorified bodies in a twinkling of an eye.
Now if you are not saved...YOU ARE GOING TO MISS OUT ON THESE GREAT EVENTS…
• The rapture of the church!
• The second coming of Christ!
• The receiving of these glorified bodies!
You need to receive Christ today, so you can receive your glorified body one day that is fashion after the body of Christ.
(1 of 2)
I. A BODY FASHION AS THE BODY OUR RESURRECTED SAVIOR
II. OUR GLORIFIED BODY WILL HAVE FLESH AND BONES
III. WE WILL BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE EACH OTHER IN HEAVEN.
IV. OUR GLORIFIED BODY WILL BE FILLED WITH NEW KNOWLEDGE
V. OUR GLORIFIED BODY WILL BE DOMINATED BY THE SPIRIT
VI. OUR GLORIFIED BODY WILL BE UNLIMITED BY TIME, SPACE AND GRAVITY.
Next Sunday I will be preaching on these GLORIFIED BODIES will be…
(2 of 2)
I. OUR GLORIFIED BODY WILL BE ETERNAL
II. OUR GLORIFIED BODY WILL BE BEAUTIFUL
