Ten Marks of a Prevailing Church
Mark #6: Uncommon Hope
1 Corinthians 15:35-58
July 29, 2001
Intro:
A. [Born to Lose, Citation: Norman Vincent Peale in Power of the Plus Factor, in Christianity Today.]
Once walking through the twisted little streets of Kowloon in Hong Kong, I came upon a tattoo studio.
In the window were displayed samples of the tattoos available.
On the chest or arms you could have tattooed an anchor or flag or mermaid or whatever.
But what struck me with force were three words that could be tattooed on one’s flesh, Born to lose.
I entered the shop in astonishment and, pointing to those words, asked the Chinese tattoo artist, "Does anyone really have that terrible phrase, Born to lose, tattooed on his body?"
He replied, "Yes, sometimes."
"But," I said, "I just can’t believe that anyone in his right mind would do that."
The Chinese man simply tapped his forehead and said in broken English, "Before tattoo on body, tattoo on mind."
1. Sadly, there are too many people who really do have this on their minds, if not their bodies.
2. There are far too many people (especially young people) who have given up hope.
3. They have set their eyes on the things of this world and concluded that what they desire is hopeless.
4. There are too many that have reached the depths of hopelessness and have sought escape through drugs, sex, alcohol, materialism, and suicide.
5. There are way too many (even in churches) that have allow themselves to slip into the depths of hopelessness.
B. So today as we continue our series on the marks of a prevailing church, we want to consider the indispensable value of hope.
1. If the church is to prevail against the gates of hell, then it has to have an uncommon kind of hope because Satan will make everything around us appear as hopeless as he can in order to overcome the church.
2. So in order to storm the gates of hell the church must have an uncommon kind of hope that can be found in understanding the truths that the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15.
3. Paul spoke of four different kinds of bodies that should give us hope; the first is…
I. Spiritual Bodies
1 Corinthians 15:35-49, But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?" 36 How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38 But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. 39 All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 40 There 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. 41 The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. 42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, 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. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being" ; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48 As 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. 49 And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.
A. Paul says in verse 44 that there will be spiritual bodies.
1. The only way I know to explain this is that we are like hermit crabs.
2. We only inhabit this shell for about 80 years.
3. Then we will have a new shell or body that will be eternal. It will be a spiritual body.
B. Farmers know that when they plant a seed that seed doesn’t grow into a plant.
1. That seed dies and new life springs from within the shell.
2. When our bodies die, new life will spring from that shell.
3. These bodies will return to their natural element: dust to dust and ashes to ashes.
4. You remember from Genesis that God created our bodies out of the dust of the ground.
5. Our bodies did not evolve from apes that evolved from other things that originated in a one-celled organism in the water.
6. No, our bodies originated from the dust of the earth and to the earth they shall return.
7. But when these seeds are planted back into the earth, new life will spring from within.
C. Paul says in verse 45, "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.
1. The first Adam God created in the Garden of Eden.
2. The second Adam was Christ.
3. Adam was formed out of the dust of the earth and had the breath of life breathed into his nostrils by Almighty God.
4. Adam became a living being. Christ became a life-giving spirit.
5. Adam produced temporary life as we now know it in these shells in this world.
6. Christ produces eternal life in spiritual bodies that will in heaven.
D. And Paul says that just as God has created many different kinds of bodies, it is not hard to imagine that God can create a spiritual body—even though we haven’t seen them yet.
1. There are all kinds of animal bodies and they all differ from each other.
2. There are moons, and stars, and suns.
3. God has created all kinds of different things, so it is not hard to imagine that God will create new, spiritual bodies for us.
E. I’m not sure why we get so attached to these bodies…
1. Because of the sin that is in the world that causes aging and disease, they are not very good anyway.
2. There are very few people that make it through this life without something going wrong with them.
3. There is sickness, disease, cancer, broken bones, worn out joints, worn out organs—the list is endless.
4. And yet we cling to these bodes like they are all we will ever have.
5. Revelation 21:4, He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
6. That is something to look forward to, isn’t it?
7. That is something to HOPE for, isn’t it?
8. That is something to get excited about, isn’t it?
F. God’s people cannot be attached to these bodies because we have this uncommon hope!
1. Romans 1:25, They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen.
2. God’s people must worship and sever the Creator and not the creation.
3. These bodies are not our real bodies, so we cannot grow too attached to them.
4. We cannot worship these bodies as many in our world do.
5. We cannot grow too fond of these bodies.
6. Because these bodies are temporary. These bodies are mortal.
7. But praise God we’ll get new bodies—I’m hoping that mine won’t be so short and fat!
8. We are going to have new, different, spiritual bodies.
II. Instant Bodies
1 Corinthians 15:50-53, I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- 52 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. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
A. Now we live in a society that likes instant everything.
1. We are not a very patient society.
2. When we are sick, we want immediate relief.
3. When we want a cup of coffee, we want instant.
4. When we turn on the hot water, we want it to be instantly there.
5. When we go out in the snow to start our car, we want instant heat.
6. When we want to be entertained, we want it to be at the push of the TV button—we can no longer wait for the tubes to warm up.
7. When we want to communicate with someone, we want it at the speed of one-button memory dialing—we can no longer wait for the dial to go around seven times.
B. And when Christ returns, we will be changed instantly—in a flash in the twinkling of an eye.
1. We won’t have to wait to be put on the surgery waiting list.
2. We won’t have to wait for the doctor’s to perform all of the surgeries to replace all of our faulty parts.
3. We won’t have to wait through the months of recovery and rehabilitation.
4. We won’t have to wait for a plastic surgeon to go over our faces and our entire body and remove all the wrinkles and the fat and erase the effects of years of gravity on our bodies.
5. That would take years and years!
6. We ain’t got that kind of time!
7. When Christ appears, we’ve got to run to Him!
8. When Christ breaks open the sky, we’ve got flying to do!
9. When Christ rolls the clouds back, we’re gonna be changed in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye.
10. We are going to have instant bodies!
11. And they’ll be far better than any surgeon could give us!
12. They’ll be instant, spiritual bodies!
III. Victorious Bodies
1 Corinthians 15:54-57, When 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." 55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
A. Paul says these bodies are going to be imperishable.
1. We usually use that term in conjunction with vegetables.
2. That means that those vegetables will rot and deteriorate quickly.
3. Our current bodies are that way.
4. They’re already falling apart and someday they are going to rot.
5. But Paul says they are going to be clothed with the imperishable.
6. These new, spiritual, instant bodies will not rot and deteriorate.
7. These mortal bodies will become immortal.
B. And when that happens, Paul says death will be swallowed up in victory.
1. And death is already taking its toll on our bodies.
2. We all know that we started the dying process the day we are born.
3. And the longer our bodies are here, the more that age and sickness will take their tolls on these bodies and push us closer and closer to death.
4. Paul asks the thundering questions, "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"
5. Then he goes ahead to answer those questions: The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
6. You see the truth is that death can have victory and it can have sting.
7. Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death,
8. And that word "death" means and eternal separation from God in hell.
9. God has communicated His law.
10. When we violate that law, we deserve to die and go to hell for eternity.
11. That is the victory and the sting of death.
12. But the rest of Romans 6:23 says, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
13. Through Jesus Christ we can have victory over death.
14. And that is what Paul said here in 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
C. Not only will we have instant, spiritual bodies, we will have victorious bodies!
1. Our new bodies will be victorious over death.
2. Our new bodies will overcome the sting of death.
3. Our new bodies will overcome the power of sin.
4. If we have trusted Christ while in these old bodies, we will be reunited with our Creator in heaven for eternity.
5. If we have not trusted Christ while in these old bodies, we will be separated from our Creator in hell for eternity.
6. Jesus said in Matthew 13:49-50, This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
7. But the glorious thing is that even though that is what we deserve, we don’t have to get what we deserve!
8. That is glorious!
9. All we have to do is accept God’s grace that is offered to us by believing that Jesus Christ died in our place!
10. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
11. Glory-Hallelujah!
D. We are going to get new bodies that are going to be victorious over sin and death and the grave and sickness and disease and sadness!
1. New bodes that won’t get sick and won’t have to ever call in sick!
2. We’ll get new bodies that won’t cry and be saddened!
3. We’ll get new bodies that won’t be affected by gravity!
4. We’ll get new bodies that won’t ever have to have replacement parts!
5. We’ll get new bodies that won’t ever quit working correctly!
6. We’ll get new bodies that won’t ever have pain and suffering!
7. We’ll get new bodies that won’t ever get cancer or diabetes or high blood pressure.
8. We’ll get new bodies that will overcome all of that and more!
9. That will be the greatest come-from-behind victory the world has ever known!
10. We have an uncommon hope because we believe we are going to have instant, spiritual, victorious bodies!
11. So since we have this hope within in us, we must make these old shells be…
IV. Determined Bodies
1 Corinthians 15:58, Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
A. Therefore, my dear brothers (and sisters, since we have this hope within in us) stand firm. Let nothing move you.
1. Since we have this uncommon hope, we cannot let anything move us.
2. We must stand firm.
3. We cannot allow anything or anyone to move us, because we’ve got too much to loose.
4. Why would we allow anything in this world to move us from this hope!
5. Why would we allow anyone in this world to move us from this hope!
6. When Satan uses your friends or family to try lure you away from your hope, you tell them, "I’ve got too much to loose!"
7. When Satan tries to use things of this world to beat you up and kick you around in order to tempt you to give up your hope—you tell him, "You can beat me all you want to, but I’m not giving up my hope!"
8. When Satan uses material things of this world to try to get you to trade them for your hope, you tell him, "You’ve got nothing that I would trade for this hope!"
9. When Satan uses the desires of this world and the lust of the eyes to try to lure you away from your hope, you tell him, "There is no pleasure that’s worth trading for the hope that I have within me!"
10. Make a vow to yourself and God today: "Because I have this hope within me, I will stand firm and I will let nothing move me!" (Repeat that with me!)
B. And Paul also says that because we have this hope within us, we must Always give [ourselves] fully to the work of the Lord, because [we] know that [our] labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1. What is the work of the Lord?
2. Getting this hope into those around us!
3. We should share that hope with those around us!
4. We can also do things for others who are better at sharing that hope than we are, so that they will have even more time to share our hope with others!
5. What is the work of the Lord? To keep hope alive!
6. To keep our own hope alive and to encourage those around to not let go of their hope either!
7. We need to encourage our brothers and sisters to keep their hope alive!
8. We need to encourage our brothers and sisters to keep their eyes focused on these things and not the hopeless things of this world.
9. We must keep hope alive by standing firm and spreading this hope!
10. Keep hope alive!
Conclusion:
A. [Jesus the Explorer, Citation: D. James Kennedy, "Message from an Empty Tomb," Preaching Today, Tape No. 66.]
For many centuries the men and women in Europe looked out upon the western sea, what we call the Atlantic Ocean, and they saw the sun coruscating upon the glittering surface of the waters and they wondered.
They wondered if there was anything beyond. Scholars said that you could sail off the edge of the world--there was nothing out there at all.
In fact, inscribed on the escutcheons of the coat of arms of the nation of Spain was its national motto, Ne Plus Ultra, meaning, "There is nothing beyond."
One day Columbus went westering on the shiny waters.
He sailed off into the sunset as people waited expectantly, and finally after a long time the sails reappeared and the crowds were exultant.
They shouted with joy, and Columbus announced that there was a land beyond the sea that was rich beyond their dreams.
It was a glorious paradise.
The king of Spain changed the motto of that land until it reads as it does today, Plus Ultra, meaning, "There is more beyond."
For many centuries innumerable people stood beside the dark hole that we call a grave and watched the remains of their loved ones lowered into the earth, and they wondered: Beyond the dark waters of death, is there anything beyond?
Then one day, a young explorer went westering into the setting sun and descended into the blackness of the pit.
He sailed off the edge of the world and crashed into hell.
People waited expectantly.
Finally on this Resurrection morning, as the sun arose in the east, the Son of God stepped forth from a grave and declared, "There is something beyond. There is a paradise beyond your greatest expectations. And there awaits a heavenly Father, waiting with outstretched arms to wipe away every tear from your cheek."
B. How is your hope today?
1. Do you need to receive God’s gift of grace today and ask Him to save you from the eternal penalty of your sin and receive His free gift of the hope of eternal life?
2. Do you need to come pray and give your hopelessness to Christ and ask Him to refill you with hope so that you can truly live again?
