THE RISEN SAVIOR IS OUR LIVING HOPE! (Outline)
1 CORINTHIANS 15:19-26 - March 22, 2005 - EASTER SUNDAY
INTRO: This is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it! Today we are going to study our living hope that far surpasses any hopes or dreams any of us have ever had. In our lives many of us have seen many of our hopes and dreams fall short of what we expected. On this resurrection festival of Easter today’s text reminds us of the fact that the risen Savior is our living hope. Unlike any other earthly hope our risen Savior, Jesus Christ never falls short of our expectations. Jesus cannot disappoint. In the epistle of Peter the writer encouraged the persecuted Christians. As he reminded them, so we are re-minded today to focus not so much on our limited earthly hopes but on that eternal, living hope – Christ, the resurrected Savior of mankind. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead"(1 PETER 1:3). We are privileged to rejoice and praise God for this Easter fact:
THE RISEN SAVIOR IS OUR LIVING HOPE --
I. our living hope guaranteed, and
II. Our living hope of victory.
I. OUR LIVING HOPE GUARANTEED
A. The apostle Paul addresses this letter to the Christians at Corinth who are facing many problems.
1. In the first 13 chapters of 1 Corinthians Paul addresses these problems with divine solutions.
2. Then Paul comes to chapter 15, the resurrection chapter. Some struggled with Jesus’ rising.
B. Verse 19 reminded the congregation of their living hope. Their living hope was in the living Savior.
1. Christ has indeed been raised from the dead. Verse 20. Christ is the firstfruits from the grave.
2. Note that death is connected with those who sleep. Death, like sleep, is not the end.
C. Jesus’ resurrection as the firstfruits is the guarantee for the rest of believers to also rise from the dead.
1. Verse 21 describes that because of sin mankind has been guaranteed death.
2. Verse 22. The result of Adam’s sin to death is replaced with Jesus’ guarantee to be made alive.
D. Today’s society does not like to discuss sin. We really do not like to hear that much about sin either. After all, who really wants to be reminded of all of their shortcomings? As long as we live in this world and have flesh and blood and life and breath we are tainted by sin. We cannot dismiss sin by saying eve-ryone is doing. We cannot disguise sin by calling it a sickness. God still looks at our wickedness and re-bellion in thought, word and deed as sin. The effects of sin are seen in the ultimate end of everyone’s earthly life. "For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son--both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die"(EZEKIEL 18:4). None escape an earthly death because of sin.
E. There is a very close connection between sin, living and dieing. Because of Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden death entered the world. No one would really want to live forever in the midst of suffer-ing and sorrow caused by sin. Each of us have inherited our first parent’s sinfulness. Every day our Old Adam (sinful nature) leads us into sin – that is guaranteed. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory that is guaranteed! "Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men"(ROMANS 5:18). Adam passed on to us sin and death. Christ graciously gives us forgiveness and life.
F. Our living, loving Savior want us to know that his resurrection is a guarantee of our own resurrection. That is the meaning of firstfruits. Not only is Christ the first and the best of the harvest of resurrection but also firstfruits also mean there are more to come. We, too, are guaranteed to be raised to life. Chapter 10 of the gospel of John is known as the Good Shepherd chapter. The Lord Jesus Christ emphasizes and re-emphasizes his promises and guarantee to lead his sheep. "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand"(JOHN 10:27,28). We all, like sheep, have gone astray but the Lord brings us safely to himself.
TRANS: THE RISEN SAVIOR IS OUR LIVING HOPE – our living hope guaranteed AND
II. OUR LIVING HOPE OF VICTORY.
A. There was to be no questions or doubts. The empty tomb was proof that Christ came back to life!
1. Some had doubted. Some did not believe. The guards spread rumors.
2. No matter, Christ was / is alive. His resurrection means our victory is guaranteed. Verse 22.
B. Paul writes briefly of the resurrection order or timeline. Verse 23. Christ rise first, then believers.
1. Paul was looking to the end of the lives of believers and also to the end of the world.
2. Verse 24. On the Last Day, Judgment Day, Christ destroys every enemy of his church.
C. After this victory Jesus hands over his kingdom to his Father. This is the end of sin and death forever.
1. Until that Last Day we are blessed to know Christ is in complete control. Verse 25.
2. Christ rules from heaven on our behalf. The risen Savior is our living hope.
3. Whether it be the end of our earthly life or the end of the world in verse 26 = victory is ours!
D. We celebrate and rejoice on this special anniversary of Jesus’ resurrection. Many in the world do not celebrate Jesus’ victory because they do not care. They do not celebrate Jesus’ victory because they sim-ply do not know. How amazing that God’s grace has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. How amazing that God’s power has changed our hearts of stone into believing hearts of flesh. We do not deserve God’s grace, we have not earned it and we cannot buy it in any store. God freely gives amazing grace to believers as living hope of victory. "For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who be-lieves that Jesus is the Son of God"(1 JOHN 5:4,5).
E. We celebrate and rejoice this morning, actually every day, that to each of us our gracious God has also provided and guaranteed victory over death. Visit with your neighbors and acquaintances. Ask them about death. You may be surprised at how many are uncertain or even fearful. That future beyond earthly living is unknown to many. How sad, to live in fear and ignorance. Scripture is abundantly clear. "’He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth.’ The LORD has spoken"(ISAIAH 25:8). The guar-anteed victory of the living hope is seen in Jesus’ resurrection in the fact that The LORD has spoken!
F. Today’s Scripture lessons (listed at the bottom of the page) also re-emphasize God’s victory of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Still our lives may seem filled with trouble and sorrow. We may even be bothered about death from time to time. The world does a good job in making it seem like enjoying life here on earth is the only thing that really matters. Life here on earth ends up being dis-appointing and in the end hopeless. The Lord promises his victory to us and for us. "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory" (COLOSSIANS 3:2-4).
CONCL: The risen Savior is our living hope – today and every day. Let no one ever rob you of that greatest comfort of God’s guarantee and victory. In a life that the world fills with fear and empty prom-ises our living hope never, ever disappoints us or falls short of our expectations. THE RISEN SAVIOR IS OUR LIVING HOPE – our living hope GUARANTEED and our living hope of VICTORY. "He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us"(2 CORINTHIANS 1:10). We are reminded that our risen Savior, Jesus Christ, has delivered us from the power of sin, death and the devil. Jesus still does daily deliver us. Jesus will finally deliver us into eternity. THE RISEN SAVIOR IS OUR LIVING HOPE – our living hope GUARANTEED, our living hope of VICTORY! Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
EASTER SUNDAY readings (ILCW – A): JONAH. 2:2-9; COLOSSIANS 3:1-4; MATTHEW 28:1-10
