"resurrection - Morning Glory"

Text: 1 cor 15

Subject: what are the implications of Jesus resurrection?

Complement: Jesus resurrection is the first-fruit of our resurrection

Idea: “Because he lives, I can face tomorrow.”

Purpose; comfort…celebrate… proclaim gospel.

Introduction:

When I was a kid, the summer camp of the PAON (L) was in our home town of CBS (Long Pond) and so during those 2 weeks in July we spent every night at the camp having revival…usually with some American preacher with an impressive resume. In many of those services, Irving’s Dad (Ivan Whitt) was the “song-leader” and so I knew the Whitt name and came to admire Pastor Whitt. First names were not frequently used in those days when pastors were being spoken of. And on Sunday afternoon of the final camp gathering it was missionary send-off Sunday. I think the year was 1970—which means I was 10 years old… Irving Whitt, son of Ivan, was in the spotlight that day—I think he may have preached too. I estimate he was Age 22(?) alongside him his equally young Amercian bride, Ruth. I stood there in the sweltering heat that is so common to a NL summer and remember being so impressed … they look so young but yet so poised and passionate for the gospel. It meant more to me than if Gordie Howe or Rocket Richard had been in the house. I loved hockey but I never did worship it.

Off to Africa… 4 years

Then home for furlough…

Another 4 years… Africa.

Teaching

A little fishing

Teaching

Preaching

Safari

While there, Irving contracted “Cerebral Malaria”… death was almost a given when such a diagnosis is made… Ruth drove him to the hospital at night while somewhere in Canada a woman was prompted of the Holy Spirit to pray for the Whitt’s in Africa.

(1979-1980) …Home to study in Springfield…

(1983??) …Then teaching on faculty at EPBC… (8 years…)

Concurrently working on a D of Missiology at Fuller in California. (complete 1994)

Irving liked big words …

• Contextualization

• Cross cultural anthropology

• The aspirin

• Missiology

• Cross-cultural communication

• Christendom

• Majority world

• Global South

• Lausanne

• 1040 window

And so the years accumulate.

It was in Peterborough that our paths intersected.

It’s 1982. By some “divine fiat” I find myself enrolled in EPBC. From accounting to theology. Only God could make that happen. Irving was on the faculty but my accelerated academic program didn’t afford me many electives and so I never had the privilege to sit in Irving’s classroom. My wife, Valerie did-- and she was constantly raving about Irving’s classes and ideas.

Then somewhere in the mid-nineties Irving and Ruth began attending our church in Toronto, Harvest Assembly. Somewhere around that time Irving, John Mercer and I began to meet for breakfast. And so began a 20 plus year dialogue about life and ministry and the roller coaster ride common to us all. We each brought our unique perspective and experience. A three-stranded cord is not easily broken. …Behold how good and blessed it is when brother dwell together in unity.

Irving loved to fish. Loved the outdoors. And so one summer 6 of us took a 3 day canoe trip into Algonquin park… including my Dad.

Irving was a dear friend… its been 20 plus years now… in those early days I was in awe of him…loved being around him. He was always reading something about church and mission or church and culture. Of course we had common roots and that was a little extra bonus for us Newfoundlanders living in exile here in Canada.

(By the way Zach… did you know there’s a town in Texas called “Irving” and another town called “Whitt” and the distance between “Irving” and “Whitt” is 74.4 miles.)

Situation – Corinthian christians were experiencing the loss of loved ones and this doesn’t fit their kingdom expectations.

our situation isn’t radically different.

Every time a person close to us goes, these questions surface again.

Why?

Why no dramatic healing?

Were there more miracles then than now?—maybe…depends on your definition and your experience and your reading… but one thing hasn’t changed. All People died then and all people die now. Death –our last enemy—has not yet been destroyed. And so we travel this unpredictable road knowing life is both precious and fragile.

In ancient Corinth, people wanted to know how the gospel answered these profound questions. They were first generation believers. Living with the expectation of the soon return of Jesus. They had not yet settled in for the long haul. Death created an additional crisis – not merely grief but how does death and dying fit into the preaching of the gospel. Has the gospel been oversold? Has the gospel failed us? How do we understand God’s love and omnipotence in light of death? This I believe is the question behind their questions… and ours too.