"The Last Enemy...destroyed Is Death

“THE LAST ENEMY…DESTROYED IS DEATH” (Outline)

November 21, 2010 -

Christ the King -

1 CORINTHIANS 15:20-26

INTRO: Our Christian life in this sinful world is a battle against everything that opposes God and his holy will. We believe in the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is the holy trinity. In our day to day life our struggle is against the “unholy trinity”. Satan, the sinful world, and our own sinful flesh make up these three enemies that oppose God at every opportunity. Today’s verses mention another en-emy we will all face: death. Christ, our Savior, came with the express purpose to defeat death. "It (God’s grace) has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 TIMOTHY 1:10).

“THE LAST ENEMY…DESTROYED IS DEATH”.

I. What Adam did to us. II. Christ undid for us.

I. WHAT ADAM DID TO US

A. Verse 20a. There was to be no debate concerning the fact that Christ rose from the dead.

1.The resurrection of Jesus was under attack from the very day of his resurrection.

a.Some spread rumors of his body being stolen. b. Scoffers, skeptics denied the truth.

2. It was vitally important to continually emphasize the physical resurrection of Jesus.

B. Verse 20b. Death is called sleep. The believer dies = safely falls asleep in the arms of Jesus.

C. What is the cause of all of this preaching and teaching concerning death and resurrection?

1. Verse 21. Death came into the world by a man. Jesus brought life and immortality.

2. Verse 22. This man was Adam. Adam and Eve sinned. Their son commits the first murder.

3. How very quickly sin corrupted the world: perfection to imperfection, life to death.

D. What Adam did to mankind was to sin. This first sin introduced imperfection into the perfect world that God had created. Adam’s sin also brought death into this now imperfect world. We are born as sin-ul human beings. None can escape this inheritance of sin from our first parents. Today some would like to dismiss sin. Some try to avoid such an “outdated” term. There is no escaping sin. Everyone will face death. This is the result of sin. “For as in Adam all die.” None escape death because none are exempt from sin. "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). We all die because we all sin – daily and much.

E. Look around and assess what is happening in our world today. Are things getting better or worse? If one looks honestly society is clearly worse not better. Yet, ”experts” try to make people believe that everything is getting better. The wickedness of mankind clearly reveals itself day in and day out. We are guilty of sinning against our God in deeds, words, and thoughts. Our thoughts are really what make our lives spiral down that wide, broad path of destruction. "Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death" (JAMES 1:14, 15). Evil desire leads to sin which ends in death.

F. You and I cannot look into the heart of anyone else to know what is there. We do not have to or even want to. The human heart is filled with only evil all the time. This may not be a very popular teaching in our society today. But, who are we to deny the truth of the very word of God? When we look at our own hearts it is not a pretty picture. Jesus describes the evil that lurks within us. "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander" (MATTHEW 15:19). Such is our inheritance from our first parents. Now we can not excuse ourselves by blaming them or the world. Instead, in our hearts are all these evil desires. We can act on them or reject them.

“THE LAST ENEMY...DESTROYED IS DEATH”. Sin and death is what Adam did to us.

II. WHAT ADAM DID TO US, CHRIST UNDID FOR US

A. These are the first generation of believers to live after the resurrection of Jesus from the tomb.

1. Paul reminded these believers of the earthly death they would all face someday.

2. Verses 21b, 22b. Adam may have brought but Christ brought life for all of mankind.

B. Verse 23. Here is a timeline. Christ died first and rose first. After this believers who die will live.

1. Christ is the “firstfruits”. At harvest time the believers always brought the first fruits to God.