1 Cor No.32 The Resurrection No.2

But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless, and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God.

For we have testified about God that He raised Christ from the dead. But He did not raise Him if, in fact, the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile. You are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.

If only for this life we have hope in Christ, then we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead. The firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive, but each in his own turn. Christ the firstfruits, then when He comes, those who belong to Him.

Then the end will come when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father. After He has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.

The last enemy to be destroyed is death. Now may God add His blessing to that reading from His word. Well, at least you should know something about the contents of the epistle of Paul to the Corinthians by the time we're through this series.

As we move again into another study, having taken more than 30 Sundays on this particular letter. And yet it's a glorious letter and it has such practical application for each of us. As it deals with doctrinal matters and also with Christian lifestyle and our conduct in worship and so forth.

But once more I bring you back to and will have occasion to return you on two or three more Sundays to 1 Corinthians 15. Perhaps the greatest chapter in the whole of this epistle with the possible exception of the 13th. Paul is dealing with the concept of the resurrection.

And if you have your Bibles open at 1 Corinthians 15, then we shall be looking at his teaching from the 12th through to the 26th verse. You may recall last week that I gave you a quotation from Michael Green, an Anglican theologian and preacher. Who said that the resurrection far from being the tailpiece of Christianity is the centerpiece.

In other words, if you remove our belief in the resurrection, if you shift the foundation stone of the Christian faith. Then the whole edifice that's built on top will collapse. The apostle puts it much more succinctly, much more eloquently.

When in the 14th verse he says, if Christ has not been raised our preaching is useless. Now it did appear to the apostle when he was considering some of the rumors that he was hearing as he was away from Corinth. That there in the church at Corinth were certain people who got it wrong in their understanding about the resurrection.

He'd heard a lot of rumors, a lot of whispers of what was transpiring in this church. From people who had come across his path as he was moving around Asia Minor. But maybe this particular aspect disturbed him more than anything else.

And so in the 12th verse we get by implication a smuggled reference to those who were saying. That the resurrection, the concept of the resurrection is now through. If it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead.

How can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead. Now why were these Christians or some of them, very small minority at Corinth. Confused about the whole idea of the resurrection.

Well possibly there were two factors that were involved. And the first was their cultural environment. For the Greeks in Corinth was a Greek community.

The idea of a resurrection was just a nonsense. When you're dead, you're dead. Your bones start to decay and after a while there's just a bit of powder left in mother earth.

And that's all the remains that there are of you. So it was very much against the Greek concept that there could have been a physical resurrection. But perhaps more importantly.

These Corinthians began to misunderstand a very wonderful teaching of scripture. Let me try to emphasize their problem by turning you through to the epistle that Paul wrote to Timothy. And there in the second epistle and the second letter.

You come across two people with rather strange names. They are called in the 17th verse, you discover them. Hymenaeus and Philetus.

This is 2 Timothy chapter 2. Now Paul is teaching against them. He is correcting their error. Well what is it that they are saying that is particularly wrong? Well says the apostle, there are those amongst whom Timothy is ministering.

Who have, verse 18, wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place. And they destroy the faith of some.

Now why did Hymenaeus and Philetus and a minority of Christians at Corinth. Confuse the teaching of Paul on the resurrection. Well it was for this reason.

And if you give me your understanding, if you give me your concentration. You'll grasp the nature of the difficulty. If I were to ask you this morning, how you know you are a Christian.

Possibly you would use the phraseology that President Jimmy Carter made very popular a couple of years ago. You would say, well I have been born again. And you might have at the back of your mind.

Not only your spiritual experience of putting your trust in Jesus Christ. But also the day that you confessed Jesus as Lord publicly. Perhaps it was here at the tabernacle and we had our baptistry open.

And you were plunged into the waters. And you rightly realised that when you were immersed in the water. That stood for your old way of life.

And then when you were raised out of the water. That indicated to you and to all who were witnessing the act. The fact that you were a Christian.

You have been raised from one sphere of life into another sphere of life. Once you were dead, but now you are alive. Once you were blind, but now you see.

The whole miracle of conversion. Is in a very real, a very profound biblical sense. A resurrection.

Those of you who trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Here in the tab this morning. You have been resurrected spiritually.

And it seems that these Corinthians and the folk that I mentioned. In 1 Timothy, whose names, 2 Timothy, whose names are there recorded. Got this all wrong.

And they believe that that resurrection was the only resurrection. The spiritual was the absolute. They didn't appreciate that later on.

There was a second resurrection. Not only the resurrection of the spirit, but also the resurrection of the body. As Jesus has been raised physically, so they also will be.

Now, that's what Paul has at the back of his mind. As he introduces his teaching in this passage that we're looking at. And he, for a few verses, treats the whole thing negatively.

He says, all right, so to speak. Let's acknowledge for a moment. Let's think for a moment.

Horrific thought though it be. That there is no physical resurrection. That Jesus Christ was not literally brought again from the dead.

What would be the consequences of this? Well, he works out those consequences from the 14th verse right down to the 20th. Here I say, he's arguing in a negative fashion. He doesn't believe this at all.

But he's painting these colors of black and gray. Simply to show by way of contrast. The glory that there is for him and all who follow him.

In realizing that Jesus is indeed raised from the dead. Well, let's look at it negatively. If Jesus Christ were not raised from the dead.

If there is no physical resurrection. Part and parcel of the Christian gospel. Then what? Well, verse 14 tells us.

A plague upon the preachers. A plague upon the preachers. If Christ has not been raised.

Our preaching is useless. It's an absolute sham. Christianity stands or falls on the resurrection.

I've always found it a very curious thing. That there are people, theologians within the established church in particular. That claim to believe in Jesus Christ and to be Christians.

And yet who deny the physical resurrection. No, says Paul. If that is so, then there is no preaching at all.

Our preaching is useless. And what is more? The faith of those who trust Jesus Christ is on the scrap heap. Our preaching is useless.

And so is your faith. Even more than that, verse 15. Another consequence flows if Christ is not raised.

And that is that a lot of people who have been referred to by name or collectively. In the list of those who claim to have received resurrection appearances of Jesus. Witness them.

Those people have been telling lies. They are false witnesses. They have deceived thousands, indeed today, millions of people.

That's another consequence that follows. If Jesus has not been raised from the dead. But even more serious than all this.

Says the apostle in the 17th verse. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile. You are still in your sins.

The debt of sin remains uncancelled. There is no hope in the Christian gospel. It is not sufficient to point to Jesus and his death on the cross.

Many people died on the cross. There have been many martyrs, good meaning men and women throughout the whole of history. And there is no way in which you can logically establish the fact that Jesus' death.

Had any greater benefit for mankind than their death. The thing that marks Jesus' death out particularly. Making it unique.

Is the resurrection that followed on from his death on the cross. And so, it's because of the resurrection. We know that the payment of the life of Jesus on the cross.

Has been accepted by the Father. And is sufficient for you and for me. To have our sins dealt with.

Says the apostle then, if Christ is not raised. Then our debt of sin remains uncancelled. What is more.

He says, if Christ is not raised. Verse 18. Those deluded people.

Who trusted Jesus as saviour and have died. He refers to that as have fallen asleep. Verse 18.

They are lost. What a condition is theirs. There is no hope for them.

They expired, they died. Clinging to the myth that Jesus was raised from the dead. There is no future for these people.

If he is not raised. Then this conclusion logically follows. And says the apostle in the 19th verse.

If only for this life. We have hope in Christ. We are to be pitied more than all men.

If Christ has not been raised from the dead. Then there is no more pitiful spectacle in the whole of the universe. Than Christian people.

Have you realized the significance of this? Here is the apostle saying. That the whole of his life. Has been given over to witnessing for Jesus Christ.

Indeed he tells us in Philippians. That he counted everything but loss. For the sake of advancing the cause.

He gave it all up. He tells us in Corinthians in chapter 4. The first epistle. That the regulating factor in his whole life.

Is how he will behave on the day. When he stands before the Lord Jesus. He tells us later on in Corinthians.

That he is like an athlete. He is straining in a race. He wants to win a crown.

Which will never fade. Which will never disappear. Now here is the apostle.

He has given up so much. And the basis of the reason. Why he has given all these things up.

Is simply because he believes in Jesus Christ. Not only crucified. But resurrected.

Now if there is no resurrection. If the bones of Jesus lie bleaching somewhere. In the middle eastern sands.

Then of all men. Paul is most pitiful. The great spectacle of tragedy in this universe.

Are Christian people. If Christ be not raised. Campbell Morgan with his typical eloquence puts it.

If indeed Christ died as other men die. And did not emerge from death victoriously and supernaturally. Then until this very moment.

His ashes are mixed somewhere in the Syrian soil. Still. And the whole church of God is false.

And a humbug. If Christ be not risen. Preaching is absurd.

Faith is hollow. Hope is eclipsed. And there is no authentic message of the Christian church.

It's as strong as that. And so here is Paul in these verses. And he's groping.

It's like a horrific nightmare. He's having to make this presupposition. Just for a moment.

To deal with these people in Corinth. Who don't appreciate the absurdity of the notion. That there is only one resurrection.

A spiritual resurrection. It doesn't matter that Jesus Christ came back from the dead. Matters is Paul.

There is no gospel. Without the risen resurrected Christ. If Christ be not risen.

Then our preaching is in vain. And we have bankrupted. We have cancelled.

The faith of the Christian church. Well as I say. He's almost stumbling over himself.

In dealing with this concept. It is so anathema to him. But he engages in these verses.

Simply by way of contrast. To show the greatness of the consequences. That flow from the reality of the resurrection of Christ.

And so I bring you to the 20th verse. And this has one of the greatest words in the whole scripture. And it's a three letter word.

It's the word but. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead. When the apostle in Romans engages in an argument.

As to the sinfulness of men and women. And their absolute hopelessness. Outside of the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He goes on to say but God. And here he's at it again. But Christ.

This is what would happen. If he hadn't been raised from the dead. There would be no hope.

There would be no future for mankind. But Christ. He has indeed been raised from the dead.

The first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. As the Old Testament Hebrew brought one of the early sheaves of the harvest. And waved it in the temple before God.

Symbolizing all the harvest that was yet to come. So the Lord Jesus Christ. In his physical resurrection.

Represents. The first fruits. Of all those.

Who shall be raised from the dead. Following on. In the pattern.

That he has established. Here I suggest to you. In the 21st verse.

Is one of the greatest texts. In the whole of the Bible. And however.

The NIV version may spread in its popularity. Amongst Christians. We have it to the credit of.

Frederick Handel. That we'll never get away. From the authorized version.

Because you remember how in that great oratorio. Which he composed the Messiah. He gets at one stage the whole of the choir.

And the orchestra bursting out into a cacophony of praise. For since by man came death. By man came also.

The resurrection. This is what. Is the fulcrum of the preaching of the apostle Paul.

This is the most important thing. In the whole of the gospel. By man came death.

By man came also. The resurrection. The apostle here in the 21st and the 22nd verses.

Is going to do something that is not done in the whole of scripture. Before nor after. He's going to gather together the whole story of history.

The whole story of humanity. He's going to reach into the past. And he's going to reach into the future.

And he's showing how everything balances. On the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He's bringing into prominence at this point in his teaching.

Two men. Jesus on the one hand. And Adam on the other hand.

And he is showing us. That the mess that Adam got the world into. Has been sorted out.

By the last Adam. Even Jesus Christ. And all this is basic.

To the resurrection miracle. In which Jesus was brought back. From the grave.

For since by death. Or since death came through a man. The resurrection of the dead comes also.

Through a man. Since by man came death. By man came also the resurrection.

It's just as though the apostle Paul. Has taken a pair of binoculars. And he brings into focus.

Centuries ago. Eons ago. As he is now writing.

All that the first Adam engaged in. By man. Adam.

Adam is the Hebrew word for man. By man came death. In the day that thou eatest thereof.

Thou shalt surely die. Paul has those words of prohibition and warning. In the back of his mind.

As he is thinking now. Centuries ago of Adam. In the garden of Eden.

And you remember how. With the connivance of Eve. They disobeyed.

The original command of God. And they died. They died there.

Tell me they didn't die physically. And I'm not too impressed by your logic. There is more to death.

Than just physical death. What you read of in Genesis 3. Is the most tragic funeral rite. In the whole history of mankind.

For what happened on that occasion. Will infect the rest of the human species. When Adam sinned.

In the garden. He died. He died to God.

And as a result there was a theological problem. How does this man get in contact with this God again? When Adam sinned in the garden. He died to himself.

We're all a bundle of contradictions. That most of us here. Confess that at times we don't even understand ourselves.

Let alone one another. We find the apostle Paul's words. As he confesses that dilemma.

The good I would I do. Not the evil that I would. Not that I do.

We find that that is epitomizes just how we feel. Not only do we have a theological problem. We've got a psychological problem.

And what's more. As we see Adam and Eve shuffling out of the garden. Having made that absurd attempt to hide from the living God.

We watch them moving into an environment that is now hostile. Through the sweat of your brow. Blood, sweat and tears.

You'll tame Mother Earth. Who now is accursed. And through pain in childbearing.

The human species shall be developed. You'll move into an environment which is hostile. And today we call it the ecological problem.

When man died in the garden. Everything went wrong. Theological.

Psychological. Ecological. Sociological.

So many problems become part and parcel of the life of man. And that's what Paul means when he says. By man came death.

It was a hideous death. It was a grotesque death. And there is no hope for man at all.

Not at this level. Unless. And this is what Paul is angling at.

Unless through man. A unique man. A message might come into this world.

A power might be released. To redeem the situation. To completely transform the destiny.

And indeed the lifestyle. Of ordinary creatures. Like ourselves.

And so Paul reaches backwards you see. He's still talking about the resurrection. But for Paul the resurrection has cosmic consequences.

He peers back to the beginnings of time. And then he'll stop at the present and he'll talk about Jesus. And then he'll reach forward to the end of time.

And he'll bring both extremes together. And he'll say that the whole history of men and women. And their future.

As well as their past. Dangles. On the resurrection.

You see it was the Christ. Who vacated the tomb. On the third day.

Who gave credibility to the gospel that he preached. You remember what I said when I came back from preaching in Israel. A few months ago.

Let me repeat it. It's a humorous event. But it just underlines the point.

I'd been preaching in the garden tomb. With a team that ministered there. Just outside the Damascus gates.

In Jerusalem. And one unfortunate American. Had heard that there was a job going.

In the garden tomb team. And he rang up while I was there. And he put the query to the man who answered the telephone.

I hear you've got a vacancy in the garden tomb. And the fellow said man we've had a vacancy here for 2,000 years. And of course he's perfectly right.

Because there's a vacancy in the garden tomb. There's hope for men. There's hope for women.

And that's what Paul is saying here. When he talks about Jesus Christ as the last Adam. Coming to undo the work of the first Adam.

What God created. Or what it took a God to create. It would take a God to recreate.

And that's the reason why Jesus took flesh as the Son of God. And lived amongst us. Died on the cross and was raised again on the third day.

To release the power of recreation. To all those who are prepared to trust him. As Lord and Savior.

So the apostle goes on in this 21st and 22nd verses. To say for since death came through a man. The resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.

For as in Adam all die. So in Christ all will be made alive. And then he goes on.

But each in his own order. Christ the first fruits. Then when he comes.

Those who belong to him. Then the end will come. When he hands over the kingdom to God the Father.

After he has destroyed all dominion. And authority and power. You see what Paul is doing now? He's moved from the past.

He's made reference to the present. The immediate death and resurrection of Jesus. Now he's taken up with end time concepts.

Then comes the end. That word the end. Is a very important expression in scripture.

Do you remember how when the disciples are walking. By the precincts of the temple with the Lord Jesus. They say Lord what about these signs that you talk about? What about the destruction of the temple? And the ultimate bringing in of God's purposes? Matthew chapter 24 has their question locked into the first two verses.

When will the end come? And Jesus goes on to preach a sermon to them. That tells and I make reference to it last week. About certain things that would happen prior to his coming.

And this is what Paul has in mind you see. The end. The great purposes of God.

Brought together. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. When he returns to this world.

There are those who seem to think. That Jesus Christ is bereft of authority on this earth at the moment. They couldn't be more wrong.

Jesus said all authority is given unto me. He is reigning at this very moment. There is a reference made to his universal reign in the 25th verse.

He must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. But he's already reigning on this earth. Because the earth belongs to him.

He's reigning through his church. You remember how he puts it in the gospel of John. When reference is made to the falling of Satan from heaven.

He says in the 12th chapter. And the 31st and 32nd verses. Words which refer to the expulsion of Satan.

And also the power of Jesus Christ. Jesus said now is the time for judgment on this world. Now the prince of this world will be driven out.

But I when I am lifted up from the earth. Will draw all men to myself. Now that's precisely what he has been doing.

Since the day of Pentecost to the 20th century. The devil who had a field day amongst the nations of the world. With the exclusion of the Jews.

Has had his power shorn considerably. The strong man has been bound. I was reading only a few hours ago.

Of a report that has just come out of China. To indicate the phenomenal growth that there has been in the Christian church. Since the missionaries pulled out in what was it 1948.

From a relative handful of people. The church has now multiplied and multiplied and multiplied. And yet there has been no missionary task force.

There has been little in the way of literature aid. What has been happening? Well you see Jesus has been exercising his authority on this earth. There are Chinese for whom he died.

As there are Russians for whom he died. Around the world there is a great innumerable company. Referred to in scripture as the elect.

And they are coming to the Lord. It is outside the power of the strong man. To hold these people.

It is the gospel of Christ that brings them to himself. This is the reason why you are Christians now. It is because of the authority of the Christ on this earth.

He speaks the word. The gospel message. You respond to it.

The very faith that you have. Is a gift from God. For all faith emanates from him.

And he sets up his reign. In your heart. In my heart.

In millions of people around the world. And as the gospel is proclaimed. Satan is bound to release.

From his grasp. Those for whom Christ died. And the day will come.

When that innumerable company of people. Is complete. When the last person.

For whom Christ died. Shall respond to the message of the gospel. And then what? Then.

Shall the end come. And Jesus Christ. In the power of his majesty.

And his great glory. Shall return to this world. He shall destroy the last enemy.

Even death itself. And all. The righteous dead.

And the unrighteous dead. Shall be caught up to meet the Lord. And there will ensue.

A judgment. The like of which. This world has never known.

Nor will ever experience. Again. That's precisely the teaching.

Of our Lord Jesus Christ. When he refers in the. Fifth chapter.

Of the gospel of John. To the fact. That he will return.

And he will raise physically. All men and women. Listen to John.

Chapter five. And verse twenty six. For as the father has life in himself.

So he has granted the son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge. Because he is the son of man.

Do not be amazed at this. For a time is coming. When all who are in their graves.

Will hear his voice and come out. Those who have done good. Will rise to live.

And those who have done evil. Will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing.

I judge only as I hear. And my judgment is just. For I seek not to please myself.

But him who sent me. The point could not be made more clear. At the consummation of all things.

At the end of the human story. Jesus Christ. Who already reigns in his church.

Shall return to this earth. And Jesus who is incognito unknown. By many millions of people.

Who have not responded to the gospel. Shall acknowledge who he is right now. King of kings.

And lord of lords. They know this in heaven. In the celestial realms.

The cherubim. The seraphim. They're aware.

That the man who was raised from the dead. Has been raised to the highest position of authority. That heaven affords.

It's his by sovereign right. And there are millions of people on mother earth. Who recognize this.

The Christian church. Right now. And through them.

Jesus is reigning. But the day is coming. When all of Adam's stock.

Alive at that time. And those who died before the advent. Shall be raised to acknowledge.

By force or by choice. That Jesus Christ is lord. To the glory of God the father.

Says the apostle Paul. The end is coming. So he's looked to the past.

The beginning of the human story. Adam since by man came death. He's gone to the present.

By man came also the resurrection. He looks to the future. And he sees none other than the majestic son of God.

Returning to mother earth. To achieve again. What was commenced at the beginning.

To restore the paradise that has been lost. To rejuvenate the heavens and the earth. To offer the church.

The kingdom of Jesus Christ to the father. So the time shall be when God shall be all. And in all.

There's a new world coming. A new era coming. And the whole balance.

Swings. On the fact. Of the resurrection.

Of Jesus Christ. If there's no resurrection. There's no gospel.

If there's no resurrection. There's no hope. But blessed be God.

We've no need to think in these horrific terms as the apostle. Jesus Christ has been raised. Jesus Christ is at the center of history.

Jesus Christ will be at the end. When God brings in the final eternal era. And it's because of our belief in Jesus Christ.

And his resurrection. That we can say with the apostle John on the isle of Patmos. Even so.

Come. Come. Lord Jesus.

Amen. Now father for that great victory again. We give you our humble and heartfelt thanks.

We praise you that the tomb. Is empty. That there are no decaying remains of the Christ.

Not one molecule of his body. To be found anywhere. In the sands of the east.

Though they were sifted oh so carefully. And we look forward to that great and tremendous day of his return. But until that.

Until that occasion. Help us to occupy until he comes. To be diligent in all that we do.

And we praise you. We praise you again for the last Adam. And for the way that he got us out of the mess caused by the first Adam.

And we thank you that we identify ourselves with the Lord Jesus. And as he has been raised. So we look for that great day.

When we too. Shall have a resurrection body like unto his. And be prepared for that eternal era.

Which you have promised for all those. Who trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. So send us on our way rejoicing.

In his name. Amen.