Series: Victory in Jesus
Title: Victory over a Temporal World
Text: 1 Corinthians 15:51-58
Text: 1 Corinthians 15:51-58
Title: Victory over a Temporal World
Introduction:
Every day we have reminders of the temporal world, but often we forget.
Note –The sting of sin brings death – verse 56
Romans 5:12
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death
passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.
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But Jesus has taken away the sting of death through His resurrection.
Ill – Little boy screaming because a bee flew into his car. His dad caught it and in the
process was stung. He told his son, “Don’t worry. It only has one stinger and I took the
sting for you.” That’s what Jesus has done for us.
Note – Some at Corinth questioned the resurrection of the dead.
Note – Death is not a period, but a comma in the story of life.
I.
The Reminder of Life’s Brevity – verse 51
James 4:13-15
13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and
continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14 Whereas ye know not
what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that
appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say,
If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
Note – Our lives will end in one of two ways…
A. God will call us home by death. – verse 51a
Note – Death is a home-going for the Christian
1. There is a time appointed.
Psalm 48:14
14 For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even
unto death.
Hebrews 9:27
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.
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Series: Victory in Jesus
Title: Victory over a Temporal World
Text: 1 Corinthians 15:51-58
2. It is a precious time for the Lord.
Psalm 116:15
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
Genesis 5:24
24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
1 Thessalonians 4:14
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also
which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
3. When a Christian dies his soul and spirit leave the physical body and enter
into the third Heaven, (God’s Heaven) into the presence of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:6, 8
6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home
in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body,
and to be present with the Lord.
B. God will call us home by the rapture.
Define Rapture
1. We will be caught up.
Note – in a moment (gr. Atamos)
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are
alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which
are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from the heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in
Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be
with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Ill – One lovely moonlit night a grandfather and his small granddaughter
went for a walk. The stars were magnificent. As the grandfather named
individual stars and constellations, the granddaughter exclaimed,
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Series: Victory in Jesus
Title: Victory over a Temporal World
Text: 1 Corinthians 15:51-58
“Grandpa, if the bottom side of Heaven is this beautiful, just think how
wonderful the top side must be.”
2. We will be transformed. – verses 51-53
1 Corinthians 15:42-44
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is
raised in incorruption:
43 It is sown in dishonour; 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. There is a
natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
2 Corinthians 3:18
18 But we all, with open face beholding as a glass the glory of the Lord,
are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit
of the Lord.
Note – “changed” a different Greek word is used metamorphous
metamorphoo: change into another form, to transform, to transfigure;
Christ’s appearance was changed.
Quote – “The closest people come to perfection is when they fill out a job
application.” – Don Griffith
Ill – Benjamin Franklin’s Epitaph – “The body of Franklin, printer, like
the cover of an old book, its contents torn out and stripped of its lettering
and gilding, lies here. But the work will not be lost, for it will appear once
more in a new and more elegant edition, revised and corrected by the
author.”
II.
The Reassurance of Victory – verse 57
Note – Thanks be to God.
Psalm 98:1
1 O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvelous things: his right
hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.
A. Victory is a gift.
Note – Jesus fulfilled the righteous demands of the law.
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Series: Victory in Jesus
Title: Victory over a Temporal World
Text: 1 Corinthians 15:51-58
Note – God gives us the victory without any conditions as His children. He
does not withhold it but freely has provided it through the Lord Jesus Christ,
Who has already been victorious over the grace and death.
1. A Gift of Hope
This is also a gift of hope – we have hope of the resurrection of Jesus’ own
resurrection. This provides confidence for the future:
Philippians 1:6
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work
in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
2. A Gift of Grace
Romans 6:14-15
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law,
but under grace.
15 What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under
grace? God forbid.
Note – None of us deserve this grace.
B. Victory is a Gift from Christ
Note – He has given us the victory over sin, Satan, death and Hell.
Note – It says our victory comes “through” our Lord Jesus Christ. “Through,”
dia, a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; of means by; by
means of; Jesus is the means by which we obtain victory. The Bible doesn’t
give any other way for victory.
III. The Response of the Sincere Christian – verse 58
Note – It is as though the apostle says to the church, “Let us now stop speculating
and begin to serve.”
A. Our motivation is positive.
Note – Therefore (because He gives victory)
1. We are motivated by the love of Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:14
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Series: Victory in Jesus
Title: Victory over a Temporal World
Text: 1 Corinthians 15:51-58
14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if
one died for all, then were all dead.
2. We are motivated by the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 3:20-21
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we
ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be
glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without
end. Amen.”
Note – Every once in a while you will meet a sour Christian who is
convinced a church like ours is filled with people who hate being faithful!
We are serving because we are grateful for the victory He has provided.
B. The manifestation is measurable.
1. Steadfast – hedraios: to be seated
2. Unmovable – Holding our position with intensity
Ephesians 4:14
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried
about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning
craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.
3. Always Abounding – “Going beyond the requirements”
Ill– Leisure and rest are needed, but many Christians leisure themselves
right out of the will of God.
James 5:26
26 Faith without works is dead.
Conclusion:
It is not vain – 58b
Salvation – Are you prepared for eternity?
Quote – “A man may go to Heaven without health, without riches, without honors,
without learning, without friends; but he can never go there without Christ.” – John Dyer
Surrender – Are you moving forward?
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