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May we sing together #225.
225 Mid scenes of confusion and creature complaints. How sweet to the soul is communion with Saints 225.
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As we pray.
Lord, we come to Thee this afternoon. We have sung together about the trials and difficulties, yet it has been a delight to look on to home and the wonder and the joy of that place. But we pray too, Lord, that Thou would give us a foretaste of it here. We pray that as we're together for these meetings that we would have sweet communion with one another.
And be encouraged.
To press on into that moment when that will come. But we pray too, Lord, and for the meeting that is before us, and the other readings too, as we consider a portion, we pray that Thou would especially guide us to that portion that would, uh, be of blessing to each one who is here, and that we would be encouraged and refreshed as a result of it. Lord, let us know where each one of us are and what our needs are.
And.
And so we looked today, and just pray that thou would lead by thy spirit, and we ask in thy name, Lord Jesus, Amen. Amen.
I have had a chapter on my heart all this week. I'd like to suggest it.
1St Corinthians 15. I'll go over a couple of reasons why I think it would be good for us. Number one, we're living in a society very much like that which was in Corinth at the time of Paul's writing to them.
#2 There is, I feel in my own soul, often a tendency to make judgments on things based on what our experience is down here and on the way things are in this world, rather than looking on to the blessed results of resurrection.
There is much in that chapter, I suggest that is very apropos for some of the problems that we face today.
What do?
My brethren, think of that.
I think it's a good suggestion, Bill. I'd be happy to read the chapter. Were you thinking the whole thing? Well, make a suggestion. It's a very long chapter, and uh, if our experiences in general meetings in the past is any indication, getting through a chapter is a problem at best, even if the chapter isn't too long.
I would suggest reading the whole chapter if that's OK, but perhaps starting with verse 12, we can refer back to the 1St 11 verses, but I would suggest perhaps starting with verse 12, which is really, shall I say, the, uh, the kernel of what Paul really wants to say to the Corinthians as to the resurrection of Christ, the blessed results of it, and then the practical.
Effect that it ought to have on our lives.
I think too, if we uh.
We have an exercise, perhaps.
Not a rule, but an exercise maybe to cover 20 verses in each reading meeting we get through the whole chapter.
Put that out there for some thought.
1St Corinthians 15 verse one. Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also you have received, and wherein ye stand, by which also ye are saved, if you keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received, how that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures.
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures. And that he was seen of Cephas even of the 12. Then of the 12 after that he was seen of above 500 brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are falling asleep.
After that he was senior James, that of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also as of one born out of due time.
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For I am the least the apostles, that I'm not meat to be called an apostle because I persecuted the Church of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God, which was with me. Therefore, whether it were I or they. So we preach, and so you believed.
Now if Christ be preached that He rose from the dead, how stay some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen? And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain? And your faith is also vain? Yeah, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ whom He raised not up. If so be that the dead rise not.
For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ risen?
And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain. Ye are yet in your sins.
Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
If in this life only we have hope, in Christ we are of all men most miserable. But now it's Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them. That sleep that slept.
For since by man came death.
By man came also the resurrection of the dead. Whereas in Adam all die, Even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Every man in his own order, Christ the first fruits afterwards say that are Christ at His coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom of God, even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority and power.
For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
For he that hath put all things under his feet.
For he has put all things under his feet.
But when he said all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is expected which to put all things under Him.
And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject on to him that put all things under him, that God may be All in all.
Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all?
Why are they then baptized for the dead? And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?
I protest by your rejoicing, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord. I die daily. If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, What advances advantages at me if the dead rise not?
Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. You're not deceived. Evil communications corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness.
And sin not for some have not the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.
But some men will say, how are the dead raised up, and with what body do they come?
Thou fool thou, which thou sowest is not quickened except to thy.
And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but fair grain, it chance of wheat, or some other grain.
But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and every seed his own body.
All flash is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, another of birds.
There are also celestial bodies and bodies terrestrial, but the glory of the celestial is one and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars for one star different from another star in glory.
So also with the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption, it is sown in dishonor, It is raised in glory, It is sown in wickedness, It is raised in power. It is sown a natural body. It is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
And so it is written, The first name Adam was made a living soul. The last man, the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
Howbeit, that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural, and afterwards that which is spiritual.
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The first man is of the earth earthy. The 2nd man is the Lord from heaven.
As is the earthy structure, they also that are earthy, and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, neither does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump the trump shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal have put on immortality.
And shall be brought to pass the saying that is written. Death is swallowed up in victory. Oh, death, where is thy sting?
Oh grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Just a few brief comments.
On the chapter first of all.
We know that Paul's ministry really began with a risen Christ in glory. He never knew the Lord Jesus when he was on earth, his first.
Introduction If I could say to the Lord Jesus was when he met him as a risen Christ on the road to Damascus, that light from heaven. And so all of Paul's ministry really deals with a risen Christ seated there at God's right hand.
And here in Corinth there had been an awful lot of blessing in that place. The Lord had told Paul, I have much people in this city.
But they were a worldly bunch, if I could say it, and I would suggest speaking for myself. We need to take a long look at the society in which we live and move, and perhaps it ourselves. Its a tendency into which we can all fall.
And there are problems in the Corinthian assembly, quite a few of them, that Paul had to deal with 1 by 1.
But then when he gets to the end of this epistle, it's beautiful how he takes one last error to bring out what was really on his heart, what he really wanted to say, what he really wanted to give them. And he gives them such wonderful truth based on the resurrection of Christ that goes on to our eternal blessing, on to the millennial day, right on to the.
Eternal state that follows the Millennium.
But then there are practical effects.
That ought to be in your life and mine.
And so I suggest that when Paul brings before us in the 1St 11 verses of the chapter, the resurrection and his preaching of the gospel, he brings before us the fact that the resurrection was and is an integral, integral part of the gospel. We can't leave it out. If Christ is not raised, we have no salvation.
And I don't know that these false teachers were necessarily denying the immortality of the individual. I don't know for sure, but they might have allowed for the immortality of the soul, but they were denying the resurrection of the body. And Paul shows what a serious thing that was and how that everything in Christianity, including our salvation.
Depends on resurrection. So that really is the theme of the chapter. And as I say, I think there are a lot of practical things that we can gain from it that are relevant to the day in which we are living.
So it is the truth that we need to tenaciously hold on to as believers, and that is the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Because there have been those down through the ages from this very point here who have taught that the Lord Jesus only rose in spirit and not bodily. But the Lord Jesus said on one occasion to his own handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bone, as ye see me have.
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And just very quickly notice in the beginning of the fifth verse, there are 6 testimonies here of individuals or groups of individuals that the Lord Jesus appeared to bodily in resurrection. Just notice them very quickly. In verse five you have Cephas, of course, that's Peter. Then you have the 12. In the sixth verse you have about 500 brethren at once. Then in the seventh verse you have James. That's the 4th. Then you have all the apostles 5.
And then you have the Apostle Paul, of course, is the 6th. We might say the 7th is the word of God itself because.
The prophets had prophesied that the Lord Jesus would rise from the dead. And it's very significant. I believe too, that when you come to the poor gospels and you read the life of the Lord Jesus, each gospel takes up the life of the Lord Jesus in a different way. And it's beautiful to see that. And while there are different details in each gospel concerning the work and life and person of Christ in regard to the aspect that the gospel writer is taking up, yet there is one truth.
That is brought before us in each of the four Gospels, one truth that is elaborated on at the end of each Gospel. Lest there be any doubt in our minds as to the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus, each evangelist at some length brings before us his resurrection. And so important was this, and so much did the Spirit of God anticipate that this would be a truth that the enemy would seek to undermine.
That every gospel gives us details as to His resurrection. So it's vital. It's important because this has already been said. If Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain and ye are still in your sins. But thank God, brethren, He was raised again for our justification.
There's one more.
Fact that the Gospels bring out connection with Christ bodily resurrection.
The grave clothes were were still there, but the body was gone and these witnesses saw that body.
They're just a little story. I know I've told it before, but it helps to illustrate what we have been saying. Remember some years ago reading of some missionaries that were working and laboring in a Hindu city, I think it was in India. And they were on one of those, the busy streets of that city one day and they were startled by a large procession coming down the street and they made inquiries as to what was happening. And they were told that supposedly a bone of Buddha had been found.
And it was being carried in an ornate box down the street, and the followers of Buddha were rejoicing that this bone had been found. Well, the missionaries watched this, and when they retired to their quarters and talked over the matter, they were struck by the contrast between that and, as they said, if supposedly a bone of the Lord Jesus were ever found. And they concluded that if that were true, if a bone of the Lord Jesus were ever found, it would not cause great rejoicing amongst the Christians, it would cause great sorrow.
But they also were thankful on the authority of God's word to realize that a bone of the Lord Jesus will never be found in this world, because, as you say, he rose broadly from the dead, the grave clothes gone, the tomb opened to give ample witness at the the morning of the resurrection. And what makes Christianity unique to all other so-called religions of the world is the fact that we have not just a risen Savior.
But after he remained on earth to give ample and complete testimony to his own as to his bodily resurrection, a moment came when his feet less the Mount of Olives, and bodily he rose, a glorified man to sit at the right hand of God. And we have a man this afternoon at God's right hand, a real man, a glorified man, but a real man who's there. And that is the man that we're going to see another day.
Perhaps, uh, get a connection to is that, uh, spiritually we are in resurrection, aren't we? Or we have resurrect resurrection life in Christ.
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That has been accomplished already.
Uh, this is resurrection of the body here spoken of, but, uh, it's nice to realize that while here in this scene that we already have resurrection life. We've gone down into death with Christ.
We've risen with him.
We're in the new creation already, uh, with Christ and him and uh, now we're waiting for the redemption of the body or if we're still alive when the Lord comes, the change body that'll take place when the Lord returns. But.
I always like to think of it as I'm already in a new creation. I already have resurrection life in Christ. I haven't got the the benefit of the change body and.
Yes, and that is developed later on in this chapter, isn't it? If Christ is raised, then if we could say it reverently, it follows inevitably that every believer that has died in Christ will be raised and every believer alive at the Lord's coming will be changed. It could not be otherwise because we are so intimately connected with Him.
And so that is one of the blessed results of the resurrection of Christ and one of the things that Paul brings out here. Yes, we have that life now, but what life is it? It is the same life as Christ has.
I guess I sometimes feel, and I don't know if others have felt this way, but sometimes living in this world with everything that goes on here and we are subject to disease to.
Serious disease, even to death, and all of the difficulties through which we pass in this world. Does it really come home to my soul that as I live and move down here?
In what Paul in Philippians calls a body of humiliation.
That I carry with me a life that is a risen life, a life that cannot possibly be totally at home in this world because it belongs in another world. I remember while reading in some of our written ministry how that there was a brother who had served the Lord for many years and toward the end of his life he makes this comment.
In a private letter I believe it was.
He said I feel increasingly that I belong to another world.
Well, we do belong to another world, don't we? How is that? Because the one whose life we have is in another world, and we are identified with him in the closest possible way.
As has been mentioned, we have the Lord Jesus Christ as a glorified man in heaven.
The God's word says it's not good that man should live alone. And so we wait for the time when our bodies will be raised and we should be like him, and he waits for that time too, when his own shall be with him. That I I'd also note too that the umm, as we get in this 12Th and 13th verses, the apostle Paul uses a method of argument that's called reduced to the absurd.
And he makes it to to to use that method of argument. You make a proposition and say if this proposition is true, the next one's got to be true. And if the next one's got to be true, something else has got to be true. And so he says here.
Verse 12 Now if, if Christ be preached, he rose from the dead, how say some of you, there's no resurrection of the dead. They were denying the bodily resurrection. And then of course he says if that's true, then it must be true that Christ has not been raised. And that was the ultimate absurdity as far as Paul was concerned, to question the fact that Christ had been raised.
And if Christ isn't raised, why would we preach the gospel? And why would we give up present advantages as believers?
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I was thinking of the letter you mentioned. Bill, the brother, had written of a story too, about William Kelly. William Kelly had, I believe it was a nephew who was attending one of the universities of England. And he was excelling so in his Greek studies that the Dean of the college asked him if he was getting some extra tutoring. And he told him that it was his Uncle William that was helping him. And so the Dean of the college asked for an interview with William Kelly, one of the great minds of England.
The time and the Dean was astounded in the presence of one of the great minds of England at the time. And after a while he leaned across his desk and he said, Mr. Kelly, you could be a great man in this world. And Mr. Kelly's reply was, which world? Which world? Because it's been said there is another world. But again, why do we give up present advantage? Another little incident comes to mind. John Wesley, who gave up much to preach the gospel and serve the Lord in his day.
He was passing one of the great Manor houses of England and he stopped at the gate and the gardener was working around the gate and they got into conversation and the owners of the home were not, uh, not there at the time. And so the gardener, seeing that John Wesley had an interest in the grounds, he offered to show him the grounds in some of the house. And when the tour was over, they came back to the gate and John Wesley said to the gardener, he said, I too have a liking for these things.
But there is another world. And so if we lose sight of the resurrection, the ascension of Christ, the fact that we are waiting to be, uh, with the Lord Jesus, waiting for the shout, the dead in Christ are going to be raised. We are live and remain, are gonna be caught up. If we lose sight of what is ahead and that there is another world, brethren, we're going to settle down in this world. We're not going to show the proper character. We're not going to be zealous in reaching out in the gospel. We're not going to have the character of those who are are heavenly citizens.
So this truth is very, very important. And again, it's a truth that is unique to Christianity, and it is why we don't build simply for things down here, but we live in view of eternity.
We hope the soft drink tears resurrection, but often we have to hide death and resurrection together. The Lord Jesus died 1St and then he rose again. So there's the resurrection. And we find God has that in His mind from the very beginning. We find even when we go back to Adam, God put him into that deep sleep. So that was a picture of death, isn't it? And then when he woke up, what happened? A bride was prepared for him.
So on this resurrectionism where Eve was made for this man of God harm didn't give her the name Eve. It said there was her name is the woman or Mrs. Adam was made so we find in this chapter is telling us something very similar, isn't it? The Lord has to suffer first death and then three days. We'll find that consistently through Scripture resurrection and our faith is based on that. Even we preach the gospel verse. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus.
And what are we to do next? And believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved. Resurrection is a very important part to our salvation.
It's a very solemn thought, isn't it, that we have in verse 18.
Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ, or what perished, perished, and we who are alive in verse 17, ye are yet in your sins.
And so there's no part of the work of Christ that can possibly be ignored or set aside. And as Jim was mentioning, the devil will always try to attack something in the work of Christ. There is a system, quite a large one, and it's worldwide. It's here in North America that says the work of Christ was not complete on the cross.
They attacked that that aspect of the work of Christ. There's another system, a very large one. Most would recognize it if I name the name, and they would say that the body of the Lord Jesus Christ after he died, was dissolved into gases.
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Not too well known. They don't preach it very much, but that's one of their dogmas. They attack that part of the work of Christ. They essentially deny the resurrection. And on and on it goes so that the devil tries in this way or that way to attack something either in the person or the work of Christ. And error never exists in isolation. It always exists in.
Addition to many other errors that stem from it.
And I believe that's why Paul speaks so strongly and so strenuously here to the Corinthians, as it were, to nip in the bud that kind of thing that was coming in, because he knew that if that kind of talk gained a foothold, not only would it deny the salvation of those who believed it, but it would also inevitably breed further error.
And so how very, very important to keep the truth clear and definite as we get it in the Word of God, and to have it before us. And more than that, Paul knew, as it says in verse 19, that if the hope of the believer did not extend beyond this life, what does it do? It brings Christianity down to the level of a worldly religion.
And basically says.
Do what you can down here because eventually you have to die. And of course, every false religion without any exception, as far as I know, does not have any strong guarantee of anything after this world. How can it? And the devil says I am going to try and bring Christianity down to that level. And we all know, sad to say.
How much he has succeeded not only among professing Christians, but, sad to say, even among believers.
There are many believers today who would absolutely and definitely uphold the bodily resurrection of Christ, and yet somehow Satan has persuaded them that what goes on down here is almost more important than what is going to go on in resurrection. So Paul deals with that, and I believe we need to recognize that danger not only in professing believers but also in true believers.
That there can be that worldly aspect of Christianity which makes it popular but eventually destroys its heavenly calling.
As the apostle in that section. This section of the chapter.
Takes us, shall I say, to the conclusion of denying the resurrection of Christ.
It will remind us that I believe that if there was anything that Satan would have liked to have prevented, it was his, the resurrection of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, it's notable that in the first of Ephesians.
Wendy, the the apostle refers to the power of God verse 19, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us would have believed according to the working of the his mighty power. I believe it could be translated the mighty, the might of his power, which he wrote in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places. The apostle, when he wants to refer to the power of God, doesn't refer to creation.
He refers to the resurrection of Christ because I believe there is nothing more that Satan would have liked to have prevented it would would then the resurrection of Christ, but the power of God has been manifested in that he raised him from today and seeking to make his own right hand in heavenly glory.
MMM, we mentioned that it's connected with the salvation, isn't it? It's, uh, it's faith, believing in Christ for salvation and his work on the cross. It's also faith to believe in his resurrection. So the enemy attacks our faith, doesn't he? And, uh.
As I mentioned, what would be the point of, of going on if there wasn't anything beyond this life? We couldn't see our Lord after we died and so on. But we know, we have, uh, we know that, uh, these things are true because we have been given faith to believe. But, uh, sometimes your faith is tried. We know that, uh, the Lord prayed for Peter, didn't he, that his faith not failed. But it's amazing back in Joe, the book of Joe, isn't that we all, we're all familiar, I think, with the job there chapter, uh.
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Chapter uh, 19.
We show that it's, it's faith that's given by God in these Saints. It's not something that we determine ourselves that there's going to be a resurrection and I'm going to have these benefits after I die. It's it's something that is revealed to us by God and we believe it by faith, which is a gift.
But chapter 19, verse 25.
Go to say, I know that my Redeemer liveth, that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth, and though after my skin worms destroyed his body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. This is.
This is an Old Testament believer to get faith, to know that in the coming day he was going to stand before his God.
It's not a helpful to look at the division because we read a lot of verses. So I, I, I'll share with you how I find it helpful for myself. The 1St 12 verses on 1St 11 verses that we read and took up. We have to look at that. Perhaps as you mentioned, it's about the gospel and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. So once you see that, it's easier to understand and then we have just taken numbers 12 diverse 19.
Uh, the question really was raised that in Price, if he wasn't raised, then what? And we spent some time on that. And then the next section that we're going into from verse 20 to perhaps 28, it speaks of Price as the first fruit, first fruit of resurrection. But then what's after that? And that leads a section Expe explained to us what's after.
Assets go to the first W as advanced come at the end, the end of the beginning as if it were.
In respect of the 21St, it's important to notice that, uh, umm.
And this is a general comment that, that where it refers to the resurrection, umm, but now it's quite risen from the dead. Uh, I think Mr. Darby translates it from among the dead. The important thing is that Christ was raised and we will be raised and our recs resurrection will be from among the dead too, because in, in, in, in, uh, uh.
Revelation 20 we read the rest of the dead, and those are those who did not accept Christ, but So what we have in.
Generally speaking, throughout the New Testament, Mr. Darby translates instead of the resurrection of the dead, a resurrection from among the dead and that is what we will experience. We will experience a selective resurrection. Dead in Christ arise first, but as we get in verse 20.
Across the first groups.
Now that's an illusion. Back to uh, uh, Leviticus 23.
Verse nine. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, say unto them, When you come into the land which I will give you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then she'll bring a sheep of the first fruits of your harvest, and to the priest.
And he shall wave the sheath before the law to be accepted of you.
Now when the home team wins the victory, what do people do? They go out on the streets and they wave flags and make a noise when the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that the Lord Jesus Christ has been raised, the first fruits, the first fruits as the apostle later had developed in in the chapter, if you say there's first roots, there's going to be a harvest. And so the Lord Jesus Christ is that cursed fruit, the first one raised from among the dead, the first fruit and we joy, we celebrate.
His, his, his resurrection because of, as we've already had mentioned before us, if we do not have the resurrection of Christ, we have nothing, but we, we have that celebration. We, we preach. Uh, notice the umm OX4 beginning of X4. And as I spike unto the people, the priest and the captains of the temple and the Sadducees came unto them, being grieved that they taught the people and preached through Jesus.
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The resurrection from among the dead. Mr. Darby translated. So that's our privilege to preach the vision and glorified Christ. We rejoice that we can indeed preach arisen in the glorified Christ. The Lord said, accept the corn of wheat, fall into the ground and die. It abideth alone, but if it die and bring it forth much fruit. The Lord we know is a corn of wheat. He is.
He is gone into the ground.
In depth and he has risen and he will bring forth much fruit. He is the first fruits, but uh, all those that are redeemed in this present time day of grace will, will uh, all go home at the rapture.
So there were really two errors that Paul was speaking about. Uh, one of them, of course, is the denial of the resurrection across the board, the denial of bodily resurrection. But then there was another error among some of the Jews and others that, Oh yes, there would be a general resurrection. The Old Testament mentioned that, as we've had in the book of Job and other scriptures.
And so they recognize that there would be a general resurrection, but a resurrection from among the dead. Some would rise and others would remain in the grave till the coming day. Oh my. They found that difficult to take in. And so Paul brings both of those, shall we say, errors to light not only here but in other parts of his ministry by pointing out, as we've just had, that the believer.
Who has died in Christ will experience a resurrection from among the dead. Wonderful truth.
And as what's the assurance of that? Christ is there. And so it can't be any other way. He's the first fruits. He's up there now. There can be no doubt about it. And if he is raised, there cannot be any possible doubt about our being raised. Just a couple of days ago we had a funeral for a beloved sister in our Rita Ferry assembly.
And it was mentioned that she was even at that very moment that the funeral took place in the conscious enjoyment of the Lord's presence, but that there was a day coming when her body would be raised. And so that precious truth is meant to be a living reality in our souls, to be enjoyed, and as Paul makes an illusion to hear.
It ought to have an effect on our lives because all of Christianity is based on the giving up of present advantage in order to have future gain. It's the giving up of what we might have in this world as the pleasures of sin for a season in order to have a gain in eternity. Does that really hit home to my soul in a practical way?
To those among whom I live and move, realize that I count everything down here as merely temporary, because what is really worthwhile is going to be in resurrection.
Paul had to remind Timothy of that in order that he might teach it, and in fact, it wouldn't hurt to turn to it. Second Timothy, chapter 2. Here were the seeds, the beginning of declension. Here was Paul having been given up by the churches in Asia and his teaching being set aside.
Here he's telling Timothy how to conduct himself in a day of ruin, and I'm going to read Second Timothy 2 and verse 8.
As it is in the Darby translation, because it makes the point clear. Remember Jesus Christ of the seed of David, raised from among the dead. According to my gospel, it wasn't that they needed to remember the fact of the resurrection. They needed to remember Christ. What, as he was in this world? No, raised from among the dead.
00:50:18
According to my gospel, what is the import of the thought? I suggest that the import is that the reward for a life of faithfulness down here will be in resurrection, not in this world.
Paul was saying to Timothy, Timothy, all they which are in Asia have forsaken me. What does he say? Does he say, well, Timothy, I guess we aren't doing something right, we better do something different because this isn't working. No, he says, Timothy, you continue.
Because the reward for faithfulness is going to be in resurrection, and it was so for the Lord Jesus Christ. And so Paul reminds these Corinthian Saints that the believer does not live in order to get the rewards in this world. That's what they wanted. They wanted one foot in the world and one foot for the Lord. As we would say in modern language, have your cake and eat it too. They wanted to enjoy everything of this world.
And still have.
A future in glory? Paul says it doesn't work that way. No, the devil can't take away our salvation, but the reward for a faithful life is in resurrection.
If we give up everything in this life and there's no resurrection, all says we're of all men most miserable. But if we give it up because of a sure uncertainty of reward in the coming day, that's well worth it, isn't? And Paul knew exactly what he was talking about too, from experience, didn't he? Because later on he writes to the Corinthians in the second epistle, and he is forced by inspiration to bring before them that experience that he had had.
Of being caught up to the 3rd heaven and hearing unspeakable words that it was not lawful for a man to utter. And Paul always had that before his soul. He, he knew what he knew what was up there. He knew he'd seen Christ, as we said earlier, not here as the man of sorrows, not here as the lowly man walking in grace. But he had seen him in resurrection and ascension as a glorified man at the right hand of God. I've often thought too, when Paul wrote those words, to depart and be with Christ is far better.
You know, who better to write that than Paul? If John had written that, or Peter or James or any of the other New Testament writers, you'd say, well, yes, it's the truth of God's Word and and it's true. But when Paul said to depart and be with Christ is far better, again, he knew exactly what he was talking about. He had been caught up there temporarily and could confirm that it was indeed far better. But just say this too about the Old Testament Saints. They never had this same hope in the way that we do.
Nor was it, as Hebrews chapter 6 tells us, assure and steadfast hope. They had hope. Job with me was reminded. He spoke in the way he did. David said, I will be satisfied when I awaken my likeness. But those were little, if I can put it this way, flashes of light beyond the normal revelation of the day. Because in the Old Testament there was always a little cloud and a little bit of an uncertainty. But in Christianity now, as we have in Hebrews 6, we have assured and steadfast hope. Why? Because the forerunner is already there.
Brethren, if we ever doubt our hope in Christ and what is ahead, all we have to do is look up by faith and see where the Lord Jesus is now. And just read the end of Hebrews 6 sometime where it speaks about the forerunner having already entered there. The forerunner is the Lord Jesus in resurrection and ascension and the fact that God has raised him from the dead and seated him at his own right hand.
Is God's Amen to the work of Calvary. It is the proof beyond doubt that God is satisfied with His Son.
And it is the confirmation beyond doubt that we're going to get there too.
If God has accepted His Son at His right hand, then He cannot refuse you and I. I speak reverently, because having availed ourselves of the work of Calvary, if God were to refuse us now, He would have to refuse His own dear Son, and that is impossible. And when it speaks of the Lord Jesus as the forerunner, it necessarily denotes the fact that there has to be after runners too. And who are they? Well, we've quoted the verse several times. Christ the first fruit afterwards say that our Christ that is coming.
00:55:25
So that, brother, this is not just something vague, something we hope for in the sense of of hope and as the world counts hope, uncertainty at best. This is not just a theology or a doctrine. This is reality. It is a doctrine, of course, but it is a reality. And brethren, in the measure in which this reality sinks down into our souls, in that measure, I believe it will have a practical purifying effect on your life and mind.
And in the measure in which we have a glorified Christ before us as the object and the end of the story before us as a reality, in that measure we will run with endurance the race set before us, and we will be the testimony that God intends us to be to those around us.
Just just recently there have been two, uh, umm, well known people who have have, umm, passed away and uh, I would like to compare the two, umm, results of these, umm, one was known, it was Stephen Hawking who was a well known atheist and there was Billy Graham who was a well known evangelist and uh, Stephen Hawking's umm.
Would like to have believed that, uh, once he died, he was annihilated. There was uh, just nothing here after, uh, when Billy Graham passed away, he said that, uh, and perhaps you've read this, uh, that uh, umm, when people say when that Billy Graham is dead, don't believe it at all. He says I'm more alive than I ever was. I have just changed my address. And so, uh, Stephen Hawkings will have also changed his address, but uh.
What a difference in the results when we get We've been talking about this, the resurrection from the among the dead, and I believe we get it covered in John's Gospel chapter 5 when we get.
Talking about the resurrection mainly of the Saints and uh, but Revelation chapter, or I mean uh, John's Gospel chapter 5 speaks of both of them.
Uh, verse. UH-25 Well, let's read verse 24 Verily, verily I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me half everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but his past from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. And verse.
UH28, says Marvel, not this.
With the hours coming in, the which all that are in the grave shall hear the voice and shall come forth. They that have done good unto resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation. So we get the rest, the revelation of the resurrection of the dead in Christ first that have been put asleep in Jesus and then we get the later on in Revelation chapter 20, I believe it is verse four or thereabouts. We get the resurrection of those martyrs that died during the tribulation period.
And then in the same chapter we get the resurrection 1000 years later of the rest of the death. So there's no such thing as annihilation like Peter Hawkins, Stephen Hawkings would have liked. But it says that all that are in the graves shall be raised some the resurrection of life. They have written after the resurrection of that. So everything is required of God, the Lord Jesus who is the resurrection and the life spake these words.
And so there is no, there is uh, no such thing as anyone escaping the ver, the, uh, condemnation of God, what the believer. There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ. And so God has ordained it that they're all will be raised. Doesn't matter how many years there might be, doesn't matter where the, their ashes have been scattered over the oceans or where the mountaintops, wherever or the, the bodies have been buried in the depths of the sea, They're going to be raised for judgment or for blessing.
01:00:08
He speaks of them here in our chapter has fallen asleep. I think that's an important expression to note because in Scripture, whether it's the Old Testament or the New Testament, it is only those who have died in faith that are spoken of as being asleep. And we find in the New Testament this expression they're they've fallen asleep in Christ. The Thessalonians were concerned about those who have their number who had died.
They were waiting for the Lord to return from heaven. Some of their number had died and they wondered if they had missed out in some way.
But the apostle Paul says to them, if we believe that Jesus died and rose again them also, which sleep in Jesus will God bring with them? And why is it referred to as sleep? Because sleep is only a temporary state of things and the sleep is always in connection with the body. It's the body that sleeps. There's a system, a fault system that has taught down through the Asia Soul fleet that when a person dies, they become unconscious until the resurrection.
But we know from many scriptures that's not true. It's the body that is referred to as asleep. It sort of hit me some years ago when my father passed away and I stood at his grave and I realized, and thank God I did, that this isn't the end of the story, that we laid the body in the grave. He was asleep in Christ. We laid the body in the grave temporarily until the resurrection. But that doesn't mean that the person is unconscious, whether they're a believer or an unbeliever, of course, as Brother Ken has said.
Because again, for the believer, it's to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. Our loved ones that have gone ahead, we don't have to wonder what state they're in. It's true that they are waiting for the their their changed bodies, that the resurrection, their spirit is with Christ, but they are in the conscious sense of the Lord's presence now. In fact, what they are enjoying now is so much greater than we could ever anticipate.
That if they had opportunity to come back, they wouldn't want to. If they could come back for 10 minutes, they'd say not a chance. What we're enjoying now is so much greater than what we've ever anticipated. So this again, isn't something vague. The Old Testament Saints didn't have complete understanding. But it's all been revealed to us. So that again, we rest on certainties. The other day, the other week, last weekend in the Gospel in Lawrenceville was mentioned.
About in this connection.
That Michael Faraday, who was reputed to be the father of modern electronics, he was on his deathbed. He was a believer and he was on his deathbed and a friend came to him and said, Michael, what are your speculations for eternity? He said speculations. I have no speculations for eternity. I'm resting on certainties. He was resting on the certainty that if he went to be with the Lord through the article of death, there was a resurrection, but again, not a general resurrection. Martha looked, even understood, there was a general resurrection, she said of her brother Lazarus. I know he will rise again in the last day.
The Old Testament Saints knew there was a resurrection, but they didn't understand what was going to be introduced in Christianity, the resurrection from among the dead. And brethren, that's what our loved ones who've died in faith are waiting for. And of course, we're waiting as those who are alive and remain for that shout and will be called up together with them. And brethren, we've spoken of it in this meeting, but you know, before another meeting it might be a reality.
You and I really enter into that these things we have spoken of may be a reality before another meeting because they're about, I believe we're right on the eve of the fulfillment of that which we've been Speaking of. And the Lord Jesus is about to come raise the dead in Christ 1St, And we which are alive and remain will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. What were you going to say, Brother Dave? We wanna hear it.
Uh, I I love the detail in connection with the resurrection.
I, I and I and I believe the reason I love it is because it probably affected the Corinthians and and maybe we could look at it in Matthew's Gospel.
We don't know exactly what it was that caused.
Some of the Corinthians to have a difficulty with the resurrection, but I think part of it is what we find in the end of Matthew's Gospel, Matthew's Gospel, the last chapter in the ninth verse, it says, umm, in the, umm, the 15th verse. So we, we know the story. They, they, they, they came with this story and they, they wanted the story hushed up. And so they said, uh, so they, they took the money in verse 15.
01:05:27
They took the money and did it, they were taught. And this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. So you know, that may have been part of what the Corinthians struggled with, which was this story that was being purported as to what happened concerning the body of the Lord Jesus. But what I love is the ridiculousness of the story because you just back up a few verses.
It says in 11 first now when they were going.
Behold, some of the watch. Now notice it wasn't all the watch. Some of them struggled with it because they saw what was happening and they realized we're not gonna get into this because we know what's happened. So some of the watch, it says.
Came into the city and showed up as a chief priest. All the things that were done and when they were assembled with the elders and had taken counsel, they gave large money onto the soldiers. You know this next verse I find incredible. It says before I read the verse last night and my wife will tell you when I go to bed.
And she's doing something in the room. I'm not too much aware of what she's doing. Last night she packed our bags. Or she packed our bags while I was sound asleep.
OK, so I'm dead to the world now. Notice what this says.
Saying, say ye, his disciples came specifically by night.
And specifically what they did, stole him away while we slept. This is the witness. OK, there are sound asleep and they have very specific things they can portray that it was disciples came and it was they came by night and they stole away the body and they're sound asleep. It's like, I love this, but this is the story that the enemy comes up to disqualify.
The resurrection of the Lord Jesus, like really, at least they, they could have come up with something better than that. But you know, I just, when, when you read this, you've gotta love the resurrection and how you just can't possibly believe this story that was promoted right at this time. So I don't know what it was that, umm, made the, the, the Corinthians, uh, swallow part of this story. But when you look at it and you, and you, uh, and you go through it piece by piece, you realize.
This is R absolutely ridiculous that the witnesses for this were sound asleep, You know, I just love that. So if you wanna get somebody saved, tell tell them to prove that. No resurrection of the dead, though. That's so ridiculous, though. They see the truth, they'll get converted.
#121 all that blessed work is done. God will cease the sun he is raised in from the dead set him over all instead.
#121.
Glory until.
Thursday from the breakfast, now I'm free.
Oh, I kill all the wars playing.
In a random.
And you know, when I get, it's a lot of rain.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. It's an earthquake.
I'm going to get lost. I don't know. I want you.
God and our Father thanked thee and for resurrection by yourself, Lord Jesus.
01:10:03
We thank you that he is alive in heaven today. He's looking down and seeing our you. Pray Lord Jesus, that we may willing be willing to trade president manage the glory. We look forward to that day and we'll be with thee, Lord Jesus.
To enjoy thy company for all eternity. We pray that we might have courage to go on from day-to-day.
What we have talked about this afternoon.
So we give thanks for this portion that we've had. What an encouragement, a day that is so dark and help us, Lord Jesus, to go on to the 11Th. Come thanks, my name, Lord Jesus, Amen, Amen.