The Consequences of Christ's Resurrection - 3

Well, good evening. It's so good to see you here this night and hope you have had a good day. We've had a really good time with the tri-state. meeting and good to see some fellow pastors and friends that have come to Join us for that meeting. Good time this afternoon.

We are now working our way through this chapter that we've taken as our text for this conference, 1 Corinthians 15. Let me have you turn back there and focus your attention on verses 20 through 34. tonight. If we think back over where we have been thus far, we remember in that first section that we were dealing with the fact. of Christ's resurrection, of its being proclaimed and attested, and that it is part of the heart of the gospel in a sense, in that it is our guarantee that what Christ did on the cross was in fact accomplished and successful.

As I said, if Christ had not risen from the dead, we would always be in a question: did anything actually accomplish it? Maybe he gave it his best shot, did the best he could, and that was it. But the resurrection is God's affirmation that indeed, What he did was complete. accomplished. sufficient for our salvation.

Then we saw last evening, it was last evening one day. Lost whatever time it is. But we were dealing with, let's play the devil's advocate here for a minute. There were some in the church at Corinth that were denying the fact. that there can be a resurrection from the dead.

They're just denying the general principle. And if they deny the general principle, then they must be denying the specific instance of Christ's resurrection. And so notice that we were dealing with this hypothetical thing. For the sake of argument, what if Christ didn't rise from the dead?

Well, number one, it means he's a liar. He's a false prophet because he said he was going to rise from the dead, right? It means that the apostles are lying when they say they saw him alive from the dead. And if you can't trust them about that, what can you trust them about? Do you see the problem?

This undermines the whole authenticity of the gospel. Tonight, however, we begin in verse 20 with the strongest possible affirmation: now is Christ risen. From the dead. We were dealing back there. What if he didn't rise from the dead?

What are the consequences of that statement?

Now we look at this statement, he is risen from the dead, what are the consequences of that statement? And we look first at what I call the cosmological. Consequences. You said, what do you mean?

Well, I want you to realize there's a whole lot bigger universe out there than just our little portion here and what we see on our daily life down on planet Earth in our plane of existence. that there is the realm above. and that what we need to realize Is that there has been in the heavens as a consequence of Christ's resurrection a cosmological revolution? in the sky. Um Because The scripture is very clear.

On what God's original purpose and plan for man Yeah. I want you to turn back to Romans 8. We're going to look there just a second. Did I say Romans 8? What's wrong with me?

Psalm 8. A little bit of difference, sawmate. Beautiful song. And then we're going to take a look at where this Psalm is quoted in the book of Hebrews.

So, first, let's go to Psalm 8. Wonderful psalm. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth. Who has set thy glory above the heavens? Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies?

that thou mightest steal the enemy and the avenger. When I consider thy heavens, and the work of thy fingers the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained What is man? that thou art mindful of him. and the Son of Man, that thou visitest him. I'm going to stop right there a minute and say, I wish you folks could come out to our cabin in Wyoming.

on a clear Moonless Night. and sit out on our deck. There is no light pollution whatsoever. The next town, Lusk, Wyoming, is forty miles away in that direction. The air is thin.

Chris. Clear. And it's like you can just reach up and touch the stars. It is an awe-inspiring sight. And that's what the psalmist is describing.

And in lieu of how huge this universe is. How vast. We wonder with the psalmist why God would think On earth, on earth. But why? I mean, aren't we sort of like a cockroach to God?

Do you really think how your cockroaches are doing in your house? My house, they thrive pretty well because we leave a lot of stuff around for them to eat, I think. But do we care? Do we even want to know what the cockroaches are thinking? And surely God is far higher than us than we are than the cockroach.

You see the question? And secondly, why in the world would you visit man? Why would you want to communicate yourself? To man? These are wonderful questions to ask, and it just reminds us of how big God is and how small we are.

So let's read on. We have some explanation here in verse 5. For you made him a little lower than the angels. and has crowned him with glory and honour, You made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands. Thou hast put all things under his feet.

All sheep, oxen, yea, the beast of the field, the fowl of the air, the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth. Notice this statement that you made him a little lower. Than the angels. And usually we take that to mean that we ontologically, and ontologically simply means your nature.

That our nature is a lower, subordinate nature to the angels, that they have a higher nature than we, because we understand that word little. To mean a little space, a little distance. In other words, we are a little bit below. in a distant sense, the angels. And that seems to make sense to us because angels, you know, they seem to get around a whole lot better than we do, and they seem to have more power than we do.

They don't have to stop and lay down for eight hours every day. I figure angels must get really frustrated dealing with us. Just about the time we get going, gotta lay down. You know, they're twiddling their thumb waiting on us to get going again. But I'm not so sure that's what's meant because I want you now to turn to Hebrews 2.

Let's read a very quotation. And I want you to notice that the word little in this context. doesn't seem to mean what we think it means in Psalm A. Hebrews 2, verse 5. He's brought up the subject of angels back in the First couple of verses of this chapter, the words spoken by angels, and by that he means the law.

They were the mediatorial beings that gave the law to Israel. We have that stated in about three places in the New Testament. But here in Hebrews 2, verse 5, he says this: but for unto the angels. Hath he not put in subjection the world to come? of which we speak, this new world, this new heaven and earth.

this new order of the cosmos. It has not been put in. in subjection to angels. But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man that thou art mindful of him, or the son of man that thou visitest him? And we now know who that one is.

It's David, and we know the certain place that he was speaking. It's on me.

Okay?

So we just read that. Look at verse 7. Thou madest him a little lower than the angels. Thou crownest him with glory and honor, and didst set him over the works of thy hands. Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet.

Okay, that's pretty much what we read. out of Salmay. But now he adds a comment, for in that he put all in subjection under him. He that is God left nothing that is not put under him.

Okay, that's a new twist that we didn't pick up on.

Now, the inspired writer here is giving us a commentary on Psalm 8, and it's saying some things that we might not have noticed: that when God says he put all things in subjection to man, he means all things. And that means The angels. It becomes apparent that the word little in this text, and by the way, in both Hebrew and Greek, the word translated little can mean a little distance. or a little time. And it becomes apparent in this context that the word little is referring to a little space of time.

We'd say for a little while. For a little while You have placed man under the angels. But that's not the eternal situation. You have placed all things under his feet, everything in subjection to him, but notice the last part of verse 8. But now we see not yet all things.

Put underhand. We really don't see that with our eyes. This is what you've ordained for man. But we don't see it yet. But look at verse 9.

But we see Jesus. There is one man. We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels. A little while for the suffering of death. Crowned with glory and honor, that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory. To make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. We'll just stop there for a moment. Do you see the sense of what the writer is stressing? God's ultimate purpose for man, even though for a while he was put under angels, angelic rule, angelic authorities.

was to eventually elevate man above angels. I see this strange look. on your face. And I'm reminded, you know, didn't Paul just say this a little earlier in this letter? He says, you know, they're having squabbles.

You're going to the law over your disputes. And what did Paul say? Don't you know that we shall judge angels? Mm-hmm. And I'm going to say, Paul, I didn't know that.

You know, he acts like we just should have picked up on that. But most of us are sitting here, duh? No, not really. I don't know. Paul, what are you talking about?

He's talking about this. But for the moment, you have been placed under angelic rule. But the day is coming when you're going to be elevated above. The angels. God is putting all things under the feet of mankind.

And we don't see that yet, but we do see it in one man. And I'm going to be saying this all tonight. The God man. I'm not sure. But the thing that's being stressed here.

is that Christ is a man. That doesn't mean he's not God. He's both natures in one undivided person. He's divine, he's human. He's the God man.

God slash man is a good way of thinking about it. He's the son of man. He's the son of God. But when it comes down to his messianic mission, He fulfills that mission not as God, but as a man.

Now please understand. He didn't cease being God when he became a man. Yeah. God is one job you can't quit. I mean, God by definition is an eternal being.

You can't quit being God. If you can quit being God, you never were God in the first place, okay? You with me?

So, when it talks about in, say, Philippians 2, that you know, he was co-equal with the Father and then he humbled himself, it doesn't mean that he gave up his deity, he couldn't give up his deity. He can't quit being God, but he can give up the perks. of divinity. I have a guy in my church, he calls it the Bennies. Benefits.

the beanies of divinity. In other words, for the sake of his messianic mission, He embraces our nature. The nature of man, perfect man, sinless man, but nevertheless a man. and he will function in his messianic mission as a man. He didn't get any shortcuts.

I mean, when he's got to go from Galilee down to Jerusalem, about a three-day walk. You know, he doesn't float three feet off the air. He walks like everybody else's walks. He gets hot. He gets hungry.

This is God getting hungry. How can that be? But the point is that as God, he could never be hungry. God doesn't need anything. He didn't need you to feed him.

But if he's a man He gets hungry just like we get hungry. He gets hot just like we get hot. Do you see the point? He is functioning as a man. And we'll see that.

If you study especially the Gospel of John, you see that brought out that Jesus keeps saying, you know, they say, why are you doing this? I was thinking about John 5. You heal this guy on the Sabbath day. What is Jesus' answer? I'm just doing what my Father chose me to do.

I'm just doing it. He's gonna show me greater things than that. boggles your mind, just wait till you see what's coming next. And he's doing it relying on the power of God. Do you realize, for instance, I'm thinking in Mark's gospel when he goes back to Nazareth and the power of God.

Uh you know He couldn't do many miracles there. Isn't that a strange statement? And it points out that he is relying on God's power. And these people who are unbelievers, that it's not God's will for him to do many miracles there. Except he healed a few sick people.

It's interesting, they just throw that in to show it's not any deficiency in him. The deficiency is the lack of faith. in those receiving the miracle. But he's function and this is why he can be your example. You see, if you're trying to mimic God, you're going to get in trouble in a hurry.

You know, I'm going to just live my life like God lives.

Well, like I mentioned, he doesn't get hungry. Let's see you do that. He doesn't need air. Let's see how long you can go without air. He needs nothing.

That's what Paul says. We don't do this because God needs us. We're needy, and Christ becoming man. Needed some things. We were talking earlier this afternoon about his visit with the woman at the well in Samaria.

He got thirsty. He needed water. What an amazing, amazing thing when you think about it. But that's what was involved in becoming man. For a little while, you see, he was placed lower.

Than the angels. He is placed, and by the way, I believe that is referring to the fact that it was through the angels that the Mosaic law. Was given to the nation of Israel. We have three times that stated: the words spoken by angels, as we saw over there in Hebrews 2. That's talking about the law.

And Christ came into this world, born a man, born under. The law Remember that? For a little while he's placed Under The angels. And he came as a man. for the purpose of suffering Yeah.

God can't suffer. Katie? Can you make him say ouch? Can you withhold something from him that he needs, and therefore, you have a God who is suffering? The only way God can suffer is if...

God, the second person of the Trinity, true God. becomes man. And now It's possible For God To suffer, and he does suffer, he suffers the penalty of death. You mean God can die? Yes, in this sense.

That this one who was truly God became man, and that man went to a cross, and he truly, really. Died. For the purposes of his mission, he had to become man because it's only as a man that he can suffer the penalty for man's sin. You see the point? It was by man.

Let's go back to our text. By man, Since Came into the world. Look at verse 21. Since by man. Death came.

By man came also the resurrection of the dead. It was a man who put us into this mess. into this state. It will be another man who comes along who lifts us out of this state. And notice that we're speaking of two men in particular, the first Adam.

And the last atom. We sometimes say the second Adam, but there's not going to be a third one. It's the first atom and the last atom. The point being is that Adam was a public person, and by that we mean that what he did, his sin in the garden, had consequences for all that were in him. And whether you believe in federal headship or actual headship, all the arguments that are raised theologically, the point being that we, in a legal and, I would say, actual sense, we're all in him.

in a biological sense. I can ask you this question. Where would you be tonight if your granddaddy died when he was eight years old?

Well, you wouldn't be here, would you? The point being that in some sense, biologically, you are in your granddaddy, right? This really isn't that difficult, folks. I mean, you know, if he died, you look at your family tree, you erase him. You've just erased that branch, right?

The branch that you're hanging on. You wouldn't exist if your granddad had died when he was eight years old.

So in some sense, biologically at least, you were in him, in the sense that the oak tree is in the acorn.

Okay.

So In a real sense, what if God had struck Adam dead the moment he tasted of the forbidden fruit in the garden? Where would we be? We wouldn't be here, would we? In that sense, we were all in Adam, and his actions had consequences for all of those that are in him. Notice again verse 22: for as in Adam all die.

Remember what Paul writes in the book of Romans, that it was by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and death came upon all men, even those who didn't sin like Adam did. In other words, we all fell, that's the theological terminology, in Adam. He was our representative head, our federal head, it's sometimes stated that sort of like the president of the United States, he declares war.

Well, guess what? We're at war. You say, well, I didn't vote for that. It doesn't matter. He is the head.

in an official sense of the nation. And so his act had consequences for you and me. And you say, well, that's not fair. Yeah. Well, my friend, it's the only hope we got.

Because if the one man's act put us in this mess, that means another man's act could get us out of this mess. Right? In other words, this idea of headship works in two directions. It's the one that plunges us into sin in Adam's case, but it's the one who places us in life. in this in this second atom.

this last atom.

So, in other words, notice that Christ here is presented to us as the head of a new race. We didn't finish over there in Hebrews chapter 2, but it's talking about Christ. Remember, we don't see everybody up there with everything put under their feet, but we do see one man in heaven with everything under his feet. And he tasted death for every man, that he might bring many sons to glory, that God had through suffering to make the captain of our salvation perfect. In other words, he had to suffer in order to perform.

this ministry, the thing that God sent him here to do. I I love that text in Hebrews 2 because we're out In fact, one branch of the old Oregon Trail cuts right through the corner of our ranch. It was a later there are several networks of trails that comprise the Oregon Trail. And the old the folks, historians that have studied it says the Oregon Trail was basically a 2,000 mile long graveyard. Generally, about 10 to 20% of the people that came through died before they ever got.

to the destination. Usually the real young, the real old, like me. I get to thinking what these guys had to put up with for five or six months every day. You might as well just throw me in the ditch and shoot me. I'm not going to make it.

Let's get it over with. You know, no way I can do that.

So, I really admire those that had that fortitude to endure. And what is being said there in Hebrews 2 is that Christ is the captain. Of our salvation. He is not just going to glory himself. The next verse is saying he's taking many sons to glory, he's bringing a family.

We think. That where he is. That's where we're going to wind up. Our head. Our captain Each of these wagon trains, by the way, in the Ormond Trail, had a captain.

They had somebody who was their leader, the guy who knows the trail, knows what to do, knows he's the fellow that breaks the trail, that the rest of them can make it. And in that sense, Christ is our captain. He's leading a wagon train. of which you and I are part. And you see him seated in glory?

That's where he is bringing his family. to glory. He's the first one. to make it to glory. He's the first fruits of the resurrection.

But that means there is a harvest. that is following in his footsteps. And if he made it, We're gonna make it. I always pray for the captain of my airplane when I get on an airplane. It's a good idea to pray for the pilot.

Because if he makes it, you're probably going to make it, right? That's my logic. Usually, we're all going together. We're all in one group. And that's what this is talking about.

Christ has his group.

Now notice the language here in verse 22 again: as in Adam all die, all of us were plunged into sin, so in Christ shall all be made alive. And on the basis of verses like that, You have this notion of universalism that this means that everybody's going to be made. Alive. Everybody's going to make it to glory. It sounds like that, doesn't it?

I mean, after all, it says all. In Adam all die, in Christ shall all die. be made a lie, but I want you to notice The N. Everyone In Adam. Dies.

And we are all the whole human race. We were in Adam, as I explained earlier.

Now we find the contrary. All in Christ. Shall be made alive.

Now, that's that expression that the Apostle Paul uses over 70 times in his letters to refer to who a Christian is. A Christian is in Christ, in the Lord, in different ways of stating it, in him. But that's the definition of a Christian.

So, what this is saying is just like everyone who was in Adam. Was plunged into this state of death.

So now everyone who is in Christ through faith, united to Him. are going to be raised to life. Do you see the logic? The question is, are you in Christ? If you are, you're going where he's gone.

You will make that destination. along with him. You realize that we were chosen in him. before the foundation of the world. That does not mean you're actually in him from the foundation of the world.

That's a legal union. In other words, we were sort of, how shall I? Say it. Attached to Jesus in a legal sense, he became responsible for us. And in time, he went to a cross to purchase salvation for us.

But we are not existentially in him in a real Active sense until we come to faith and we're sealed by the Holy Spirit in Him. I think the last time I was with you, I tried to emphasize that very idea that you ladies know what it is to can jelly and you put it in the jar and you have to seal it. that to be sealed It was a sign of ownership, sometimes like a brand. It identified you belonging to someone, but especially when you seal something, let's talk, take Jesus' body, put it in the tomb. And member Pilate put his seal on that stone so that it would not be rolled away.

How'd that work out for you, Pilot? Not too well. But the point is, is that to seal something usually means that it's sealed in something. It's secured in something and you ladies seal The jar, right? I know nothing about what I'm talking about, but I think I get the idea.

You put the jelly in the jar and you seal it. To contain what's in it. And so, when you and I, through faith, and Paul is in. Ephesians 1 verse 13 talking about what you heard The gospel of your salvation, you believe the gospel, and you were sealed by the Holy Spirit. In other words, you are now placed actually, existentially, in Christ.

But notice the order. It's not all at once. He is the first fruits, but the first fruits implies that there is a coming. Harvest. And notice the Okay.

Uh Unavoidable. conclusion here. That What has happened in the resurrection of Christ has produced A sea change. In the heavens. A a change of Administration, let's put it that way.

I mean, God is God, and Christ as God has always ruled, correct? God's not ruling more.

Now than he did in the Old Testament. But in the Old Testament, Something was different than what is now in the New Testament. You say, well, preacher, what is that? Right now There is a man. seated at the right hand of God Almighty.

The godman. The God-man was not seated on the throne in the Old Testament. Because what we believe is not only that Christ was risen from the dead. He was risen. to a throne.

Just go back and read the account. I mean, that's what's going on on the day of Pentecost. Is Peter basically saying to the crowd, you remember that guy, Jesus, you crucified the other day? Yeah, yeah, we remember. I got bad news for you.

He's alive. He's risen. And I've even got more bad news for you. He's sheriff. He's Lord.

He's running the show. No wonder these people said, Men and brethren, what are we going to do? We're in a heap of trouble. If he's running the show, the one we crucified, do you get the picture? And that's the whole point.

Stephen, when he's martyred, sees Christ standing where? At the right hand of God. We have that phrase over and over again in the New Testament: that Christ was risen and he is seated at the right hand of God, the right hand of power. And we understand that's an anthropomorphism. It's a man-like way of talking about God, because a president of a company may say, so and so is my right-hand man.

It doesn't mean he's always walking around on the guy's right side. It means that he's the one who is getting stuff done. And what this is specifying is that Well, there was a prophecy. Back in Daniel. Where Daniel has this vision of these thrones.

He's seen these kingdoms rise and fall and. And then he sees another vision in the heavens of the ancient of days. Seated on a throne. And the Son of Man Coming nigh. to receive a kingdom.

And the kingdom that's given to this second figure, the Son of Man, is a kingdom that will never, ever pass. pass away, not like these other earthly kingdoms that rose and fell. This kingdom. will last. Forever and ever.

In other words, This is the God-man. Receiving the keys, receiving the authority. That's what he's saying to his disciples: All power in heaven and earth is given unto me. And you would say, Well, he's God. He's always had all power in heaven and earth.

Yes, that's true, but not as a man. It's now as the completion of his messianic mission, the Father has given him this authority, this power, as the Messiah, as the God-man, ascended and glorified in the heavens. We talk about a lot about the resurrection. We don't talk too much about the ascension. Remember, he arose.

He appeared to his disciples. What is Luke or Acts chapter 1? Luke wrote it. Acts chapter 1, he was seen. He gave them infallible proofs that he's alive from the dead.

I mean, they ate with him. They thought he was a ghost. You ever seen a ghost wobble down some food? They felt him. Thomas said, unless I see the.

wounds and touch with my hand, I am and sure enough, The women came and grabbed him by the feet. Remember? Wouldn't have let him go? I mean, this is not a ghost, this is not a phantom. That's what you would naturally think, and Jesus knew that.

He said, I'm not a spirit. I'm here, I'm alive from the dead, and showing them his wounds. This is the one they crucified who is now alive from the dead. He tells those women, touch me not, for I'm not yet ascended to my father, but go tell my brethren that I'm going to ascend to my father, but in the meanwhile, I want to meet them in Galilee. We're told by Luke that for forty days he showed himself and gave them.

What's these words? Infallible proofs. Unmistakable proofs. that he was alive from the dead. for forty days.

And then he went up on the Mount of Olives, and they watched him ascend. End of heaven. Your natural impression I I've said if If you husbands, if you lost your wife, If she passed away. And Terrible experience, okay. And then A few days later, you're walking through town.

And you look up and you see your wife alive on the other side of the street.

Now, what are you going to assume? Number one, you said, I can't believe this. Honey, I'm over here. This is from the dead, and it's back to business as normal. We just sort of continue where we dropped off.

And that's what's going on in these resurrection appearances. He's back, but he's not back like he was. That's the women trying to hold on to him. It's not going to be like it used to be when I was with you all the time. He accompanied his disciples for those three and a half years.

Notice that there's a transition going on. He's getting them ready. for the fact that he's about to disappear and then forty days later he did disappear. Oh, they had every now and then someone had a vision of the risen Christ, but for the most part, he's no longer with his disciples in a continual sense. He's preparing them for this time like we live in.

when we don't see it. Right? But he's preparing them that the fact that they don't see him doesn't mean he's not. with them. Because ten days after he ascended, He pours out the Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

His spirit. The spirit of Christ, the spirit of Messiah. You remember, Peter preaches that what you're seeing here, we're not drunk like you think. What's going on is that Christ has ascended to the right hand of God, He has prayed to the Father. For us, by the way, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and He has shed it abroad on us.

He is now with us. In a brand new sense, in a brand new way, not visibly, not tangibly. But through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, that comforter that he tells us in John's gospel that's coming. He's going away. But he's not going to leave them orphaned, he says.

I'm going to send you another comforter. He's going to be with you all the time. But it's the comforter, as you look at those chapters, is clearly the spirit of truth. It's the spirit of Christ. that he's with us in a brand new sense.

in the age that we live. But notice that this fact of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the church, on Christ's people, is the proof that he is seated at the right hand of the Father. Notice Peter's preaching. What's going on is Christ prayed to the Father, receive this and has shed it abroad on us. Pentecost is the earthly phenomena That authenticates the fact that the Son of God The Messiah, the Son of Man.

is now resurrected and is seated at the right hand of power. the right-hand authority. He's God's. Right-hand man. You say, well, what do you mean by that?

He's the one through whom God is effecting His decrees. His purposes And it's where. His son, The God Man. Seated on the throne. is now running the show.

He's now in charge. We call it the mediatorial kingdom. of Christ. That he as a man is seated on that throne. Your your member Pause.

Letter to Timothy, 1 Timothy chapter 2, about verse 5. Paul writes, There is one God. And one mediator. The man Christ Jesus. You say, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

Why did he say man? But notice, as this function, it's the fact that, yes, Jesus is God, he's always been on the throne. You can think of it that way. But as a man, he is now something new going on in the heavens. He's now calling John.

Have you ever? Thought about that? I've had many Christians come to me. and have confessed to me That what you're telling me, preacher, is that there's actually a A man, a human being. Resurrected, glorified, yes, but there's actually a man.

In the heavens Seated on the throne of God. All power in heaven and earth in his hands, who is now running the show. And I'm saying that's exactly. what the scriptures are telling us. You can think of it like this.

England. as we know, has a king. I get sick to death following the royal family, you know, all the ins and outs. It's like a soap opera that never ends. But I have friends in Canada and in England that man everything the royal family does.

That's the greatest and the best of stuff, you know. It doesn't do much for us Americans. You know, we get sick of it. That's why we ran them out of here, okay? Yeah.

But in England As we well know, that you have this king. But does he really do that much? I mean outside of just getting involved in some official stuff and showing up at parades and stuff like that. The real power in England is not in the hands of the king. It's in the hands of the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister is the guy who day by day is running the show in England. If I can put it like this. that Christ ascended to the throne. And God has taken the spotlight of glory. and he has turned it on his son.

He has glorified his Son. His son is now given the power and authority to run the universe. To exercise the will of his Father. And if you want to deal with the father, guess what? You're going to have to deal with the son.

In John 14, he says, You believe in God? Believe also in me. What's he saying? The same kind of faith that you would place in God, place that same faith in me, and if you don't believe in me, you don't believe in him. You want to go to the Father?

I'm the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but how? By me. You don't get to God any other way than through the Son. You want to pray?

You better pray in the name of the Son. Or else your prayers are going to get above the ceiling. You get the picture? He is running the show. God has turned the spotlight of glory on his Son.

There's a new sheriff in town. But notice that There comes a time as the Found about verse. Twenty-seven. That uh Verse 28, when all things are subdued to him, he's putting all things under his feet. He's conquering every enemy.

That's what's being stated here. And when all things are subdued to him, What's going to happen? Then shall the Son also himself be the Be subject unto him who put all things under him. Notice that he made a big deal out of saying, when I say God put all things under his feet, we know that the one who put all things under his feet is accepted. It doesn't mean the Father himself placed himself under the feet of his son.

But accepting the Father, everything else has been put under Christ's feet in subjection to him. And he is in the process of purging out all things that have offended. And conquering every enemy, and notice the last enemy in verse 26 is what? Death. That will be the last enemy that is subdued.

And when this has accomplished, Then Christ himself was placed himself in subjection to the father. He will hand this kingdom Purified. glorified, finalized. He will hand the kingdom. The spotlight will once again turn back.

to God the Father. And Christ himself. will be subject to him that put all things. under his feet. The mediatorial kingdom began with his ascension.

It will end. when all his enemies have been conquered.

So I've got a fairy. Oh man.

Okay, very quickly. That's the cosmological ramifications. the consequences of Christ's resurrection. There's personal consequences. There is what I would call psychological consequences.

And in the short, Answer to that. is that his people no longer fear. Death. That's always been the thing that shocked pagans about Christians. They don't fear dying.

anymore.

Now, I don't mean by that that we want to die. You know, we don't have a death wish. We do watch over ourselves and our bodies and so forth. And we do mourn when our beloved Fellow Christians die, but as Paul will put it, we don't mourn like those who have no hope. Yeah, we miss them.

I sometimes talk about those who have gone and we weep for them, but our tears are really not for them, they're in glory. They wouldn't come back if they wanted to. I mean, they wouldn't want to come back if they could. Let me put it like that. On the other hand, we weep because we miss them.

There's a hole left. Our life is not the same with them departed from us.

So there's a sense in which we do weep, we do mourn, but not like those who have no hope. We have that expectation of one day being in glory. with our departed brethren. And we may We don't walk out in front of trucks wanting to die. We don't have a death wish.

And yet, on the other hand, we do not fear death. There's a sense here, and this is this concluding thing about these. people that are baptized by the uh baptized for the dead. I know y'all want to. know what that is.

I don't know. For certain. Last time I checked, there's something like 30 or 40 different interpretations, different possibilities. that are raised. I don't know for certain what it's talking about.

I do know for certain it's not talking about what the Mormons claim. that it's talking about. Being baptized by proxy for someone. I've talked to Mormons out west that have been baptized over a hundred times. You know about the Mormons going to the temple and doing their genealogical work.

the reason they're looking for ancestors that have not been baptized so they can go to the temple and get baptized for them. Don't get me started, okay?

So, I'm not certain about what it does mean. I do know it doesn't mean that. What I think it means. It's like a colloquialism. It's an expression that they would have been familiar with that we don't quite tune in on.

I mentioned my upbringing in Southern Baptist Church where people got saved by walking the aisle. That's how we described it.

So-and-so walked the aisle last Sunday.

Well, immediately we know what's going on. The fellow made a profession of faith. He says he's now a Christian, he's come forward to be baptized. But we stated it as walking the aisle. And I've always wondered 100 years from now Somebody's going to read, you know, oh, somebody walked the aisle last Sunday night, and they're going to scratch their head.

What in the world is this talking about? Because they're not in tune with the The lingo. of the day. That's what I believe is going on here. I think it's talking about those who are being baptized to fill the ranks.

Of martyred Christians. It's like soldiers in line. And as they're martyred or as they're put to death, there's vacancies. And these who are now being baptized, they're filling the ranks. Of these who have been martyred or put to death for their Christian faith.

I think that's what's going on. I'm not certain. But it makes sense with the rest of the passage. Because what Paul is now going on to say, why in the world would we hazard our lives, our life and our limbs, day by day? Why are we in jeopardy in verse 30?

Every day If there's no resurrection. In other words, the resurrection of Christ, the promise of our resurrection in that, is then what gives us this attitude that we will be faithful. even if it involves death. We're to take up the cross and follow our Lord. And notice Paul says, I protest by your rejoicing in verse 31, I die daily.

Now you can't die daily. in a physical sense, right? But you can die. in the sense, in the counsels of your mind. Paul refers to the great uproar that happened at Ephesus.

Remember the whole town went on a riot. They were all screaming for his blood. And back earlier, he says, We had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in a God who raises the dead. In other words, we looked at our, we were completely overwhelmed by this situation. We saw ourselves, the expression is, as dead men walking.

But being dead men walking meant that we're not trusting ourselves. You can't trust a dead man to do much. You ever notice that? You know, they're going to come over and help you do something. They never show up, never hold up their end of the bargain.

We saw ourselves as utterly overwhelmed and unable. But that caused us to put our trust not in ourselves, but in the God. who raises the dead. I think that's what is going on here. He says the same thing: if I fought with those beasts at Ephesus, and again, we have no record of him actually fighting.

The literal beast. But beasts like men, yeah. That's what he was facing at Ephesus. And so he ends this section. with the fact that Evil companions corrupt good morals.

In other words, you hang around with the crowd that denies the resurrection. That says this life is all there is to live for, that's going to rub off on you.

So separate yourselves. Verse 34, awake to righteousness. Sin not. For some have not the knowledge of God. And well, I've sort of rushed over this last thing.

In other words, quit listening to those great philosophers. Last year, when I was with you, we were in 1 Corinthians 1 talking about that God designed it so that man by his wisdom will never be able to attain to the true knowledge of God. You know some things about God. But what you need to know, you will never figure it out on your own. It will not be by your speculation.

It will be through his revelation. to you. this message that comes to you. what you need to know. Is being given to you in the gospel message when it comes to you.

There is a Infallible proofs, Luke talks about. And the question is, will a man li will a man die? for what he knows to be a lie. A man will die for the truth. But will a man know, for what he knows is a lie?

Listen, Chuck Colson, some of y'all older enough, remember that guy? You remember he was the chief counsel to President Nixon in the Watergate scandal, and he was one of the one, one of the seven that were caught up and put on trial, and he went to prison for a while. There was this conspiracy. Basically, they were trying to cover up this break-in at the Watergate Hotel where these guys went in and did a little hanky-panky for the Republican Party. And these guys were trying to cover that up.

And the conspiracy just fell apart. in about three weeks. Colson, who was one of them, later, served time, later became a Christian. And he wrote this. I know.

that the resurrection is a fact. And Watergate proved it to me. How? Because twelve men testified that they had seen Jesus raised from the dead. Then they proclaimed that truth for forty years.

never once denying it. Everyone was beaten, tortured, stoned, and put in prison. We could add many of them were put to death. They would not have endured that if it weren't true. Watergate embrailed 12 of the most powerful men in the world.

And they couldn't keep a lie for three weeks. You're telling me 12 apostles Could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible. Think about that. On your way home tonight.

Let's pray. Father, thank you for these prayers. Cruise. of the reality of the resurrection of your Lord. Father May.

If there's any here outside of Christ, realize that it is only in him that there will be a resurrection. to life. Mm-hmm. that they might come to him and find it. Father, what a marvelous thing you're doing, both cosmologically.

Out there in the heavens, and what you're doing internally in our hearts and lives. That, Father, you have given us every reason to risk and hazard our very lives for the sake. of the gospel. Thank you that you allow us, Father. to serve you.

to reckon ourselves dead every day. To see ourselves as living sacrifices, presenting ourselves every day for duty. to our God, no matter what the cost, even if it were death itself. May we, as you said to the church in Smyrna, be faithful unto death, knowing that we shall receive the crown. of life.

Thank you for that life in your son. In his name I pray. Amen.

Okay.