Rise and Shine! - Part A

He counteracts the idea that there is no resurrection. See, the gospel must have the resurrection. The gospel, as Jesus died, was buried, rose again from the dead. There's no good news. And Jesus died.

The good news comes in. Jesus rose and conquer death. One day, God is going to call out to oldest children to rise and shine. Today on Connect with Skip Hightech Skip shares not only about your future resurrection as a believer, but how resurrection is active in your life now. But before we begin, we want to let you know about a resource that paints a striking picture and delivers interesting insight into Middle East affairs.

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OK, we're in First Corinthians, Chapter 15 and Skip hightech starts today's study.

There was a hospital waiting room in which a whole group of relatives had gathered because one of their loved ones was in critical condition.

So the doctor came in and after a long while, the doctor came in and said, I have bad news. I'm afraid to tell you there's really nothing else I can do for your loved one. We've tried everything. The only thing possible is a brain transplant. They've never heard of that before, and the doctor admitted it is quite risky and it's an experimental procedure, this brain transplant. And the other thing is you have to pay for the brain yourselves out of pocket insurance and cover it. So they let it all soak in. And finally, a family member said, I've got a question, how much does a brain cost? The doctor said, well, it depends if it's a male brain. It costs five thousand dollars. If it's a female brain. It costs two hundred dollars.

Well, yeah, the room immediately turned awkward and and the men started smirking. They looked down. He wouldn't even give eye contact to the girls in the room. And finally, one of the men had the guts to ask the question everybody was dying to have answered. Doctor, why is it that a female brain cost so much less and a male brain cost so much more?

The doctor saw what was going on with the smirking and so, well, it is just standard pricing procedure. We have to mark down the female brain because it's actually been used.

I don't see a man clapping.

You're wondering where that was gonna go.

I know. The truth is, all of us have used brains and used bodies and some of them are more used than others. The question is, what happens to those used brains? What happens to those used bodies and why on earth would God ever want to resurrect them once they're used? That's sort of the question that's before us today. We want to answer that in First Corinthians 15. Now, in the series so far, we've dealt with things like death, the death of a Christian, the intermediate state absent from the body present with the Lord, the coming of Jesus Christ. And now we turn to the resurrection and we look at this very important question. I've gotten a lot of feedback on this after every service the last several weeks, things like thank you for going into such depth with this or. It gives me great comfort. I've gotten a lot of emails and notes to the same tune of that, but it's also generated a lot more questions. And see, once you start focusing on things like this and getting your minds around this. It brings up a whole new slew of questions, which I'm grateful for because it helps us use our brains in the right man. Or some of us have never thought about these things as we have before. Some of the questions that I've gotten are notes. And in person is what about cremation? Is cremation okay for a Christian when somebody dies? What happens to infants when they die? What about if you lose a limb for incapacitated as an adult, you've had a surgery or you've had an accident? What happens in the resurrection with that? One of the questions I got is why does God want to resurrect our body if we get new ones anyway? Now, these are not new questions, by the way. Paul must have gotten similar questions because he devotes an entire chapter to dealing with the resurrection. This is chapter fifteen. First Corinthians is the most extensive treatment on bodily resurrection in all of scripture.

So it only makes sense that we'd want to look at it in the series something before we start. When we talk about resurrection of the body, though, for some of us, we've never really dealt with it or thought about it quite like this. And it might seem advanced and technical. Here's some Yatta know. This is fundamental.

This is basic. This is truly Christianity. One oh one. Listen to what the writer of Hebrews writes in Hebrews Chapter six. Let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, of faith in God, of instruction about baptism, laying on of hands and the resurrection of the dead.

And God permitting, we will do this, says the author. So it is basic, it is fundamental. But we have to admit we're a bit hazy on the subject.

It's a little hard for us to get our minds around some of these concepts, and frankly, I would say many churches don't do a great job and really teaching these principles through the Bible. Now that the title this morning, Rise and Shine, actually comes from a favorite memory of my mother, who used to come in my room, and instead of being woken up by an alarm clock or by my mom pushing me out of bed, she would simply say in my ear. Rise and shine. And I'll never forget that.

And one day our savior will do as much as Jesus said. The hour is coming. In which all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come forth. Speaking of the resurrection. So we're gonna look principally at verses 20 through 28. We're really going to have time only to skim them this morning. We're going to go back and get a couple of versus before that. But this is what I'd like to do in setting the tone for this theme of the resurrection of our bodies. I want to look past, present and future. The resurrection was anticipated. Resurrection is presently activated. One of the great truths comes from this great passage of scripture on that. And then in the future, resurrection will be appropriated. Let's go to the past. Go back with me in this chapter. Diverse three and four.

Only Paul writes for I delivered to you, first of all, that which I also received 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.

Let me sum up. Versus one through 19, because it'll be helpful. It seems that there were some people in Corinth who denied the resurrection altogether, not just the resurrection of Christ. I mean, resurrection as a principle. They just said dead people don't get up again. They denied resurrection. And so Paul in these 19 verses says, well, if there is no resurrection. That means Jesus Christ didn't rise from the dead.

And that also means if Jesus didn't rise from the dead, that our preaching is in vain. Your faith is in vain. You are still dead in your sins. And we are, of all men, most miserable. He counteracts that idea that there is no resurrection. You see, the gospel must have the resurrection. The gospel, as Jesus died, was buried, rose again from the dead. There's no good news and Jesus died. The good news comes in, Jesus rose and conquer death. So what Paul does in these two verses that I just read with you is he goes back to the Old Testament to say, look, resurrection isn't some New Testament idea. It's been around for a long time. It goes way back and was anticipated back in the Old Testament. In fact, you ought to know that far back in the Old Testament, resurrection is spoken of, some believe that the oldest book in the Bible is Jobe, that he lived during the time of Abraham pre Moses. He was one of the patriarch figures. He goes way, way back. Well, Jobe, as you know, was sick, but Jobe spoke about his own future resurrection. One of the great passages of scripture is Jobe. Chapter 19. Listen to these verses.

I know that my redeemer lives and in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh, I will see God. I myself will see him with my own eyes. I and not another. Oh, how my heart yearns within me.

Did you hear that centuries before there was ever a redeemer, centuries before there was even a hint of the gospel? Centuries before there was any unfolding of resurrection truth?

You got a guy from the patriarchal period of the Old Testament believing that though his body decays, that his body will be able to in the future with his own eyes, see his redeemer. That's resurrection. So it's as far back as the patriarchs is predicted in the patriarchs move a little bit forward in the Old Testament. It was also predicted in the Psalms. Some people often wonder when the Bible says what we just read, that the Bible predicts the resurrection of Christ. They say where in the world is a predict the resurrection. Right. Show me those scriptures where Jesus resurrection is foretold.

He's probably referring to Psalm 16. After all, that's exactly what Peter quoted in the Book of Acts Chapter two. And he stands before the people of Jerusalem and he asked to give validation for the resurrection of Christ. He quotes King David's words in Psalm 16. Here's the words. Therefore, my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices. My body will also rest secure because you will not abandon me to the grave. Nor will you let your holy one see decay.

Now, Peter pulls that out and says, Gentlemen. David, when he wrote that, wasn't speaking about himself. Here's the proof. Here's his grave. He died and his grave is still here today. He's in it. So David must have been speaking as a prophet, foretelling the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So it's anticipated in the period of the patriarchs, in the period of the Psalms. And it's also anticipated by the prophets. Daniel, chapter 12, verse two. Those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake. Some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt. So you get the idea all throughout the Old Testament, resurrection is anticipated both personally as well as for the Messiah.

Very, very important, because some people will say, well, you know, the resurrection is some New Testament idea. It's never really been around. But some disciple must have said, hey, let's add some really cool to our religion. We'll say that you get to live again. And Paul's point is it's been around, it's been anticipated all of this time. I heard a story about a four year old boy who went to a Sunday school class on Easter. Now, this four year old boy was the son of an undertaker. He had never heard about the resurrection. It was really weird to him. So you can imagine this four year old boy, Sunday school class, Easter Sunday, never been to church before. And they tell him about resurrection. And so he goes, excuse me. Hey, wait a minute. Are you trying to tell me that a dead guy.

Dead, really dead.

Got up again and was alive.

And the teacher said, that's exactly right. That's the gospel and the little boy said, well, I know my daddy didn't take care of him after he died because he never would have got back up then.

Truth is, everybody is going to get back up.

Good and bad, evil and righteous. One day that's resurrection. Something else about resurrection, as evidenced by this chapter. The whole chapter is devoted to it.

Resurrection is one of the center points of Christianity. When it comes to Christ, it's what makes it the gospel. Jesus died, was buried and rose again.

And that's why almost every single sermon preached in the Book of Acts centers on the resurrection of Christ.

It's at the heart of what we believe. But not everybody believed in it.

Not everybody then believed in it. There was a whole group of Jews called Sadducees. You've read about them in the New Testament. There were the Pharisees, the Legalists, the Sadducees. The Sadducees did not believe in angels. They did not believe in spirits. And they did not believe in resurrection. And I always like to say that's why they were so sad. You see, they had no hope for the future. It was just here and now.

And it's over with no resurrection.

They weren't the only ones. The Greeks didn't believe in resurrection. Remember Paul? He was an Act 17 preaching in Athens about the resurrection. And they thought he was nuts.

Why? Because to the Greek mind, resurrection is abhorrent. The body is a prison. The idea is to escape the prison of the body. Who would ever want to come back in this body?

They couldn't fathom that. Then in the New Testament, as we mentioned last week, there were two teachers. Paul names them, Hyman Nahas and fully this second Timothy. He writes, They have aired concerning the resurrection, saying it's already past. It's over, done. There is no future resurrection.

Now, we have a group of people in the church at Corinth denying resurrection altogether. All of that to say because it's the cornerstone of the gospel. No wonder Satan attacks it at every turn and tries to pull it out and extract it even from among believers. So that's past. The resurrection was anticipated all throughout the Old Testament.

Go to verse 20. Let's begin there with our second great truth. Going to the present resurrection is already activated. Look at what he says. But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep for sense. By man came death. That's Adam by man capital M..

Also came the resurrection of the dead. That's Christ. For as an atom. All die. Even so, in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order. Christ the first fruits. There's that word again. And afterward, those who are Christ at his coming.

So here's what Paul is doing.

He went back. He went back and said, OK. This is predicted in the Old Testament.

It's been anticipated. OK.

It's been anticipated all the way along. But the resurrection of Christ isn't just a past event, an isolated event. No. It started a chain reaction of events that includes our resurrection.

That's his point. As was the Redeemer. Christ. So we'll be the redeemed at his coming Christians. You noticed a little word twice mentioned first fruits. You think, what on earth is he talking about? What kind of language is that? Jesus is the first fruits. It's a Jewish metaphor. Every year they had a feast, a feast of first fruits when it was harvest time. And the first fruits was a sample of the produce that they would grow. They would bring a little sample called a offering of first fruits. The first installment. And they would bring it as an offering before the Lord, before they would harvest all of their crops. Now, here's the point. And it's very, very important it to be exciting. If you bring a first fruit offering, it means by necessity, there will follow the harvest. If you have the first fruits, it means the harvest is about to come. So when Jesus rose from the dead, that was the first fruits.

It must mean that the harvest, the resurrection of all of God's children must follow.

It's already been presently activated at the resurrection of Christ. Now, listen to this. Here's Paul speaking and Acts 26, and he says, I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen, that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead as the light to the Jews and the Gentiles alike. There's that same thought. He's the first. And here again, first, fruits indicating the harvest is about to come. Now, some of you might be thinking, well, wait a minute. What do I mean, the first Jesus wasn't the first guy to get up from the dead. Right. There were people in the Old Testament, the rose from the dead. Right. And the New Testament before Jesus. Right. First, King, 17, Elijo raises from the dead. A widow son, Second Kings chapter for Eli Shah Raises from the dead Asuna My Son. Turn to the New Testament. Lazarus gets raised from the dead, Jairus, his daughter gets raised from the dead. The son of the widow, it name gets raised from the dead, all pre resurrection of Christ. So what does Paul mean when he says Jesus rose first and now he's the first fruits? What he means. Very simple. Although they were raised from the dead first, their resurrection is completely different than his resurrection because they rose only to die again. It didn't get raised and glorified permanent bodies. They rose from the dead, lived a while and had to do it all over again.

So they weren't the exception to the rule that's appointed and every man to die once. And after this, the judgment, they died twice. That was the exception to the general rule.

Jesus was different. He rose in a glorified body, not just another of the same human body was his body, but glorified. And it was permanent. It would be forever. Thus, he is the first fruits of that resurrection. And here's the point. When Jesus got out of the tomb on that Easter morning when he conquered death by resurrection, it wasn't only to prove that he was the Messiah, that he was God in human flesh, that he was unique, et cetera, et cetera. Though he did all that. But he was the first fruits. Says Paul, so his resurrection. Listen carefully, requires our resurrection. If he rose from the dead bodily, we also will rise from the dead body. I've got a note this week. It's a great note. It was so good. I wanted to read it to you because it's a good question. Dear Pastor Skip, why does God want to resurrect our body if we will have a new body anyway at the Rapture, those who are dead in Christ, the decomposing bodies, the ashes, etc.. And he says in parenthesis, you hopefully get the idea. I do. I can picture the decompositions quite well. He says God will resurrect that. Pull back together from the four winds, so to speak. And then he says, Why? What's up with that? What is up with that? Why such an emphasis on the resurrection? Here's why. It completes our salvation. It completes our our redemption. Let me explain. I'm not saying that we can add anything to it. We can't. It's finished. It's a done deal. Jesus accomplished our salvation on the cross. But you should know and you'll see in a moment that salvation has a past, present and future aspect. We have been saved. Past tense from the penalty of sin forever. You'll never stand in judgment on Christ, Christ alone. We call that justification salvation. That's one. Number two, we are being saved. Moment by moment from the power of sin. That's sanctification, salvation. It's an ongoing process.

But one day in the future, we will be saved from the very presence of sin altogether. That's glorification, salvation. Thus, the resurrection from the dead is a necessity because of original sin.

Man fell. And God said in the day that you eat there of you will surely die. And so because God made us body and soul, he must restore both to bring us back to the original.

That Skip hightech with a message from the series From the Edge of Eternity. Now, here's Skip to tell you how you can help keep these teachings coming your way as you help connect others to the good news of Jesus.

Did you know that Christianity is all about redemption? God redeemed us. He bought us out of slavery. He took us from our sins. And he sent Jesus to pay for those sins on the cross. Now, that's good news and we want to share that with as many people as possible. And you can be a part of letting others know about this abounding love of God. Here's how you can give today to reach others with a gospel call.

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That's connect with Skip dot com slash donate. As always, thank you for your partnership. Tune in again tomorrow as Skip hightech dives into the significance of Jesus resurrection and how it paves the way for. Connect with Skip Heitziged is a presentation of connection communications connecting you two guards and ever changing truth in ever changing times.