WEBVTT 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:08.080 Welcome to the Celebration Church Orlando podcast. 00:00:08.240 --> 00:00:09.759 Thank you for joining us. 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:16.800 To learn more about Celebration Orlando, a church devoted to reaching the lost, equipping the found, and helping the hurting. 00:00:16.960 --> 00:00:25.519 Follow us on social media using the handle at celebrationorl or visit our website, celebrationorl.org. 00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:31.600 How's everyone doing? 00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:36.240 Anybody thankful to be in the house of the Lord this morning? 00:00:37.439 --> 00:00:38.399 Alright. 00:00:39.200 --> 00:00:43.439 As Rachel said, we are concluding our Corinth series. 00:00:43.679 --> 00:00:50.159 However, for the chosen ones who are in our 1 Corinthians groups, uh the study lives on. 00:00:50.399 --> 00:00:57.200 So excited for all you guys to continue to dive into the message of 1 Corinthians. 00:00:57.359 --> 00:00:59.119 Again, like I said, my name is Nate. 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:00.640 I'm one of the pastors here. 00:01:00.799 --> 00:01:05.680 So thankful that you decided to join us here this morning, especially if it's your first time. 00:01:05.920 --> 00:01:08.719 I want to extend a special welcome to you. 00:01:09.040 --> 00:01:13.439 I'd love to meet you after the service out in the courtyard. 00:01:13.840 --> 00:01:16.159 I'll be by the tent looking like this. 00:01:16.319 --> 00:01:20.239 So you'll be able to be able to spot me out there. 00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:25.120 So I'd love to love to shake your hand and hear a little bit about your story as well. 00:01:25.280 --> 00:01:26.959 For those of you who are online, welcome. 00:01:27.120 --> 00:01:29.359 So thankful that you're joining us online. 00:01:29.599 --> 00:01:30.640 Where am I looking here? 00:01:31.120 --> 00:01:32.400 Right there, thank you. 00:01:33.120 --> 00:01:34.719 So thankful that you're with us online. 00:01:34.799 --> 00:01:37.359 If you are in the Orlando area, you guys switch it up on me. 00:01:37.439 --> 00:01:44.239 If you are in the Orlando area, uh we'd love to have you here at uh the Museum of Art at either 9 or 10 30 a.m. 00:01:44.480 --> 00:01:47.359 Uh to worship with us in person. 00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:49.920 Uh who's enjoyed the series so far? 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:51.040 Who's enjoyed it? 00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:52.159 Okay. 00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:54.159 That's no pressure. 00:01:54.239 --> 00:01:56.640 Hopefully, I don't spoil the fun today. 00:01:57.040 --> 00:02:00.480 Uh we've been looking at uh the book of 1 Corinthians. 00:02:00.560 --> 00:02:03.359 Today we're gonna be in uh 1 Corinthians 15. 00:02:03.439 --> 00:02:09.039 So if you have your Bibles, uh, which is a good thing, you can uh open that to 1 Corinthians 15. 00:02:09.280 --> 00:02:15.759 And we're actually gonna be looking at uh several passages in 1 Corinthians 15 today. 00:02:15.919 --> 00:02:23.280 So I would suggest that uh you leave your Bible open or leave your phone unlocked uh so we can refer to that together. 00:02:23.520 --> 00:02:25.280 If you don't have a Bible, you're out of luck. 00:02:25.360 --> 00:02:26.000 No, I'm kidding. 00:02:26.159 --> 00:02:30.639 We have a Bible, we have a Bible for you actually out uh in the courtyard today. 00:02:30.719 --> 00:02:32.800 Uh first service, almost cleaned house. 00:02:32.879 --> 00:02:34.159 So I think there's a couple left. 00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:35.759 Uh we'll replenish next week. 00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:42.800 But if you are looking for a Bible, one that you can uh understand, uh we it's actually from the version that I preach from. 00:02:42.879 --> 00:02:48.159 So if you want one of those, stop by the tent, and uh we'd be happy to hand that to you today. 00:02:48.400 --> 00:03:08.159 Uh before we move on, uh in the first service I was able to recognize them here in person, but uh Fresh Start Ministries is one of our partners here in the city and actually one of our first partners uh that we were able to uh join hands with here over uh almost a decade ago. 00:03:08.400 --> 00:03:15.039 And uh Fresh Start Ministries is a great place for men who are struggling with addiction. 00:03:15.120 --> 00:03:22.560 Uh September happens to be Addiction Awareness Month, so we just are so thankful that we get to play just a small part and allowing them. 00:03:22.639 --> 00:03:24.479 They come, if you've never been to a 9 a.m. 00:03:24.639 --> 00:03:30.000 service, they come once a month, uh, take up the majority of the front rows here to be able to worship with us. 00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:43.120 And the great thing about Fresh Start Ministries is it doesn't just equip them with the steps they need to uh break free of addiction, it actually introduces them to the source of that freedom, which is Jesus Christ. 00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:50.639 And so it's such an honor to be able to play a really small part in what they're doing over there, and we're so thankful for our brothers at Fresh Start. 00:03:50.960 --> 00:04:10.240 And if you or if uh someone you know in your family is struggling with that, whether you're in this room or under the sound of my voice, we'd love to be able to connect you uh with them as well, or you can just do a quick uh Google search for Fresh Start Ministries in Orlando, and someone from uh their team would love to care with you and walk alongside you. 00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:14.639 Uh, can we, uh even though they're not here, can we make a little bit of noise for our Fresh Start brothers? 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:16.079 Yes. 00:04:20.079 --> 00:04:23.680 First Corinthians 15, we're gonna be looking at verse number 50. 00:04:24.079 --> 00:04:25.519 First Corinthians 15. 00:04:25.600 --> 00:04:28.399 Here's what the word of the Lord says today. 00:04:28.959 --> 00:04:35.120 What I'm saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the kingdom of God. 00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:38.800 These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever. 00:04:39.279 --> 00:04:42.079 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. 00:04:42.480 --> 00:04:46.879 We will not all die, but we will all be transformed. 00:04:47.279 --> 00:04:51.360 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. 00:04:51.519 --> 00:04:59.600 For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever, and we who are living will also be transformed. 00:04:59.920 --> 00:05:04.319 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die. 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:08.319 Our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. 00:05:08.560 --> 00:05:15.839 Then, when our dying bodies have been, you guessed it, transformed into bodies that will never die, this scripture will be fulfilled. 00:05:16.079 --> 00:05:18.240 Death is swallowed up in victory. 00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:20.160 O death, where is your victory? 00:05:20.399 --> 00:05:22.720 O death, where is your sting? 00:05:23.759 --> 00:05:30.399 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 00:05:30.560 --> 00:05:37.759 But thank God, He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:05:38.399 --> 00:05:40.160 Is it through my church attendance? 00:05:40.399 --> 00:05:43.120 Is it through how well I can recite the Ten Commandments? 00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:46.639 Our victory is through the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:05:46.879 --> 00:05:48.879 So, thanks, Paul, for all this information. 00:05:49.040 --> 00:05:50.160 What do I need to do about it? 00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:54.879 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. 00:05:55.519 --> 00:05:57.519 Be strong and immovable. 00:05:58.800 --> 00:06:06.319 Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. 00:06:07.199 --> 00:06:09.120 This is God's word for us today. 00:06:09.519 --> 00:06:15.519 And if you're in uh to note-taking uh the title of today's message, it is transformed. 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:16.879 Will you pray with me? 00:06:19.600 --> 00:06:25.199 Lord, we come before you right now, and first of all, we just want to say thank you. 00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:39.920 Lord, we've just been singing about uh your kindness, we've been singing about your goodness, your friendship, uh, your generosity, the way that you sent your son to us, and Lord, um we're so grateful for that. 00:06:40.240 --> 00:06:41.600 Lord, we're thankful for your word. 00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:44.480 We're thankful that it is transformational. 00:06:44.720 --> 00:06:51.199 We're thankful for the power of the Holy Spirit that even in this moment right now can transform our lives, and that's our prayer. 00:06:51.519 --> 00:06:56.000 We want to walk out of here changed, not the same way that we walked in, Lord. 00:06:56.240 --> 00:07:01.120 So we pray that you would speak to us individually, speak to us collectively as a body. 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:06.240 It's in Jesus' name, and everybody said Amen. 00:07:06.319 --> 00:07:07.519 That was strong. 00:07:08.560 --> 00:07:18.720 New Testament letters are kind of like email replies that you don't that you're unable to see the original author's message. 00:07:18.959 --> 00:07:42.240 So, what you have to do whenever you're reading a New Testament letter is you have to do a lot of inference and you have to almost reconstruct the time period using the best of your ability, the knowledge that you have, mainly um resourcing some scholarly work that has been done over generations and kind of reconstructing uh what the author is actually saying. 00:07:42.399 --> 00:07:46.240 So when we're reading 1 Corinthians, we're reading a reply. 00:07:46.399 --> 00:07:58.319 So we're reading a reply to either word that's gotten to Paul via letter or word that's gotten to him uh via uh not email, be it via a person uh traveling to him. 00:07:58.480 --> 00:08:03.120 It's gonna be a long day, via a person traveling to him and letting him know what's going on, okay? 00:08:03.279 --> 00:08:12.399 So so far in this series, what we've done is we've we've done our best to reconstruct some of the responses and inferred some of the things that were happening in the church. 00:08:12.480 --> 00:08:21.680 So based off of what we've looked at, uh we can with pretty good confidence confirm that there was a sex scandal happening in the church. 00:08:21.759 --> 00:08:36.240 Uh, we can confirm that there was a lot of bickering going on about uh position and leadership and who's who, uh, some spiritual talent shows maybe that were going on where people were uh using their spiritual gifts to puff themselves up. 00:08:36.399 --> 00:08:44.879 Uh people perhaps uh abusing their uh their Christian liberty that has been been given to them. 00:08:44.960 --> 00:08:55.440 And so we're we're trying to reconstruct exactly what's happening in this time period in order that we may learn from them and apply it to our lives here in 21st century America. 00:08:55.519 --> 00:08:55.840 Okay? 00:08:56.320 --> 00:09:09.759 So today, based off of what we read at the beginning of 1 Corinthians, we can infer that for whatever reason there are falsities flying around the church that there is no resurrection of the dead. 00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:15.600 And for lack of a better word, Paul is perturbed, he is disturbed. 00:09:15.679 --> 00:09:31.360 Uh, he has gone to them, he has traveled many miles to them to preach the gospel to them, and for whatever reason, they have strayed away from the message that he has preached, particularly in chapter 15 about the resurrection. 00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:37.840 Now, chapter 15 is actually in our English Bibles, it's the longest section of the letter. 00:09:38.080 --> 00:09:49.600 So this indicates to me that there is some heavy importance, and there is something that Paul really wants to get across here by spending so much time on this passage. 00:09:49.840 --> 00:09:55.279 So, for whatever reason, uh Paul is very disturbed, and I and I can imagine why. 00:09:55.519 --> 00:10:02.879 In verse number three and four, he says, I passed on to you what was most important, and what had also been passed on to me. 00:10:03.120 --> 00:10:06.559 Christ died for our sins, just as the scriptures said. 00:10:06.879 --> 00:10:11.919 He was buried and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the scriptures said. 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:16.159 So, in other words, he's like, Why in the world are we diverting from this? 00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:20.000 Now I have to come back and reiterate what I've already told you. 00:10:20.240 --> 00:10:26.879 Now, this may be a little bit shocking to him, given the fact that he's invested his blood, sweat, and tears into this ministry. 00:10:27.039 --> 00:10:31.759 But when I kind of zoom out and look at it, you know, hindsight's always 20-20. 00:10:31.840 --> 00:10:35.279 It may not be so shocking to me, and here's why I say that. 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:39.679 We've already discovered that Corinth is uh a diverse city. 00:10:39.840 --> 00:10:50.240 Okay, there's a lot of different schools of thought that live within this city, uh, and a lot of Greek thought, uh, hence it being in Greece. 00:10:50.480 --> 00:10:52.720 So there is a lot of different schools of thought. 00:10:52.799 --> 00:10:59.440 So, what could infiltrate the church, they could be being influenced by outside ways of thinking. 00:10:59.679 --> 00:11:11.679 And whenever we talk about Greek philosophy, there was a lot of time spent uh debating and uh mulling over or meditating and writing about what we call the afterlife. 00:11:11.759 --> 00:11:19.600 Okay, so there are a few different theories or hypotheses that were proposed by Greek philosophy. 00:11:19.759 --> 00:11:35.279 Uh one of the theories would be that the spiritual essence is actually borrowed from the cosmos, and then when you die, you're actually reintegrated into the cosmos. 00:11:35.360 --> 00:11:39.679 So your spirit is reintegrated into uh its original home. 00:11:40.080 --> 00:12:00.240 Another school of thought would be similar to sort of a deprecating sense of the body saying that the body is bad, this is the world is the big bad world, and actually the most free that you can be is for your body to lie and for your spiritual essence to live freely, and that's the fullness of life. 00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:13.919 Uh and then we have, you know, I think about Greek mythology similar to heavenly states, where perhaps you know the body trans or the soul transcends to some sort of heavenly spiritual state as well. 00:12:14.080 --> 00:12:24.639 So for a Gentile believer, I can understand why they may be listening to some of this stuff and thinking, well, that means that there actually is no resurrection of the dead. 00:12:24.879 --> 00:12:37.840 However, for a Jewish believer, which we believe there were Jews in Corinth, it doesn't make much sense to me why they would divert from this teaching given the fact that resurrection is proprietary to the Jewish religion. 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:43.120 Now there's some argument against that, but I don't know if the evidence uh is convincing enough. 00:12:43.200 --> 00:12:47.279 So I believe that proprietary to Jewish religion is resurrection. 00:12:47.440 --> 00:13:00.879 And we see this in a couple different instances in the New Testament, particularly in the Gospels, when Jesus shows up to do a miracle over Lazarus' life, and she he tells Martha, don't worry, this uh isn't gonna end in death. 00:13:01.039 --> 00:13:05.679 And Martha says, Yes, I know, Lord, uh, he will rise again at the last day. 00:13:05.759 --> 00:13:18.240 And that in that instance, that wasn't Jesus was talking about, but we can grab from that the fact that Martha had sort of a schema of the fact that there is a possibility or there is a resurrection of the dead. 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:19.919 Are you tracking with me so far? 00:13:20.559 --> 00:13:21.360 Okay, cool. 00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:44.080 So in relative relatively recently, say that ten times fast, what has happened in the contemporary church thought or contemporary Christian thought is we have adopted similarly to that Greek philosophy of the dying and going to heaven, okay, and uh almost this escapism mentality. 00:13:44.240 --> 00:13:56.480 Again, the body is bad, the big bad world is bad, and so what I need to do to be free is my soul needs to, or my body needs to die in order for my soul to go to heaven and be with the Lord. 00:13:56.799 --> 00:14:02.639 Now, I'm not so sure that that is the priority of what scripture teaches. 00:14:02.799 --> 00:14:09.519 And before we get angry emails this week about how your granny isn't in heaven, let me explain what I mean by that. 00:14:10.080 --> 00:14:21.039 Yes, there is a state where for a believer, after the believer has died, there is a peace and there is a presence of God. 00:14:21.279 --> 00:14:21.600 Okay? 00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:25.440 The Psalms even talk about how where I can go to escape the presence of God? 00:14:25.519 --> 00:14:26.559 Can I go up to the heavens? 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:27.919 Can I go down to the earth below? 00:14:28.080 --> 00:14:28.320 No. 00:14:28.559 --> 00:14:30.000 God transcends all, okay? 00:14:30.080 --> 00:14:31.600 So he is present everywhere. 00:14:31.759 --> 00:14:34.159 But also there is a peace as well. 00:14:34.399 --> 00:14:40.240 But what I think the scriptures teach about this is this peace is more of a sleep-like state. 00:14:40.480 --> 00:14:51.600 And we see this with Jairus who comes to ask Jesus, my daughter's sick and I need you to heal her, and on the way to go heal her, she dies. 00:14:52.320 --> 00:14:58.480 And when Jesus shows up, he walks into the room and says, Oh, don't worry, she's only sleeping. 00:14:58.799 --> 00:15:02.080 The crowd actually laughs at Jesus and says, Are you kidding me? 00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:07.919 She's clearly dead, and that's even a little bit insulting that you would suggest that she is sleeping, okay? 00:15:08.240 --> 00:15:14.320 But I think what Jesus is trying to communicate is he's trying to communicate this state of being after death. 00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:21.039 Even the Apostle Paul would go on to say that some of the believers who have fallen asleep, okay? 00:15:21.200 --> 00:15:28.080 Now, again, I am not suggesting that there is not some sort of state of peace and presence with the Lord Jesus. 00:15:28.240 --> 00:15:35.200 Of course there is, but I am what I am suggesting is that is not our priority of Scripture, the Scripture teaching. 00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:39.600 What the priority of Scripture is teaching is resurrection or transformation. 00:15:39.759 --> 00:15:40.639 And here's why I say that. 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:42.799 Verse number 16 says this. 00:15:43.039 --> 00:15:48.720 And if there is no resurrection of the dead, this is super important, then Christ has not been raised. 00:15:48.960 --> 00:15:49.279 Okay? 00:15:49.919 --> 00:15:54.000 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless. 00:15:54.639 --> 00:15:57.120 And you are still guilty of your sins. 00:15:57.840 --> 00:16:02.159 In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost. 00:16:02.399 --> 00:16:09.600 And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are to be more pitied than anyone in the world. 00:16:10.240 --> 00:16:16.799 So, in other words, if there's no resurrection for a Christian, then Christ was never raised in the first place. 00:16:16.960 --> 00:16:20.879 And if Christ was never raised in the first place, then you're still dead in your sins. 00:16:21.039 --> 00:16:23.840 And if you're still dead in your sins, there's no hope. 00:16:24.000 --> 00:16:26.879 And if there's no hope, what in the world are we doing here? 00:16:27.600 --> 00:16:35.600 And we, as Christians, should be even more pitied than the rest of the world because if there's no hope, then we might as well eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. 00:16:35.840 --> 00:16:36.399 Right? 00:16:36.559 --> 00:16:45.840 And that is what has infiltrated the Corinthian church, and I think we we adopt a little bit of this escapism mentality. 00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:48.320 Now, again, do I want to be at peace with the Lord? 00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:49.120 Absolutely. 00:16:49.200 --> 00:16:53.919 But I think the priority of the scriptures is saying, no, I've come to transform you. 00:16:54.080 --> 00:16:56.480 I've come to actually resurrect you. 00:16:57.279 --> 00:17:03.679 You know, there are a couple phrases that don't really belong in Christian vernacular. 00:17:03.919 --> 00:17:09.680 And one of those phrases is something like this enjoy life while you can. 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:11.680 Just enjoy life while you can. 00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:12.880 Life is short. 00:17:13.279 --> 00:17:16.240 Now, yes, the scriptures do teach life is a vapor. 00:17:16.319 --> 00:17:23.599 You know, we we must realize that uh in this life, the instance that we are in, there is brevity to it. 00:17:24.480 --> 00:17:28.640 But there's this pressure and this anxiety, I think, that's placed on the world. 00:17:28.720 --> 00:17:41.759 And sometimes as believers, we can get wrapped up in like, I gotta, I gotta experience everything there is in life, or else I failed, or else I've fallen short, or else I won't have the fulfillment that I'm looking for. 00:17:41.920 --> 00:17:45.200 I've got to visit every destination on my bucket list. 00:17:45.279 --> 00:17:48.640 If I don't see Mount Everest, then what in the world is this whole thing about? 00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:59.279 You know, like if I don't go to this restaurant or eat this type of food, and so we kind of fall victim to this mentality and this pressure to try and experience everything that we can. 00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:02.640 But my encouragement to you would be don't bow to that. 00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:06.079 Don't bow to the brevity of this life. 00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:14.799 In fact, as believers, we should have a little bit more of an elongated, and by elongated, I mean an eternal perspective on life. 00:18:15.039 --> 00:18:25.039 Okay, so we must know that this perishable body is actually going to be transformed into an imperishable body. 00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:29.599 And my basis for that belief is found in verse number 21 of this chapter. 00:18:30.079 --> 00:18:40.880 So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:50.160 Just as everyone dies, because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. 00:18:50.480 --> 00:18:53.200 But there is an order to this resurrection. 00:18:53.519 --> 00:19:02.319 Christ was raised as the first of the harvest, then all b who belong to Christ will be raised, excuse me, when he comes back. 00:19:03.119 --> 00:19:31.440 Church, I just I have a hard time believing that God would go to all this trouble to create the world, to create the sun, moon, and stars, to create the constellations, to create you in his image, just to let the enemy come in and infect it with sin and just say, you know what, this whole thing didn't really work out, so here's what I'm gonna do. 00:19:31.519 --> 00:19:38.319 I'm just gonna scrap the whole creation thing, and then I'm just gonna bring everybody up to heaven to live with me. 00:19:38.480 --> 00:19:43.119 I just have a hard time believing that that is the priority of God. 00:19:43.279 --> 00:19:46.880 I think the priority of God is to transform. 00:19:47.119 --> 00:19:50.000 In other words, God will redeem his creation. 00:19:50.240 --> 00:20:00.960 God will not let the enemy spoil what he has created, and he will redeem both the heavens and the earth, including our physical bodies, and transform us into imperishable bodies. 00:20:01.119 --> 00:20:02.480 Can I get an amen on that? 00:20:04.079 --> 00:20:20.000 You know, I I had a meeting with uh my financial planner this past weekend, and usually I walk away from those meetings um a little discouraged, kind of anxiety-ridden, like, am I doing enough? 00:20:20.240 --> 00:20:22.559 Am I putting away enough for my retirement? 00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:26.720 Not so much this last one, but usually I do walk away from that. 00:20:26.799 --> 00:20:28.480 Uh, is my estate in order? 00:20:28.640 --> 00:20:36.400 Like I have some estate to order, um, and you know, all that life insurance policies, et cetera, et cetera. 00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:39.119 You know, I have I have a kid to think about everything. 00:20:39.359 --> 00:20:51.359 Um but when that starts to creep in, I have to remind myself that something as finite as money should not be the thing that dic dictates my entire life. 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:58.960 Something as finite as a man-made system of currency should not dictate my decisions in life. 00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:08.880 There's only one thing, in fact, it's a person who should dictate my decisions in life, and that's Jesus Christ, because all authority has actually been given to him. 00:21:09.920 --> 00:21:16.480 Verse number 25 says, for Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. 00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:19.680 And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. 00:21:19.839 --> 00:21:24.720 For the scriptures say God has put all things under his authority. 00:21:24.960 --> 00:21:32.400 Of course, when it says all things are under his authority, that does not include God Himself, who gave Christ his authority. 00:21:32.559 --> 00:21:40.640 I don't know about you folks, but I'm not gonna give anything jurisdiction over my life until it's figured out this whole death thing. 00:21:40.880 --> 00:21:51.440 I don't know about you folks, but the only person who deserves my attention, who deserves my worship, who deserves every facet of my life, is the one who overcame death, and that's Jesus Christ. 00:21:56.720 --> 00:22:11.839 You know, until Elon Musk can figure out the whole death thing, Jesus is my And I say that kind of tongue in cheek, you know, because we're promised about this technology that could help us achieve immortality. 00:22:12.640 --> 00:22:17.359 But as we've seen in this in this series, there's nothing new over under the sun. 00:22:18.559 --> 00:22:26.079 This this chase, this search for immortality has been since the beginning of time. 00:22:26.559 --> 00:22:29.359 Everybody's trying to escape death. 00:22:29.920 --> 00:22:35.759 And again, I just don't think that the scriptures are teaching you'll be able to escape death. 00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:45.200 I think that the scriptures are teaching because of death, but because of the good news of Jesus, your death actually transforms you into life. 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:50.240 So your perishable body is planted as a seed and it raises as an imperishable body. 00:22:52.480 --> 00:22:55.759 We make this mistake all the time, like Jesus was brought back to life. 00:22:55.839 --> 00:22:56.799 And we do it honestly. 00:22:57.039 --> 00:22:59.359 I say it all the time, you know, Jesus was brought back to life. 00:22:59.519 --> 00:23:01.279 One day I'll be brought back to life. 00:23:01.359 --> 00:23:03.599 But there's no going backwards in the kingdom. 00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:08.799 Jesus was actually transformed into a new self, into a new body. 00:23:08.960 --> 00:23:18.880 Verse number 37 says, and what you put in the ground is not the plant that you will grow, but only a bare seed of wheat or whatever whatever you are planting. 00:23:19.039 --> 00:23:23.200 So when I put a tomato seed in the ground, it looks nothing like a tomato. 00:23:23.359 --> 00:23:26.319 It just looks like a tomato seed, but it has to be buried first. 00:23:26.480 --> 00:23:30.240 It has to be transformed into its ultimate form. 00:23:30.480 --> 00:23:33.200 Then God gives it a new body he wants it to have. 00:23:33.359 --> 00:23:35.519 A different plant grows from each kind of seed. 00:23:35.599 --> 00:23:42.400 Similarly, there are different kinds of flesh, one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:45.440 There's also bodies in the heavens and bodies on the earth. 00:23:45.599 --> 00:23:50.880 The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the glory of the earthly bodies. 00:23:51.119 --> 00:24:16.960 Now, where we've erred a little bit in this kind of goes back to what I was talking about earlier, and I think it's an unfortunate rendering of the Greek, is we've we've termed or we've looked at the term heavenly body and spiritual body as some non-material, disembodied spirit that inhabits this ethrial sort of place. 00:24:17.119 --> 00:24:17.440 Okay? 00:24:18.640 --> 00:24:26.480 Again, I think that the Bible is not so concerned with transcendence as much as it is concerned with transformation. 00:24:26.960 --> 00:24:33.759 And the reason I get that, and the reason I look at anything, if I'm gonna have a measuring stick, I'm gonna look at Jesus. 00:24:33.920 --> 00:24:40.480 And there are actually three ways by which I think are the most important ways in which Jesus was transformed. 00:24:40.720 --> 00:24:43.759 The first being the incarnation of Christ, okay? 00:24:44.079 --> 00:24:46.799 So Christ was not created. 00:24:46.960 --> 00:24:50.960 In the beginning was the word, the word was with God, and the word was God. 00:24:51.119 --> 00:24:54.079 So the word referring to Jesus, the Son of God. 00:24:54.240 --> 00:24:55.359 He is from the beginning. 00:24:55.519 --> 00:24:58.960 However, he was transformed into human flesh. 00:24:59.039 --> 00:25:05.599 Okay, the scriptures will say he was born just like we were of Adam, but he was begotten, not created. 00:25:05.759 --> 00:25:06.480 Does that make sense? 00:25:06.640 --> 00:25:08.160 No, it doesn't, but we believe it. 00:25:11.200 --> 00:25:16.000 It's not so concerned with transcendence as much as transformation, the first being incarnation. 00:25:16.160 --> 00:25:28.559 The second, Jesus became sin, was almost as if he was transformed into sin so that you and I could be transformed into the righteousness of God. 00:25:29.200 --> 00:25:31.039 Think about that for a second. 00:25:31.279 --> 00:25:40.079 Jesus was put on the cross as a criminal in our stead, transformed in that way, became sin. 00:25:40.160 --> 00:25:49.279 He who knew no sin became sin so that you and I could become the righteousness of God, so you and I could be transformed and adopted into the family as righteousness. 00:25:49.680 --> 00:26:06.559 And then finally, Jesus' resurrection transformed him from that perishable body that he was born with, just like you and I, to the imperishable body, which we, because of Christ, being the first harvest, will inherit if we are in Christ, that imperishable body as well. 00:26:06.799 --> 00:26:11.440 So Jesus didn't just walk around as some sort of spirit after his resurrection. 00:26:11.920 --> 00:26:20.960 He actually walked around in what the scriptures refer to as a heavenly body, that heavenly body able to inhabit both earth and heaven. 00:26:21.119 --> 00:26:22.720 Are you tracking with me on that? 00:26:22.960 --> 00:26:31.839 So not trying to get, you know, not trying to get too twilight zone on you here, but it is a very real body that we can inherit. 00:26:32.079 --> 00:26:33.119 Okay, cool. 00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:36.480 Really tough passage to preach from, by the way, just letting you know. 00:26:37.119 --> 00:26:39.359 So why does this matter? 00:26:40.160 --> 00:26:41.599 Why does it matter at all? 00:26:41.839 --> 00:26:44.079 I think it matters for a couple of reasons. 00:26:44.400 --> 00:26:53.359 The first being uh for Corinth it matters because Paul sees Paul had seen that they were getting off track from what he was teaching. 00:26:53.839 --> 00:26:59.839 They were getting off track from the truth of the gospel, and they were a little bit more concerned with things that we talked about earlier. 00:26:59.920 --> 00:27:02.960 They were a little bit more concerned with their status in the church. 00:27:03.039 --> 00:27:05.839 They may have been a little bit more concerned with, well, this is my freedom. 00:27:06.000 --> 00:27:07.359 I'm able to do whatever I want. 00:27:07.519 --> 00:27:15.519 They were a little bit more concerned with sleeping around with whoever they wanted to because it didn't really matter because when I died, Jesus was going to come and save me and clean up the mess in the first place. 00:27:15.759 --> 00:27:20.000 So I think that that still is a little bit holds true to us today. 00:27:20.160 --> 00:27:23.200 It matters because what you do matters. 00:27:23.519 --> 00:27:26.400 What the church does matters. 00:27:26.720 --> 00:27:40.480 We are now, as we have been transformed internally and is the hope by the power of the Holy Spirit living in us, which is a promise for transformation physically in the future, we are now agents of transformation in the world. 00:27:40.720 --> 00:27:43.599 So you are an agent of transformation in your school. 00:27:43.839 --> 00:27:48.880 You're an agent of transformation at the accounting firm, at the coffee shop, at the gym. 00:27:49.039 --> 00:27:57.039 If you are in Christ, you are now an agent of transformation in the world, and what you do matters for eternity. 00:27:57.519 --> 00:27:58.960 Verse 58 says this. 00:27:59.119 --> 00:28:03.519 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. 00:28:03.759 --> 00:28:04.799 Can I tell you something? 00:28:04.960 --> 00:28:07.200 I'm not strong, I'm not immovable. 00:28:07.359 --> 00:28:17.680 But it's the power of God living in me, the grace of God that is imparted to me that allows me to be strong and immovable. 00:28:17.839 --> 00:28:25.119 Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. 00:28:26.000 --> 00:28:32.799 As Vinny spoke about earlier in this series, each one of us is part of the body. 00:28:33.039 --> 00:28:53.119 And for whatever reason, along the way, we have outsourced the kingdom assignment that has been given to us to spiritual experts, to pastors and teachers and leaders, and sea kids workers and volunteers and group leaders. 00:28:53.359 --> 00:29:06.720 My friends, if you are in Christ, every single one of you is an agent for transformation here in this world, and you play a part in seeing his kingdom come and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 00:29:06.960 --> 00:29:10.400 On earth, on earth, not in heaven as it is in heaven. 00:29:10.640 --> 00:29:13.759 Do we see the importance of what we do here today? 00:29:14.960 --> 00:29:25.759 You know, if you're looking for sort of a Zen-like state or tranquility or peace, there's a lot of things that promise that. 00:29:26.079 --> 00:29:27.279 Go do yoga. 00:29:27.599 --> 00:29:28.799 Sorry, Tina. 00:29:31.200 --> 00:29:32.960 But seriously, go do yoga. 00:29:33.119 --> 00:29:35.920 If you're looking for peace and tranquility, there's great peace there. 00:29:36.079 --> 00:29:41.839 If you're looking for a social club, there's a lot of great organizations out there that can provide that to you. 00:29:42.079 --> 00:29:52.960 If you're looking for a moral construct or a way to sort of conduct your life, to organize your life in a moral fashion, there's plenty of ways to do that as well. 00:29:53.119 --> 00:29:58.799 If you're looking for a way to solve problems, there's plenty of councils and committees and governments that do that as well. 00:29:58.960 --> 00:30:08.640 But if you are looking for transformation in your life, the only person who can provide that to you is the person who came through on the promise, and that is Jesus Christ. 00:30:08.799 --> 00:30:14.559 Because Jesus doesn't only promise transformation, he proved it when he went from perishable to imperishable. 00:30:14.640 --> 00:30:18.880 And you, my friends, get to experience the exact same thing because of the grace of God. 00:30:20.160 --> 00:30:21.920 That is the gospel. 00:30:22.640 --> 00:30:28.400 The band can go ahead and join me if they're not still in Sea Kids worship, otherwise, we're gonna be hanging out here for a while. 00:30:30.960 --> 00:30:34.400 You know, Paul tells us, this is this is fascinating. 00:30:34.720 --> 00:30:47.039 Paul tells us in this passage that not even the law, not even the good word, and the wisdom and the statutes of God have the ability to bring about transformation. 00:30:47.440 --> 00:30:48.880 Think about that for a second. 00:30:49.119 --> 00:30:56.079 God handed this down to Moses personally, and not even that can bring transformation in your life. 00:30:56.319 --> 00:31:06.160 The only thing that can bring transformation in your life is you placing your faith and hope in what Jesus did for you on the cross and when he rose again from the grave. 00:31:06.559 --> 00:31:08.960 Colossians chapter 2 says this. 00:31:32.400 --> 00:31:35.680 And because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. 00:31:36.160 --> 00:31:47.920 Then God, then God, not my efforts, then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 00:31:48.400 --> 00:31:53.519 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 00:31:53.599 --> 00:32:03.519 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities, and he shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. 00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:09.440 My friends, Satan isn't gonna get an inch of territory. 00:32:10.079 --> 00:32:18.640 Yeah, he may have spoiled the fun for a little bit, but his time is coming to an end, and everything is gonna be subjected to the rule and reign of Christ. 00:32:18.720 --> 00:32:19.279 And guess what? 00:32:19.359 --> 00:32:23.759 We are gonna rule and reign with him in our new imperishable bodies. 00:32:24.000 --> 00:32:27.279 That is the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:32:34.240 --> 00:32:39.359 So, why is it important to believe in a bodily, physical resurrection? 00:32:39.839 --> 00:32:42.319 It's because no one else can promise it. 00:32:43.039 --> 00:32:48.319 And our hope as Christians is fundamentally grounded in the resurrection of Jesus. 00:32:48.480 --> 00:32:56.559 And that transformation that took place over 2,000 years ago will take place one day again with all who give our lives to Him. 00:32:56.799 --> 00:32:58.640 Will you bow your heads in prayer with me? 00:33:02.000 --> 00:33:37.119 Lord, we're we just stand humbled and in awe that you would look past our faults, look past the mess that we've made of our own lives, and that you would offer us transformation, not only in a future sense, but real transformation right now, that you would change our inward lives, and one day that's gonna be expressed also in bodily form, and we get to rule and reign with you, Lord. 00:33:37.200 --> 00:33:40.079 We thank you, and we call you holy. 00:33:42.000 --> 00:33:48.880 If there's anyone here in here that just needs to know, you just need transformation in your life, whatever that looks like. 00:33:49.039 --> 00:33:50.000 We just raise a hand. 00:33:50.079 --> 00:33:51.519 I just want to include you in this prayer. 00:33:51.599 --> 00:33:54.960 If you need transformation, be God to transform your life. 00:33:56.000 --> 00:34:01.039 Lord, you see every hand, you know every circumstance because you created them in your image. 00:34:01.200 --> 00:34:11.760 And so, God, I pray right now that you would comfort them, that you would remind them of your power, and that you would begin to transform them in this moment. 00:34:12.880 --> 00:34:14.559 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:34:14.880 --> 00:34:15.519 Amen. 00:34:15.760 --> 00:34:25.599 Before we rush out of here and eat our eggs, Benedict, will you guys stand to your feet and let's just worship God for how good He is and praise His name. 00:34:31.199 --> 00:34:39.920 Thank you for joining us to learn more about Celebration Orlando, a church devoted to reaching the lost, equipping the found, and helping the hurting. 00:34:40.079 --> 00:34:48.639 Follow us on social media using the handle at celebrationorl or visit our website, celebrationorl.org.