Sermon Tone Analysis

Greet One Another: Before you sit down, say, “Good Morning” to the people around you. (Dismiss Children)

Welcome to North Village Church.

My name is Michael.

It is great to see you.

This morning we are going to continue a series in .

If you don’t have a bible grab one in the back, because we are going to finish our study in this morning.

It’s been like 8 weeks of Easter!

Tablets: We do have a system to stay in touch with people.

We have these tablets that we pass through the audience.

We ask everyone to fill it out every Sunday, and if you are new, there is a place for you to provide more information so we can get in touch later.

Handout: We also provided a handout for you to follow along with us throughout this series, because this chapter is the premier chapter on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We are teaching through , and in verses 1-34 the Apostle Paul is anchoring our lives and death in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, because one day Jesus is going to return, one day our bodies will be resurrected in glory, and one day Jesus will return and all things will be made new in heaven and on earth.

Then, in verses 35-49 we see a description of what our new bodies in glory might look like, and in our passage this morning we see victory over death that changes how we live, that no matter what storms may come we will endure.

Look at verse 50: (SLIDE)

, “50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.”

The pronoun “I” in verse 50 is the Apostle Paul.

The Apostle Paul is writing to the Corinthian church and in verse 50 the Apostle Paul writes the words, “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.”

Which means when Jesus returns it doesn’t matter if you are dead or alive, because all those who are in Christ will be transformed into glory.

Look at verses 51-52: (SLIDE)

, “51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”

In verse 51 the Apostle Paul writes, “Behold!”

He is clapping his hands.

He is getting our attention and writes, “I am telling you a mystery.”

I am telling you something that has been kept hidden through the ages, but now in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection has been made known.

Do you understand the gospel is a mystery?

There is a reason your friends and family doesn’t understand Jesus.

There is a reason Jesus teaches in parables.

The good news of Jesus is a mystery.

Every other world religion says, “This is what you need to do earn God’s favor.”

This is how you need to live to earn God’s blessings.

This is what you need to say to get God’s attention.

But, the good news of Jesus is that you are completely given God’s favor, blessing and attention, not by works, but by grace through faith in Jesus.

This is why the Apostle Paul writes, “I tell you a mystery.”

The gospel doesn’t make sense to our world.

The gospel is the Upside Down of Stranger Things.

It is the opposite of what our world expects to hear.

Therefore, in verse 51 the Apostle Paul writes, “I am telling you a mystery, and the mystery is we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed.”

Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.

It doesn’t matter if you are riding a roller coaster, or 6-feet under, when Jesus returns, and you are in Christ, the perishable will be made imperishable.

And the transformation in Christ will happen in a “moment.”

The transformation will happen in the “twinkling of an eye.”

The word “moment” in the original language is the word “atomos” which is where we get the English word “atom” and it means a unit of time that is indivisible, which means the transformation into glory will happen so fast we can’t even imagine.

The trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised, and all those who are in Christ will be transformed into glory.

Look at verses 53-54: (SLIDE) (Moving fast, but c’mon)

, “53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

At the end of verse 54 we see the culmination of , “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

Have you noticed our culture has a fascination with death?

In our culture today we try to act like death isn’t a big deal.

We try to make death sound like a normal part of life with things like, “Nobody lives forever!” Or, “Death is a natural part of life.”

And, yet at the same time we try to avoid death as much as possible.

We eat healthy.

We take vitamins.

We take medications.

We get check-ups for every possible scenario, and then say, “Death is normal!”

Have you been to a funeral?

First, the dead are quickly carried off by professionals to be prepared for burial, which all takes place behind closed doors.

Then, at the funeral our loved ones are dressed in their best clothes, morticians add make-up, we turn the lights down low, we surround the coffin with huge colorful flowers, and then we say, “See, isn’t this normal?”

C’mon, death is not normal.

Just so we are all on the same page, death is an enemy.

It isn’t like on the 6th day God created death.

Death is to be avoided at all possible.

Psychologically when you don’t try to avoid death our medical doctors tell us, “Something is wrong with you.”

Listen to me, humanity can act like death isn’t a big deal, but we are all trying to avoid death, and the reason is a biblical reason, because all of humanity is created in the image of God and that means all of humanity is created with an intrinsic desire to live eternally.

Illustration: Do you remember that Dylan Thomas poem, “Do not go gentle into that good night, rage, rage against the dying of the light” and something deep in humanity says, “Yes!”

We want to live!

The poem was recently referenced in the movie “Interstellar” but I think the best reference is the 1996 movie “Independence Day” when the president rallied the troops to fight the invading the aliens, and survive!”

Humanity wants to avoid death and it’s because all of humanity is created in the image of God, but in , listen to me, this is important, in , we see sin enter into the equation of humanity, so that our sin brings physical and spiritual death, so that at the end of verse 54 the Apostle Paul writes, “One day Jesus will return, those in Christ will be transformed, and death is swallowed up in victory.”

In today’s language the Apostle Paul is writing, “When you are in Christ, death ain’t got noth’n on me!”

And it isn’t because the Apostle Paul is spiritual, or intelligent, or physically strong enough to over power death, but, it is because at the cross of Christ death has been defeated, disarmed, and will one day be destroyed.

Look at verse 55: (SLIDE)

, “55 O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?”

It is in Christ the Grim Reaper simply turns from an executioner to a gardener.

I read a story of a pastor this week who said, “When I met Jesus death went from an executioner to a gardener.”

When you are in Christ, what can death do?

Death simply becomes a gardener who plants me into this earth as a seed, and when Jesus returns I will be raised to become a glorious flower.

As a follower of Jesus, this is our perspective in life.

The perishable will become imperishable, and it isn’t because we have positive thoughts about death, or poetical language about death, but because the sting of death has been completely absorbed in Jesus at the cross.

Look at verse 56: (SLIDE)

, “56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law;”

These words are powerful.

I am going to need to draw out some deep layers of theology, but if you stay with me, your mind is going to be blown.

When the Apostle Paul writes, “the sting of death is sin” it means death isn’t really hurtful unless there is sin.

Does that make sense?

Death in and of itself isn’t a big deal unless there is sin.

The God of Scripture isn’t concerned about death.

Jesus says to Lazarus, “Come out!” Jesus said to the little girl who was deceased, “Get up!”

The God of Scripture isn’t concerned about death, but the God of Scripture is concerned about sin, and it is because of our sin that we see a sting of death, therefore the Apostle Paul writes, “The sting of death is sin.”

The problem is our sin, and the power of sin is the law, and I could lose you here, but don’t check out, stay with me, the law isn’t just the Scriptures we hold in our hand.

The law is the Scriptures, but also the law is made known in all of creation.

, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen.”

Which means all of humanity is going throughout life knowing inherently we have fallen short of God’s glory.

All of humanity knows deep down we should be perfect, we should be , in the garden, in perfect, because we are created in His image, but because of our sin we go through out the day layered with guilt and shame.

You with me?

Illustration: You know that feeling in life, “Ah, man, why did I do this?”

That’s guilt.

Every human being has those moments throughout life.

Then, there are some of us who then replay that mistake throughout our day over and over and over.

That’s shame.