RESURRECTION

[1]WELCOME: Good morning. If you’re new with us or just joining us online, thanks for being with us today. We’re glad you’re here. My name is Nic Cook and I’m one of the Pastors here at Cornerstone Church. CONNECT: If you haven’t already, I’d like to encourage you to go to [2]auburncstone.info and fill out a digital connection card. And if you’re new with us we’d like to send you a gift to say thanks for joining us. If this is home for you, please fill out the connection card and let us know you’re here as well as how we can be praying for you.

1 COR. 15:20-26: If you’ve got your bibles with you or if you want to follow along on auburncstone.info, we’re going to be in 1 Corinthians 15. It’s in the second half of our bibles called the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, Corinthians). And while you’re looking that up I’ll give you an idea of where we’re headed.

SERIES: After today, we’ve got one more week in our teaching series called THE CREED: WHAT WE BELIEVE. We’ve been walking through something called the Apostles Creed which contains short biblical summaries of things that every Christian needs to know in order to follow Jesus and be part of his mission. [3]Today we’re getting to the phrase that says we believe in “the resurrection of the body. Up until this point, we’ve been going through what is typically called THEOLOGY- the study of God. We’ve talked about creation, sin, the incarnation or Jesus coming in flesh, the crucifixion, the Holy Spirit. And it’s possible to learn about all these things about God and not really worry about how they apply. Seems like they’re good things to know, but doesn’t seem like it changes the day to day. But when we get to the “resurrection of the body” this is often talked about as…

PRACTICAL THEOLOGY: Here’s why: this is going to be a time for participation. As I ask these questions, I’d like for you to raise your hand. And if you’re with us online, tell us in the chat section “I do”. How many of you know someone who has cancer? How many of you know someone dealing with mental illness? How many of you know someone who has a physical disability? How many of you know someone dealing with chronic pain? Now here’s a big one. How many of you have had someone you love, die in the past 2 years? Now look around, what we’re talking about today affects everyone and everyone around you. You can put your hands down. When we talk about the resurrection of the body, we are simultaneously talking about the DECAY AND DEATH of the bodies we are currently in. The practical theology of the resurrection of our bodies is what help give us hope when we go to…

·  FUNERALS: As a pastor I have the privilege of walking alongside people and their families as they are grieving and mourning the loss of a loved one. I’ve been there as parents are saying goodbye to their little boy. I’ve been there as children are saying goodbye to their parents. I’ve been there are people are saying goodbye to their spouse. And this belief, more than any other I have found, helps us face death with hope. So whether you have recently dealt with loss or not, this is a something that we will all need at some point. If not for others, than for ourselves. And I think, that if we start to see what the resurrection of the body is going to be like, it will not only give us comfort, but it will allow the joy of eternity to slip into our lives now. It will also put a fire in our hearts to make sure that those around us don’t miss out on that joy. So I’m going to pray, we’re going to say the creed out loud together, and then we’re going to listen to what Jesus has in store for us.

Loving Father and Powerful Creator, you shaped us out of dust and breathed life into us. I pray that today that we will be reminded that even though we will return to dust, you will not leave us that way. Help us see beyond this life to the joy before us, and then help us to live for you and call others to join us by accepting Jesus. Spirit, speak to us. Spirit help us to respond. Amen. [4-12][READ THE CREED]

(TEACH) NEW BODIES: CREATED FOR ETERNITY (God)

IF IT’S TRUE THEN WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR US? Let’s read [13-18][1 Cor 15:20-26] This was written by an early follower of Jesus and he’s writing to a group of Christians in the city of Corinth, which is on the island of Greece. And he’s addressing a lot of the issues that people today are still dealing with. What if the resurrection of Jesus isn’t true? When Jesus comes back, what will happen to those who are dead? And he says that Jesus did rise from the dead. He has seen him alive, his 11 disciples have seen him alive, and over 500 others have as well. They weren’t hallucinating, they’re not delusional, and they’re not facing persecution and death for a complex lie. And he says, because it is true, he is the first fruits of a great harvest. In farming you worry about whether the crops are going to come in. Is this the year that all our work comes to nothing? But when that first ear of corn starts to tassle, when that first bud of grain gets ripe, when the first apple forms , it means that the rest of the crop is going to come in as well. [19]And Paul is saying, if Jesus is raised, it is the promise that the rest of us will be as well. And he says that Jesus is going to finally destroy our great enemy Death. That is a great way to describe death. He takes everything we love from us. He destroys everything that is good in our life eventually. And we stand at gravesides, at beside hospital beds and everything in us screams that this isn’t right. And Paul says, it’s not, but Jesus has already defeated death, and there is a day coming when Jesus our great hero will come and destroy death completely! Everything sad will come untrue for those who love Jesus! If the resurrection is true, there is no hope in this life. Only pain, anger, and suffering. But if it is true THEN BECAUSE JESUS IS RAISED FROM THE DEAD THEN SO WILL WE. Then Paul turns to the question of…[20]

·  WHAT WILL our RESURRECTED BODIES BE LIKE? [v.42] Says that they will be imperishable & immortal. That means they won’t wear out or grow old or be subject to sickness or disease and never subject to death again. In our resurrection bodies we will see and be what God intended us to be. That means no more cancer, chemo, covid, anxiety, depression, bi-polar. No more medication, counseling, therapy. Then in [21][v43] says our bodies will be raised “in glory.” And Paul is contrasting how our bodies are currently broken and weak, and they will be healed and strong and beautiful. It means no more handicaps, no more arthritis, no more nursing homes. [22][v44] says they will be a spiritual body. Let me be clear, that does not mean like a ghost. It means it will be given to us by God. Later on he calls it a “heavenly body.” God will take this body and transform it into something like what we have now but radically different and more. I want to take a moment and use a little…

o REDEEMED IMAGINATION: [23]Imagine looking at a sunset, or the stars. Admiring the beauty, the shades of light. Did you know we can only see 1% of the spectrum of light in the universe? What about when God gives us new eyes? Imagine seeing a sunset and seeing the ultraviolet rays and the infrared rays, seeing the other 99% of the world? [24]Now, I’m a music lover. Our ears can only hear a certain section of the frequencies of sound. We call it audible sound. But there is also sounds that occur that our ears can’t detect. Infrasonic sounds are lower than we can hear. Elephants can use it to communicate 16 miles away from each other. Frequencies higher than we can hear are called ultrasonic frequencies and can be heard by dogs, bats, and dolphins. Imagine being given new ears and listening to a symphony, or jazz, or a concert and hearing the infrasonic and the ultrasonic waves. Imagine hearing someone laugh and hearing that? [25]What about a new nose? What might BBQ smell like? What about new sense of touch? Imagine walking across grass barefoot or walking under a waterfall? It will probably be better than anything we’ve experienced in this life. [26]THIS IS THE KIND OF LIFE WE ARE LONGING FOR! WE WERE CREATED FOR ETERNITY! This should make us not only look at death and not be as afraid of it, but it should also make us long for what is to come. I heard it said this way; these bodies are like a teenagers first car. No matter how well it’s cared for, it is unreliable. It can be frustrating and will break down at the worst possible time. But we are promised that we will be given a BODY LIKE JESUS: [28-29][1 Jn. 3:2] I love the way a Christian named Athanasius said it. “He became what we are that we might become what he is.” [32]ETERNITY IS OUR DESTINY. WE WILL ALL EXPERIENCE RESURRECTION. HOWEVER, THERE IS…

(APP) A CHOICE TO MAKE & WORK TO BE DONE (You)

A CHOICE TO MAKE: EVERYONE WILL BE EXPERIENCE RESURRECTION, BUT NOT EVERYONE WILL HAVE THE SAME DESTINATION. In about 4 weeks we’re going to start going through the book of Daniel. And in that book we hear… [33][Dan. 12:2] Later on we hear Jesus say…[34-35][Jn. 5:28-9] He also said…[36-38][Matt 5:29-30] There will be those who are resurrected and will spend eternity away from Jesus, away from life and joy. And if you are with us this morning or with us online, I want you not to settle for this life. Don’t let eternal joy slip away because you’d rather have a few moments of passing pleasure here and now. Jesus came to defeat our greatest enemy and to offer us the greatest future possible. But we have to let him be King of our lives. We have to turn to him. [John 6:44 says No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.] It is my prayer that there are some of you hearing the voice of the Spirit, drawing you into new life. Drawing you towards Jesus so that you will experience being resurrected to Joy. C.S. Lewis put it this way…All your life unattainable ecstasy has hovered just beyond the grasp of your consciousness. The day is coming when you will wake to find, beyond all hope, that you have attained it, or else, that it was within your reach and you have lost it forever. Don’t miss out on the eternity you were made for. If you’re ready to make that decision we’d like to invite you to either check the box on the connection card at auburncstone.info about following Jesus or getting baptized, or I’ll be available after service. You were made for eternity, So you have a choice to make as well as…[39]

WORK TO BE DONE: IF WE ARE ALL MADE FOR ETERNITY THEN IT IS CRUCIAL THAT WE SHARE THE GOSPEL THAT JESUS SAVES. C.S. Lewis said this… [40-41] “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilization—these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.” He says, some people are running towards Jesus and growing into glorious immortal beings, and some people are running away from Jesus and are disintegrating into horrific distorted immortal beings. But he starts by saying this…[42]” It may be possible for each to think too much of his own potential glory hereafter; it is hardly possible for him to think too often or too deeply about that of his neighbor.” It’s possible for some Christians to think too much about eternity and never make an impact here on earth. But if we think about where others might spend eternity, it will cause us to work harder here on earth. Here’s what that might look like…[43]

o SOMALIA? I was having a conversation with a young lady who is wanting to go into missions. When I asked her about where she might go, she said that it was possible that it could be Somalia. My gut reaction was Somalia? Why? That place is awful and dangerous. It’s illegal to be a Christian and people who convert are considered targets. But the early church spread like wildfire because they knew that death was not the end for them, and that people would spend eternity away from Jesus if they didn’t share the message of Jesus with the lost and hurting.

§ Maybe God isn’t calling you to Somalia. But he still expects you to be praying for your spouse, your kids, your family, your neighbors, your coworkers and friends from school. And if we truly believe that we will all experience resurrection, then being made fun of or rejected shouldn’t stop us from loving them enough to share what we believe.

(INSPIRE) DEATH WILL DIE, AND WE WILL TRULY LIVE

I want to end by reading [44-48][Rev. 20:11-15]

THERE WILL COME A DAY WHEN DEATH WILL DIE AND WE WILL TRULY LIVE. WE WILL BE GIVEN NEW BODIES. UNTIL THEN, WE HAVE A CHOICE TO MAKE AND WORK TO DO. AMEN.

Jesus we proclaim your saving death, we will tell of your resurrection, and we wait for your coming. Send your people in the power of Your Spirit to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from the darkness. And offer joy everlasting in your presence. It’s in your name we pray, Amen.