Amen. All right, let's look at verse one. Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein you stand, by which also you're saved, if you keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how 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 scripture. Now look at the introduction on the lesson sheet. It says the first three verses of 1 Corinthians present the apostle Paul's definition of the gospel that he himself had received and was declaring. He said that the gospel message consists of two great truths. First, the truth of what Christ did on the cross. Absolutely essential for people to know what Jesus did on the cross. He died there to deliver us from our sins. A myriad of verses come to mind. Without the shedding of blood, there's no remission for sin. He died to deliver us from our sins, that's the first part of verse three. And then secondly, Paul is summarizing the gospel like this, and that is with the truth of Christ's departure from the crypt. In other words, he died on the tree, and he departed from the tomb, and those are two great, the two great anchoring truths of the gospel. Those things have to be believed for a person to be saved. The entirety of the remainder of this chapter is devoted to the many profound truths that are associated with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now first, let's just look at verse, we've gotten down to verse four, that he was buried And then this, because now is where he really launches into his teaching concerning the resurrection. He died. Has anybody ever been to a black church service and a lot of times the preachers will get into this. They'll say he died, didn't he die? and people will amen and carry on and then he'll talk about how he, but he rose, didn't he rise? And it would be sad if this description of the gospel stopped after the reading of the first part of verse three. But it's glorious when you read on and it says, even though he was buried, He rose again the third day, according to the scriptures. Now here's what I want us to notice about this right here in verses four through verse 11. And that is the story of the resurrection. And you can look it up in the dictionary, but when somebody talks about a story, that doesn't necessarily mean that it's a falsehood, that it's a fairy tale or a fable. It can be fiction and a story can be nonfiction. It can be fact and that's what we have before us here. And we see three things about the resurrection story here. Number one, he rose again the third day according to the scripture. So prophecy, Paul is saying, was fulfilled. And how much prophecy was fulfilled? The prophecy of the Old Testament all the way through, the running prophecy, Jesus' prophecy concerning himself when he was still living here on earth. When he prophesied, predicted his own death. But the scriptures had prophesied that the Messiah would rise again. And when Jesus died on the cross some 2,000 years ago, that prophecy was fulfilled. He's a living savior. And then he says in verses five through 10, let's look at that together, there was proof of the resurrection that was furnished. And there's nothing like an eyewitness account. And one thing we want to remember about this is look at how many eyewitnesses there were to the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. Now, it's hard enough. I mean, people who are atheists and infidels and so on and so forth, they will bend over backwards and jump through hoops and make themselves sound absolutely foolish and trying to disprove and discount things. And there's no plainer example of that than when they try to explain away the resurrection and say it didn't happen. But the Apostle Paul here is talking about some eyewitnesses. He says in verse five, and he was seen of Cephas, then of the 12. After that, he was seen of above 500 brethren at once. Imagine that. of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. That is, they've already passed away. After that, he was seen of James, then of all the apostles. And last of all, he was seen of me also as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles that am not meet to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church of God. but by the grace of God I am what I am and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I but the grace of God which was with me. So let me just say this, when critics have said and say that this is all fictitious and people just made all this up about Jesus, dying and rising from the dead. They don't have any problem really with people believing that there was a man named Jesus and he died on the cross. Their real problem is that he rose from the dead. So they wanna explain that away. But right here in the scripture, we're told that way more than 500 people saw him after he rose from the dead. Now I wanna say this about that. It's hard enough to get two people to agree on anything. than to get over 500 people to agree, right? And I'm going to just throw this out here. These apostles and brethren were members of the church. Assuming they were Baptists, it's really, really hard to get a couple of Baptists to agree on anything. But they're all agreed about this. that Jesus rose from the dead because they saw him after he had risen from the dead. Now, so you have this prophecy that has been fulfilled. He rose again the third day according to the scripture. You have proof furnished, eyewitness account. And then in verse 11, you see the preaching that was forthcoming or the preaching that was provoked. Now let me just ask you this. If you saw somebody dead and put in the grave and left there for three days and then you saw him come out of that tomb alive, how excited would you be about telling somebody else what you saw? About spreading the news about what you knew? And that's exactly what you see here in this language where Paul, now remember who Paul was. We could say a professional religionist, he was at the top of his game. He was a rung climber in Judaism. He had been to one of the three best universities and had sat in the top spot under the top teacher in Jerusalem and he was well on his way and he was a believer in all of that Judaism and everything. But when he had that Damascus Road experience and he found out that Jesus really is alive, it tore him up from the floor up. And he was fired up to get that message out that Jesus is alive. That's why he, He really believed it and that's why he said everything else in my life I count but dung, but garbage, but trash, but debris. But this message has got to go out. And did it ever go out with his preaching? And so he talks about how humble he was about the fact that he was able to preach this message and how excited that he is about preaching this message in verse 11. Therefore, whether it were I or they, this is how they felt about it, so we preach and so ye believed. Amen. And you read it in the New Testament where when they're preaching the resurrection people, who the idea of the resurrection was as foreign as anything could be in that day. They were converted, they were saved, the Holy Spirit moved through that message, and people believed and turned to God. So, here in the first few verses, first two verses, Several verses, we have the story of the resurrection, its impact and so on. But then he goes on, beginning in verse 12, and the chapter deals with the significance of the resurrection. And going on and talking more in more detail about the significance of the resurrection in these terms, verses 12 through 14. You see this, you see the terms of the truth that had been asserted being verified. Now here's what I mean by that. Now when you look at verse 12, he says, now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? Now remember he's writing to a church. Everybody in that church is not a saved person. Everybody in the church isn't a believer. It's just like that's the way it is today. And there were people there in Corinth entering into these assemblies that were, let's put it this way, running their mouths about they didn't believe it. And so Paul says, based upon everything that he's just said, he says, how is it that some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead? Now, he not only wants those that were saying that kind of thing to hear what he's saying here, but he wants everybody else to hear it. So he says in verse 13, if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen? That's pretty simple. Okay, he says, and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is in vain. Now right here, he's talking about the significance of the resurrection to the message that was being preached. If there was no resurrection, then this message, Paul is saying, it's bogus, it's null and void, and we can't have that. We can't have that attitude toward this message. He says in verse 15, yea and we are found false witnesses of God because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ whom he raised not up if so be that the dead rise not. So he says this, part of the significance of this not only involves the message that was being preached but the men who are preaching it. He says if Christ be not risen and that's what we're preaching then this message is bogus. And furthermore, we who are preaching it are liars. That's what he's saying right there. We're false witnesses. Now let me tell you this beloved, people need to put their thinking caps on and think about what they're saying when they begin to either consciously or maybe sometimes unconsciously attack the veracity and the credibility and the character of a man of God, right? This is what he's dealing with. This is why, and boy, I gotta be careful not to take too much time on this, but wise Christians will not criticize their pastor because they're undermining his credibility. Now, if he's a heretic, if he's getting into heretical things or immorality or ethics or something, you might, well, you do need to talk about that and do something about it. But you don't criticize and demean a pastor if you want your children and you want your lost friends that may visit someday to take him seriously and what he's saying. Amen? And I am telling you this attitude that some church members have, we're just on chapter 15 because it follows 14, right? That's why we're talking about these things. Not because anything's going on here, but if it is, this will help you identify it. It is not a good thing. Amen? All right, so he says the 500 that he talks about and the others and Paul and the men of God then and today who preached the resurrection of Christ are not liars. I mean, this is pretty simple. Here's what Paul say, we're not lying. Jesus did rise from the, don't listen to these people. Don't give them any credibility. And then he mentions a third thing, the significance of the resurrection as it pertains to the message to the men of God that are preaching it. And then as it pertains in terms of the misery involved, if you don't believe it. And that's right here in verse 16, he says, for if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised. Says this again, and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain. You are yet in your sins. Now you know what he's really underscoring and highlighting here is? This teaching of the resurrection is vitally important. It's important to everything else. It is fundamental, elementary, foundational to believing anything. In verse 18, he says, then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If Christ be not risen, he says, and if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. So to see the significance, the threefold significance right there in that section, pertaining to the message, the men are preaching it and the misery that is involved If you don't believe in this, and let me just say, in those days, and this includes not only the Gentiles, but the Jews too, and you see a lot of this in the Old Testament, they pretty much believe that when a person died, they just went into some dark, miserable, gray, sorry, eternal existence. That's why the doctrine and the teaching and the reality of the resurrection is such a joy. It's like sunlight coming in to a dark room. And it's why they gloried in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Now, so he speaks in terms of the truth that was being asserted being verified. by the resurrection. All right, he's verifying it. Then in terms of the triumph to be achieved. Now watch this in verse 20. He moves on to another section. He says, now this is all about triumph connected with the resurrection. He says, but now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept. You know where the first triumph is? Over the grave. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, afterward they that are Christ that is coming. So all of this is talking about the fact that because he lives, we shall live also. So the first triumph connected that is part of the threefold significance of the resurrection in this chapter has to do with the grave, triumph over the grave. But then he goes on in verse 24 and he's talking about a great triumph that is achieved where the globe is concerned, the whole planet. Okay, that begins right here in verse 24. He says, then cometh the end when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the father. When he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. You know what the resurrection means? Because Christ rose from the dead, this is a certainty, this is a surety. It's a foregone conclusion, gonna happen. The Lord Jesus Christ himself is going to rule and reign over this entire world. But if there were no resurrection, that's not gonna happen. But he did rise from the tomb, and he is coming back, and he is going to rule and reign over planet Earth. Now he goes on here, and in verse, Verse 25, and he mentions the next triumph and part of this conquest, and it has to do with God. For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet, but when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is accepted which did put all things under him. Now how did him put all things under him? Because him is the third person of the Godhead. Amen, he is the fullness of the Godhead bodily. But in verse 28, he goes on and says, and when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him that God may be all in all. I wish I had more time to talk about that because that is pretty heavy stuff. That's part of this great big picture that God has and why Jesus came to this earth, why he's going to put the whole, and when he subdues all things, then we're going to see how all of this, all persons of the Godhead are involved in this. Now let's go on and see, we'll move from the triumph that is to be achieved and how that relates to the significance of the resurrection. There's a triumph that's gonna be realized, gonna become actual, and then there's a third part of the significance of the resurrection. And that's in verse 29 and this speaks in terms of the trials that were being suffered that would be justified. And this comes right home to us today in many ways. Now watch what Paul says now about the significance of the resurrection in verse 29. Gets a little personal here, he says, What shall they do which are baptized for the dead if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead? I don't know about you, but that's one of those peculiar verses to me. Unless you're a Mormon, you don't have an answer for that. I'll explain that in a minute. But here, just kind of a side note here, But he says that if the dead rise not, why are they then baptized for the dead? Now there are people that believe that you could be baptized for somebody else. I've read some commentators and they say there were people there in the church, I'm sure they weren't church members but they were there and they believed kind of baptism for those that were already dead, but I don't believe that's really the meaning of this, and I'm not exactly sure about it, but many Bible scholars believe, and I think this makes a lot of sense, that there were people, what this is talking about, being baptized, it says, look at it like this, here are people that are dead, The saints, we've already read, some of them have fallen asleep. They're dying. They're dying off just like they are today. Okay. And then he talks about those that become new Christians in the meantime, in the process, they become new Christians and they're baptized. And I think that Paul is just talking about the idea of people are being saved and they're being baptized and are taking the place of these departed saints who were saved and baptized. They're taking that place. But he says if there's no resurrection of the dead, what's the issue with that? We're conscious of the need to step up to the plate and take up the torch and follow in the good fight of faith and the Christian race for those who have dropped aside from death. But he said if there's no resurrection, we shouldn't even be concerned about that. Now, let's go on and look at things that are a little bit plainer here. Now, by the way, Mormons do believe that they're baptizing people all the time for the dead. They believe that everybody has to be saved or baptized in order to be saved. Anybody here ever heard about the Mormon church and they have this fascinating collection of genealogies They've got great vaults filled with people's genealogies. And they are constantly, one of the things that they do is constantly there are baptisms going on all of the time where they're being baptized for dead people. So even though they're dead, they can be baptized into the Mormon church. Now there's a lot of squirrely teaching that's a theological term. Squirrely. But this one here is one of those that almost takes the cake. So there are people that believe this but that's not what's being dealt with here. Now the next part of this significance in terms of the truth that is being preached here is, or rather has to do with the trials. We go from the truth to the triumph, where the globe is concerned, then the trials, and he has to deal with three things, and I want you to think about this, beloved. People who are men of God, pastors especially, but everybody, men and women, who are really serving the Lord, and they're sacrificing like they are today, and they're giving, and they're attending church, and they're trying to reach people with the gospel, and they're doing all kinds of things. We're talking now about those people that we call the core. They're the foot soldiers for the Lord Jesus Christ. They're the workers. They're the people who are staying with the stuff and all of this, but look what Paul says. If there's no resurrection, this is all in vain. Three things. In verse 29, he mentions this about people who believe these things. Illogical, illogical things that had to be dealt with. All kinds of different problems that people, Christians have to deal with. Pastors have to deal with problems. And they go to their grave many times worn down by the problems that they've had to deal with. But if there's no resurrection, all of that was in vain. They could have just went out and enjoyed themselves like everybody else and not worried about it and said, that's your problem, it's not mine. So you see this here and you also see something else. Something else that Paul said, if there's no resurrection, then all of this is in vain. Look at verse 30, he says, and why stand we in jeopardy Every hour. If there's no resurrection, why have we put our lives on the line? I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord. I die daily. In other words, I'm giving my life for Christ and his gospel. If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it me if the dead rise not? Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die. So now he goes from talking about all of the problems that aren't necessary at all if there's not really been a resurrection to the peril, to the endangerment Remember not too long ago, I preached from the text in the book of Acts about Paul and Silas and Judas and who was the other one? Hello? Paul and Silas and Judas. You remember that sermon. Barnabas. They were men who what? Hazarded their lives for the gospel. But if there's no resurrection, those guys were just They were beating the water. They were wasting their lives. Some of my relatives told me and they told each other that when I got saved and went into the ministry later on, they said he's wasting his life. And you know what, if there's no resurrection, they were absolutely right. I should have stayed in the places I was going to and kept running with the same crowd I was running with had to stay on track with the same ambitions I had if there's no resurrection. And many of Christians could say the same thing. So Paul is talking, Brother Joe, so Paul is talking about this very thing here when he talks about the peril. And he goes down and says, and talks about this, it was just a battle. I mean, they were really under the gun there. These people in the Middle East today that are jeopardizing their lives just by being Christians in Bangladesh and places like Pakistan, being burned to death, thrown into brick kilns for being Christians. If there's no resurrection, they need to put a turban on, or a burka, and forget about it. Brother Joel? Look at the crowd that doesn't believe in the resurrection today, for those who do. Which one's right? Look at the character of people that don't believe. They're foul, they're immoral, all of that. Right, so he talks about a third thing, he goes from this peril that's unnecessary if there's no resurrection to the people that he had to deal with. I'm telling you right now, if there were no resurrection, there's a whole lot of pastors that would walk right out the door and quit dealing with some of the people they had to deal with. But I'm going to make this disclaimer. They're the small, tiny minority compared to the rest who are a blessing and a privilege and an honor to work with and for et cetera. But there are just a few that can make your life miserable. There are a few that no matter how much you do for them, they'll break, it'll break your heart when you find out things are saying about you. They'll run, they'll jump over every hurdle. They'll go around any barrier. They'll dig under anything that has to be gotten under in order to prevent the man of God from receiving any kind of a blessing. This is what he's talking about. And when you look at verse 49 and And, or excuse me, verse 33, he says, be not deceived, evil communications corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness and sin not, for some have not the knowledge of God, and I speak this to your shame. We've already learned this, that in Corinth, there were people in that church that were making fun of the way Paul looked. They were making fun of the way that he talked. They were criticizing him, slandering him, calling him a money grubber, and all kinds of things, and Paul said, you know what Paul's saying here? Listen, if I didn't really believe there's a resurrection, I wouldn't put up with these people for five seconds. Amen. Have you ever read Corinthians chapter 15 on that wise before? That's what he's talking about. If there's no resurrection, and I want you to bear this in mind, kind of make, remind a little bit about what Brother Pelicone said when he began to speak, and that is, sometimes you have to wonder if people really believe there is a resurrection. If there really is going to be something after this life we're in, they're gonna stand accountable. I'm telling you the evidence is pretty meager in a lot of cases. So he goes from this to specifics involved in the resurrection. Verse 35 and 36. He says, there's a precedent for the resurrection. But some man will say, how are the dead raised up and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die. Remember what Jesus said? Except the corn and wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth fruit. So there's a precedent for this seen in nature. A seed is buried and the seed grows. It rises. Now in verse 37 through 48, he talks about the product of the resurrection. Of course, this is talking about our glorified bodies and all of that. Look at this. Here's another specific concerning the product of the resurrection. And that which thou sowest thou sowest not that body that shall be but the grain it may chance of wheat or of some other grain but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him and for every seed his own body. Now he gave us a body in the first place suitable to planet earth, right? But this body that's suitable for planet earth is not suitable for the next world. God always gives us a body that's suitable, so our bodies have to be changed. He says, all flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies and bodies terrestrial, all suited for their habitat, but the glory of the celestial is one and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun and another glory of the moon and another glory of the stars, for one star differeth from another in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption and it's raised in incorruption. It's sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There's a natural body, that's what we have now, and there's a spiritual body. And so it is written, the first man, Adam, was made a living soul. The last Adam, that's Jesus, was made a quickening spirit. How be it that was not first, which is spiritual, but that which is natural, and afterward, that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy. The second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthly, so are they also that are earthy. And as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthly, so we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. This is what John was saying in John chapter three, when he said, beloved, it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. But we shall be like him. Now, in verse 50, He says, now this I say brethren that flesh and blood, see this is why we gotta change. This is why our change is coming. Because flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven. So we're gonna get a brand new body suited out for heaven. We're gonna exchange this earth suit for a space suit. Amen. Now let's quickly look at this last. We'll do it quickly and you see that the topic is the suddenness involved with the resurrection. Now we move on, he's already brought us and segued us into our own resurrection, he says, behold, I show you a mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. He continues the theme of the change, we shall all be changed. Changed. I mean, this is gonna be a real change. And it's gonna happen suddenly, in a moment, In the twinkling of an eye, that doesn't mean the wink of an eye, you time the wink of an eye, it's talking about that little glitter that hits the eye. In the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality. Now this is what's gonna happen. This is sure as anything could be. Then there's something else that goes along. Verse 54 begins to talk about a conquest. The greatest conquest that's ever been. He says, so when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The victory's been won. The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law, but thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. So he speaks about this change, he speaks about this conquest of life over death. We live in a death culture. You can tell how far gone a culture is when it gets to the place where it is lock, stock, and barrel sold out to the killing of infants. This is a death culture. Everything is about death. We've gotten to the place where Halloween is more embraced and the second most money spent on any holiday next to Christmas is Halloween, which is all about death. This is what sin has done in the United States of America. But there's a challenge. The resurrection also involves, when you really get it, when you really get these things, this is why Paul is nailing it down, nailing it down, all these points, really nailing it down. In other words, he's saying, you believe in the resurrection of Christ, but you've got to really believe. You've got to get it in here and in every fiber of your being. In verse 58 he says, here's the challenge, therefore my beloved brethren, therefore, what's that therefore? It's there for the sake of everything that's been before it about the resurrection, therefore, My beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Amen. You can get tired, you can give up, you can let this world drain you, you can give in to the sin and the flesh and the devil and lust and all of that. You can and you will. if you don't keep it burning in your heart that Christ lives. Let's all stand together.