1 Corinthians chapter 15, 1 Corinthians and the chapter 15. And we're going to read some verses beginning at the verse 35. 1 Corinthians 15, verse 35. 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 to die. And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain. It may chance of wheat or of some other grain. But God giveth it a body as it pleased him, and so every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of man, another flesh of beasts, another flesh of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial, 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 star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, It is raised in corruption. It is 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 is a natural body and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, the first man Adam was made a living soul. The last Adam 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. Amen. We know that God will bless this as word to our hearts. Let's just bow together again in a word of prayer. Our Father in heaven, we thank you for the Word of God. We thank thee that it throweth light upon our path. And we ask, Lord, that thou wouldst enable us even to learn from thy Word this evening. I cry to thee that thou wouldst touch my mind, bring to my mind what thou wouldst have us to say. And Lord, we pray that thou wouldst take thy Word and by thy Spirit that thou wouldst apply it to us individually. in our situation in life, whatever that may be. We thank Thee that the Word of God is Thy Word, and it giveth encouragement. And we thank Thee that at times it rebukes and it enlightens. Oh, that we might know that ministry of Thy precious Word, even to our hearts tonight, every time that we come to the book so Lord be with us now help us help us Lord for we pray in thy name and for thy glory amen amen 1st Corinthians chapter 15 and I want to draw your attention to the verses 43 and 44 or 42 and 43 sorry Verse 42, so also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. On the 31st of March, 1909, work began on the building of the Titanic. It was commissioned by the White Star Line, and it was to be the biggest, the fastest, and the most luxurious of three Olympic-class liners. Just after three years, the work was completed. She setting sail on her maiden journey from Southampton to New York, she was, by the fifth day, making swift progress. However, on Sunday, the 14th of April, 1912, she hitting an iceberg. Six of her watertight compartments at the front of the ship were breached, five of them flooding. Within an hour, my, the great, the unsinkable ship began to sink. The passengers scrambling for the lifeboat, eight members of the band, began to play. It is reported that they had a basic repertoire of 342 tunes. However, they, sensing the seriousness of their plight, they began to play hymns. Amongst them they played a hymn written by Sabrine Baringgold and Iris Sankey entitled Resurrection Mourn. The first verse read, On the resurrection morning, soul and body meet again, no more sorrow, no more weeping, no more pain. Paul here speaking about this resurrection morn, he raised a very important question. He asked in verse 35, and with what body do they come? He then going on to answer his own question, he likened the body to the sowing of a seed. The seed falling into the ground and dying, it eventually bursts forth, it pushing its way up through the soil, it develops into a stalk of corn. And although it looks very different from the seed sown in the ground, it is organically very closely related to it. It is the same organism, but it is in a very different form. And so he was indicating that the resurrected body would be the same body as that which had been placed in the grave, but it would be very different in its form. You see, the resurrected body will be the same body, and yet it will be a different body, different in its appearance and different in its abilities. Indeed, Paul speaking to the Philippian believers, he said in Philippians 3 verse 21, who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. And he reminded them that in that day, their body, their bodies would be changed. You see, while the resurrected body will be the same body, it does not mean that it will be a similar body. It will be changed in many different ways. Some objecting they say, but how can it be the same body and yet at the same time be a different body? a person getting converted. They are the same person after their conversion as they were before their conversion. And yet in another sense, they are a very, very different person. You think of the drunkard and getting saved. He's still the same person, but he doesn't thirst for alcohol. He doesn't live that old life. His lifestyle is radically changed. Can I ask you a question this evening? Are you the same person tonight that you were 20 years ago? Are you the same person tonight that you were when you were a baby? Of course you are not. It's amazing what difference 50 tons of food makes. Now you're taller, you're smarter, you're able to do things that you were not able to do when you were a baby. But technically, You are still the same person. You see, the resurrected body will be the same body, but it will not necessarily be an identical body. It will be a greater body. It will be a far, far more glorious body. And I wonder, child of God, tonight, in light of that, are you looking forward? Are you looking forward to the resurrection morn? Are you looking forward to that day when your body, whether it comes from the grave or where, my, that it'll be changed? It will be transformed. My, the body will be reused. And just for a little time tonight, I want to think about this body. I want you to notice it will be a sinless product. Paul developing the subject, he said in verse 42, so also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption. It is raised in incorruption. Martha did not need to be reminded of those words, sown in corruption, because the Lord coming to the grave of her brother and commanding the stone to be rolled away, she said, Lord, by this time he stinketh. One of the tragic consequences of the fall is mortality. No wonder the psalmist describes the body in the book of the Psalms as the flower of the field that soon withers and fades away. Even the youngest and the healthiest among us here this evening are continually aging. We are subject to deterioration, to disease, and to death. Cells in our bodies are continually dying. And in contrast, Paul now reminded them that their bodies being raised at the resurrection, that they would be raised in incorruption. In other words, they would not experience decay, death, or deterioration. You see, the resurrected body will be an imperishable body. And more than that, it will be an indestructible body. It will know no decay. Indeed, just in case these Corinthians were not listening or not grasping what he was saying, Paul returns again to the subject and he said in verse 53, for this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality. And he reminded them that their bodies being raised from the grave, they would put off the rags of corruption and mortality, and they would put on the shining robes of incorruption and immortality. In that day, your bodies will be beyond death. and they will be beyond decay. They will know no deterioration. A man one day was asked, how was he doing? And he said, well, I suffer from the four Bs. The person was curious and said to him, well, what are the four Bs? I've never heard of that illness before. He said, well, it's baldness, bifocals, bulges, and bunions. And you see, from the crown of the head to the sole of our feet, we are a deteriorating mass. However, our bodies being resurrected, our bodies rising from the grave, there'll be no more need for glasses, no more need for walking sticks, there'll be no more sighs, there will be no more crying. Charles Haddon Spurgeon taking up this subject, he said, the righteous are put into their graves all weary and warm, but as such they will not rise. They shall wake up in beauty and glory. You see, child of God, do not be disheartened, do not be discouraged this evening. The best The best is yet to come. The new resurrected body will never decay. We will never grow old. It will be permanently incorruptible. And why this old body of the Lord Tarrish one day will breathe its last and die, yet being resurrected it'll never die again. It'll never die again. My, he will raise it incorruptible, reuniting it with our souls. Oh, what a glorious hope is ours even this evening. My, we're going to have a sinless, a sinless body. I think also it will be a splendid body. He said in verse 43, it is sown in dishonor. It is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness. It is raised in power. why the body at creation had been made in the image of God to manifest God's glory. Our first parents failed. and they falling, we following in their steps, we by our words and by our walk, we dishonor God. But Paul now reminds these Corinthians that in that day, their bodies being raised out of the dust, they would be raised in glory. As a natural body brought dishonor, so the resurrected body being glorious. It would glorify God. The resurrected body will not be a shameful body. It'll be a splendid body. It will reflect the glory of God. Indeed, we often find the Lord Jesus speaking in parables, and one of the parables, he explaining the gathering in of the wheat, he said in Matthew 13, verse 43, then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their father, who hath ears to hear, let him hear. He told them that in the resurrection that they would shine forth as the sun in its brightness. Emphasizing this, Paul taking up his pen, writing to the Philippians, he said in that chapter three, verse 21, who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body. Think of that for a moment. Think of the Savior's body when he was transfigured there in the mount. We're told in Matthew 17, his face did shine as the sun and his raiment was white as the light. He glistened. as he stood in the mount. You think of the glory of Christ that Saul of Tarsus saw there on the road to Damascus. You think of the glory that John saw when he was there in the isle of Patmos and he saw Christ risen in those early chapters of the book of Revelation. And in that day Paul tells us here that our bodies will be fashioned as unto his glorious body. You see our resurrected body will be a glorious body. It will reflect the glory of God. No wonder the hymn writer wrote, oh, that will be glory for me, glory for me, glory for me. When by his grace I shall look on his face, that will be glory, be glory for me. You see, in that day, we shall move from a grievous life into a glorious life. You even think tonight of the martyrs and how many of them were torn limb from limb. Others were taken to the stake and they were burned. Their ashes were buried or scattered to the wind. But on that great day, they will be gathered together. And they rising from their resting place, they will become like the Savior's glorious body. No more weakness. No more want. No more shame. but full of glory. This new body will be a glorious body. It will be without human restrictions. You think of the Lord Jesus Christ and how that he was put to death and then he rose from the dead. You remember how the disciples were full of fear and they were up in the upper room and they were so terrified that going in they locked the doors. Remember the Lord Jesus Christ coming, he just passed through the door. passed through the door. My friend, in that day, we will have a glorious body. We'll be capable of doing all that we need to do and much more. It's going to be a glorious, a glorious body. More than that, it'll be a strong body. Our present bodies are characterized by weakness. With every passing week and day, that weakness grows greater and greater. And in contrast, Paul said in verse 43, it is sown in weakness. It is raised in power. The word power there is the word from which we get our English word dynamite. We, living in this country, we know the power produced by dynamite in an explosion. It's able to reduce the largest, the strongest, the best building to rubble. In other words, he was indicating that the Lord is going to raise us with dynamite in our veins. There will be no weakness, no weakness. The resurrected body is not going to be a sickly body, it's going to be a strong body. It's going to have more strength, stamina, speed, and skills than our present body. In Mark chapter 14, we find the Lord entering into the garden of Gethsemane. A great heaviness, the heaviness of the cross began to fall upon him. and falling upon him, he, leaving his disciples to go a little farther to commune with his father, he told those disciples to pray. However, he eventually returning, he found them fast asleep. You see their bodies, their bodies let them down. And he rebuking them, he said in Mark 14, 38, watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. Their bodies being natural bodies rather than spiritual bodies, they were unable to persevere in the place of prayer, but they fell asleep. A resurrected body will be a powerful body. It will not have the restrictions and the weaknesses of our present bodies. Haven't you sometime or another wanted to do a certain thing for the Lord, but you didn't have the strength to do it? Or maybe there was some time you wanted to speak a word for the Lord, but you couldn't get the word, or you couldn't get the courage to step forward. In fact, haven't we all found ourselves at some time or another where Robert Robinson found himself when he wrote those words, prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. However, in heaven, there'll be no such proneness. Our new bodies will have no such restrictions. We'll be able to sing, we'll be able to serve him night and day without failure, without tiredness. Sometimes people get a foolish idea and they imagine when they go to heaven, my, they're gonna lie in a cloud and play a harp and my, the days will just drift by. Well, that's not the picture painted in scripture. We're gonna be busy in heaven. We're gonna be serving the Lord. And my friend, there will be no weakness. There will be no weakness. We'll be able to labour there without growing tired, without fainting along the way. You see, our bodies will be fit, fit for purpose, fit for purpose in that day. But lastly, I want you to notice it will be a strange body. Read in verse 41, there is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars, for one star different from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead, it is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. People used to laugh at these verses. The idea that every star was different seemed ridiculous. However, with the invention of the telescope, astronomers discovered that Paul was not wrong. About that, it was his critics who were wrong. And though the Lord in creating the stars, he created millions of stars, he did not make two identical. And as every star is different, so he was indicating that every resurrected body would be different. You see, God is the God of the original. as no two snowflakes are identical, so no two resurrected bodies will be identical. In Matthew 17, we find Moses and Elijah suddenly appearing alongside the Lord Jesus Christ there in the mountain. And though the disciples, the three disciples that were there, Peter, James, and John, had never met Moses or never met Elijah, yet they needed no introduction. We read in the verse 4, Then answered Peter and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here. If thou wilt, let us make three tabernacles, one for thee and one for Moses and one for Elias. How did he recognize? How did they recognize Moses and Elijah? I don't know. But they recognized them. They knew they were different. Each of them were separate. Each of them had their own identity. God does not make copies, only originals. While we will all have spiritual bodies, we will have, as it were, separate bodies. I heard of a little fellow who got a fingerprinting set for Christmas and he was, my, bemused by it. He was taking everybody's fingerprints, but after about three weeks he took the fingerprinting kit and he threw it in the cupboard and he never played with it again. His father come to him one day and asked him what was wrong. The little boy said, well, I am mad at J. Edgar Hoover. He's asking his son, why? He said, because he is a liar. In his book on fingerprints, he said that no two men have the same fingerprints. Asking why he thought he had got it wrong, the wee boy said, I know at least three people, and they all have the same fingerprints. The dad was and curious and asking him why, the little boy said, well, dad, there is you, there is Santa Claus, and the person who broke into my piggy bank. They all have the same fingerprint. But my friend, when we get to heaven, we're not gonna be the same. I will be me, and you will be you. My, we will be different. We will be different. My, in that day, sometimes people say, well, will we know each other in heaven? Of course we will. Someone once asked Charles Haddon Spurgeon that question, and he said, my, we know one another now. Will we be bigger fools in heaven than we are now? Mother, you'll know your children. Father, you'll know your children. You'll know your parents. My, Peter, James, and John, how they knew, I don't know, but they knew Moses and Elijah. I've never met Moses, and I presume you're not that old to have met him either, but you'll know him. You'll know him in heaven. My, you'll know him in heaven. My, what a day that will be when our bodies are raised out of the earth and reunited to our souls. What a day that will be. What a hope! Child of God is ours. My, we take our loved ones to the grave. And someday they'll take us to the grave. But God's not gonna leave us there. He's gonna raise us. One day we're going to be changed. Have you ever seen a caterpillar? There's a little caterpillar crawling in the mud, then maybe climbing up into the cabbage, making its way around the cabbage, eating its way through the cabbage. And I have no doubt as it makes its way through the cabbage, it says, if only I had wings and I could catch the rising currents, I would wing my way away from this tree. But I'm only a wretched grub with lots of legs, crawling up and down the trunk of trees. And then one day it stops. And then one day out of the cocoon comes a beautiful butterfly. It's metamorphosized. It's changed. It's still the same creature, but it's changed. O believer, what a day! Only in a far, far, far greater way these old bodies will be changed. They will be changed. What a hope is ours this evening. My death, the body will not be discarded and forgotten, but the Lord will raise it, and mine will be a glorious body. and we, being reunited with our soul, will serve him for all eternity. What a hope, what a hope is ours this evening. I trust that it'll thrill your heart and that we'll be able to praise him, not only for what he has done, but for what he's going to do in the future. Let's just bow together in prayer. Father in heaven, we thank thee. for thy so great salvation. We thank you, Lord, there was a day when thou didst meet us and changed us, changed our hearts. But we thank thee that there's coming a day when even these old bodies will be changed. And Lord, we'll be able to serve thee throughout eternity without the limitations that we have in these bodies. What a Savior we have. We thank Thee for the fullness of salvation. Be with us, Lord, as we even sing Thy praise and then come to prayer. For Jesus' sake. Amen. Amen.