• By Rev. Devadosan Sugirtharaj
  • Posted 11/15/2020
  • Viewed 449

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Focus on Second Coming (Advent) Sermon Series

Rely on Eternity for Daily Living

1 Corinthians 15:50-58

Rev Dr Devadosan Sugirtharaj

 

 

Introduction

  • Many people in the world finds that Christian faith is a mystery and does not make sense to their rationality. As our human mind defines reality of seeing, it is difficult to swallow the reality of unseeing.
  • Many believe that God is a concept and they believe that self is the most important thing in our lives to pursue rather than God. So they have no clue of understanding Christian faith.
  • Christian faith is different from other faiths because it is not based on formulas and to-do lists but on the relationship with Jesus Christ as the Lord. Christianity is not a man-made organized religion but God-given gift of new life to humanity.
  • Today we would like to think about the mystery of the Second Coming of Christ and how it shapes our daily living here and now.

 

Word Study

  • Greek word: Mysterion-  It means to initiate into or to make known special secrets. It also refers to a secret, rite, or teaching which informs us something no one else knows.
  • In the New Testament, mystery is always referred to the knowledge or revelation of God in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit Lord Jesus through his word.

 

Context of the text

  • Corinth was an important and wealthy city on the isthmus which separates Northern and Southern Greece. Paul spent 18 months there on his second missionary journey and established a church there. In the Corinth, people were educated in Greek Philosophy based on Plato’s philosophy. His philosophy taught  that body will never inherit eternity. Paul encountered this philosophy and also people, from Sadducees’ point of view that resurrection is not real and proved that the second coming of Christ is essential in our daily living here with hope.

 

  1. We will be perfectly transformed into incorruptible and immortality as the Lord comes back. 1 Corinthians.15:50- 53.
    • 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a [a]mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall 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 incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
    • Paul clearly teaches that the present corruptible and mortal bodies will be transformed in the twinkling of an eye and we will become transformed into Christ’s likeness. It will happen when Christ comes back. Present bodies will be transformed into perfection and we will be like risen Lord. This transformation is a promise of God and we cling to it.
    • When we think about our weak and vulnerable bodies, we should remember that our present bodies will be transformed into Christ likeness when he comes back. So our responsibility is to keep the body pure and presentable to God. We will be transformed into newness with the body.
    • 1 Thessalonians. 4:16-17:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
    • 1 Jon 3:2:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
    • Biblical Example: Revelation 7:13-17: 13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”14 And I said to him, [b]Sir, you know.”So he said to me, These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to [c]living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
    • Sermon Illustration: In 1900, there was bible college founded in Ohio. When the school began with a handful of students and little money, some thought that it would last. A year after the school was opened, the founder died during a typhoid epidemic. So the school’s prospects appeared dim. A century later, in 2000, the school celebrated its 100th anniversary celebration. Most people thought that it won’t last but God transformed the school beyond peoples’ thinking and it shines still as a one of the great bible schools in Ohio. God works based on eternal value. He transforms the weak and vulnerable into perfection.

 

2. We will be fully experienced over death and hell and law when the Lord comes back. 1 Corinthians.15:54-57

  • 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O[b] Death, where is your sting?O Hades, where is your victory?”56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ
  • Paul clearly teaches us that Christ’s victory over death, hell and law on the cross and resurrection and finally will be fully experienced at his second coming. Paul declares that sin, death, hell and law have no power over the believes as they are redeemed by Christ.
  •  Sin is the root cause and death and hell are the results of the sin and law defines and bounds people under sin. However, we are not under them but we become overcomes by the blood of Christ and it will be completely experienced at the second coming of Christ.
  • Isaiah.25:8: He will swallow up death forever, And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken.
  • Romans.8:1-2: There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who[a] do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
  • Bible example: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10: :“9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
  • Sermon illustration: A little boy crawled up into his mother’s lap as he was afraid. The mother asked him: What’s the matter, boy? The little boy said: Mom, like at that bumble bee. Look at the bumble bee buzzing all around me. I am afraid of that bumble bee. Mother said: Son, you don’t have to be afraid of that bumble bee. The little boy asked: Why don’t I, mom? The mother said: Son you don’t have to be afraid of that bumble bee; that bumble bee has already stung your mother and it can’t sting you. I have got the stinger.

 

3. We will totally commit to be steadfast, steady and succeed in the Lord’s work with faith. 1 Corinthians 15:58

  • 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
  • Paul clearly teaches us that we should totally commit ourselves to be steadfast and steady Christian life and ministry and succeed in the Lord’s work with the expectation that our labour is not vain in the Lord.
  •  We must live faithfully and fruitfully in life and ministry as individuals and a church in the world we live and we continue to work hard to succeed our ministry and church growth. Our present life and ministry should be shaped by the second coming of Christ.
  • Galatians.2:20: 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
  • Romans.6:8-11: 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, [c]reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
  • Bible example:John 15:1-5: :5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
  • Sermon illustration: A little boy crawled up into his mother’s lap as he was afraid. The mother asked him: What’s the matter, boy? The little boy said: Mom, like at that bumble bee. Look at the bumble bee buzzing all around me. I am afraid of that bumble bee. Mother said: Son, you don’t have to be afraid of that bumble bee. The little boy asked: Why don’t I, mom? The mother said: Son you don’t have to be afraid of that bumble bee; that bumble bee has already stung your mother and it can’t sting you. I have got the stinger.
  •  One day a young preacher visited an aged dying believer to comfort her. As they were talking she said to him:“Pastor, I’m not going to die.” And he smiled and he said, “Oh, you have trusted in the Lord and He is giving you comfort in the time of your death.”  She says, “Oh no, Pastor; I do not expect to die.”  Well he thought in her dying condition that her mind was wandering a little bit and he said, “Well then what makes you exempt from death?”  She said, “Oh, I died a long time ago.”  Well he knew by then she was surely insane, so he said, “Well, Sister, what do you mean?”  She said, “Oh, I died two thousand years ago: when Jesus died I died, when He was crucified I was crucified, when He rose again I rose again.  Death is far behind me, a glorious future awaits me.  I am not going to die.” 

 

Conclusion

When we reflect on the second coming of Christ, let us focus on it as it is an essential to our daily living. Paul instructs us that we should be aware of three important truths in living our lives here based on the second coming in 1 Corinthians.15:50-58.

 

  • We will be perfectly transformed into incorruptible and immortality as the Lord comes back. 1 Corinthians.15:50-53
  • We will be fully experienced over death and hell and law when the Lord comes back. 1 Corinthians.15:54-57
  • We will totally commit to be steadfast, steady and succeed in the Lord’s work with faith. 1 Corinthians.15:58

 

Questions for Discussion

  1. When we meditate on this passage, we learn that we will be transformed into Christ’s likeness fully. What is the main point of this change Paul talks about? Why does it matter? How is this promised different other promises of God about change in our lives?
  2. Christ conquers sin, death and hell. How does Christ defeat all these three things? Why? How do we experience this victory in our lives?
  3. We are called to live and do ministry based on the hope of second coming of Christ. In what ways might the second coming of Christ give us confidence in walking and working with God in this world? How does it affect our lives and ministry as individuals and church?


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