Motivated by Mystery
Notes
Transcript
Introduction: Everyone enjoys a good mystery. What happened to Amelia Earhart? Where is Jimmy Hoffa buried? Where is the ark of the covenant? Who killed JFK? What happened to DB Cooper? What happened to the people of Roanoke island? When was the War of 1812?
in verse 51 of our chapter Paul tells us that he is sharing a mystery with us. However, before we put our detective hats on it is important to define what a mystery in the New Testament really means. Unlike a book that you might find at Barnes and noble or on Amazon a mystery in the New Testament it's not so much an unknown problem or question that needs to be solved but rather new information that was previously unknown but now revealed. Paul spoke of many such mysteries in first Timothy he spoke of the mystery of Jesus’ incarnation, in Colossians he spoke of the mystery of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and Ephesians he spoke of the mystery of Jews and gentiles being joint heirs together in the church also in Colossians he refers to the gospel itself as a kind of mystery. These are all things that were vague or veiled in the Old Testament but have been revealed in the new.
I would like to take a moment for a word of warning. There have been many through the years that have used the language of the New Testament to elevate themselves in the eyes of their listeners by declaring that they have the answers of these so-called biblical mysteries. They would like you to believe that they have figured out something in the word of God that no one else for hundreds and hundreds of years has ever known. Some of these men teach significantly heretical doctrines others simply like to flirt with heresy but never actually crossing the line. So if you ever come across a book or sermon that claims to know something That no one else has ever figured out approach it with extreme caution. Perhaps the low hanging fruit for an example of this have been those throughout the years that have attempted to set dates for the rapture. They claim to know something that they can't possibly know. In fact in this case, it is heretical because scripture clearly states that no one knows the day or the hour. But others have tried with exceptional and exaggerated language to get you to believe that they understand something that no one else does. Sometimes they try to use a historical context that they say no one else has ever considered before.
Getting back to our text the mystery that Paul is Speaking of here is the rapture of the church, And we will see how this rapture is both a significant transformation and triumph. Finally we will close examining the “therefore” statement of verse 58. But why does this matter? It matters because it is at least part of the answer to the ever significant question, what happens to me after I die?
Transformation
Transformation
The Requirement - The problem we must solve:
“Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.”
While some tend to press this statement too far I tend to think that the simplest interpretation is best.
You cannot go to heaven as you are in your physical bodies. For the believer before we enter heaven a transformation must take place. Specifically, that final and permanent removal of all sin. In reality the unbeliever will also go through a transformation after they are judged in the end. While the believer is resurrected to endless life the unbeliever is resurrected into endless suffering. This is sometimes called the second resurrection.
Daniel 12:2 “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
Revelation 20:12-13 “And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.”
The Necessity - What we are now:
Flesh and Blood - we all currently have physical bodies that are not suited for heaven.
Corrupted - perishing is probably the best translation here. The concept is that a perishing body cannot live eternally, a transformation is necessary.
Mortal - that is, we are subject to death. Clearly, we cannot enter heaven in this state.
The Reality - What we will be:
Resurrected: Where once we had bodies of flesh and blood in heaven we will have resurrected bodied. The physical, bodily resurrection of Jesus is foundational to Christian doctrine and our hope of heaven. Because Jesus rose from the dead with a physical body, every Christian has the guarantee of his own bodily resurrection.
John 5:21 “For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.”
Romans 8:23 “Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.”
Incorruptible: In v. 42 Paul points out that while our current bodies were made in corruption they will be raised in incorruption. It is important to note that like Christ after His resurrection we also will have physical bodies in heaven, but they will be dramatically different than what we are used to here and now.
Immortal: We will no longer be subject to death.
Christlike: 1 John 3:2 “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.”
The Method: How this transformation will take place.
Instantly - in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye
Completely - Some will transformed out of death while those who are alive will be transformed in the midst of living. Even the Old Testament saints while not raptured with the church they will still experience this same transformation.
Miraculous - don’t try to explain it.
Summary of the Rapture
The word rapture does not occur in the Bible. The term comes from a Latin word meaning “a carrying off, a transport, or a snatching away.” The concept of the “carrying off” or the rapture of the church is clearly taught in Scripture.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 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. 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. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
It is important not to get the rapture confused with the second coming. At the rapture Jesus doesn’t really come to the earth but rather “meets us in the air”. At the second coming Jesus not only comes to the earth again but stays for 1000 years. Zechariah 14:3-4 “Then the Lord will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south.”
The doctrine of the rapture was not taught in the Old Testament, which is why Paul calls it a “mystery” now revealed: 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—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.”
This great transformation leads to a great triumph.
Triumph
Triumph
The Sting of Death is Removed
Paul makes clear what the sting of death is, it is sin. Sin is like a bee that leaves its stinger in you.
Ultimately what is the fundamental cause of death? Sin, before sin there was no death.
Part of the great triumph of this transformation is the permanent removal of sin.
The Strength of Death is Disarmed
The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin comes from the Law.
The OT law revealed God’s standard of holiness. That standard was and is based upon His own perfect character thus revealing the standard we must live up to if we are to enter heaven and live with God eternally.
The law revealed the simple impossibility that we could ever achieve such righteousness on our own.
The Power of Death is Defeated
Death has been swallowed up in victory.
R. C. H. Lenski writes, Death is not merely destroyed so that it cannot do further harm while all of the harm which it has wrought on God’s children remains. The tornado is not merely checked so that no additional homes are wrecked while those that were wrecked still lie in ruin.… Death and all of its apparent victories are undone for God’s children. What looks like a victory for death and like a defeat for us when our bodies die and decay shall be utterly reversed so that death dies in absolute defeat and our bodies live again in absolute victory (The Interpretation of St. Paul’s First and Second Epistles to the Corinthians [Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1963], pp. 744–45).
The Victor over Death is Jesus Christ
When Lazarus rose from the dead by whose power did he come back to life?
When the daughter of Jarius was raised from the dead by whose power did she come back to life?
Lets border on the ridiculous for a moment. Did you know that in 2 Kings a group of people accidently dropped a dead body onto the bones of Elijah and when the body touched Elijah’s bones it came back to life? Setting aside the question of why, the more important question was, did Elijah have anything to do with it?
The point is that Jesus is only person to have ever come back to life by His own power. The resurrection of Jesus was a total victory over death.
Death has been swallowed up in victory.
And as Paul points out in verse 57 we owe Jesus every ounce of gratitude we can muster because our victory over death is through Him.
Therefore
Therefore
4 Key Words - “therefore” = statement or result or cause, because of Christ’s immanent return....
Steadfast - settled or firmly situated
Immovable - builds upon steadfast , immobile or motionless
Do not be swayed by the world or backslidden brothers and sisters.
This is sound doctrine
Abounding
This key word has context that is more specific. We are to abound in the work of the Lord.
The idea of abounding is to go they extra mile.
Are you abounding in ministry?
Knowing
Again there is something specific that we are to know, that our labor is not in vain.
Not every event, relationship or general ministry will the cause of a significant revival.
Every once an a while we are reminded that all our efforts are worth it. When we see someone come to Christ or turn back from their backslidden ways. When we can rejoice in the Lord together.
But most importantly we know that abounding in God’s work while we wait on Christ’s return honors the Savior who bought us with His blood. I want you to know that there is no greater contentment and joy than being busy in the Masters work.