Victory over a Physical World

1 Corinthians 15:51–58 KJV 1900

⁵¹ Behold, I shew you 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 

⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 

⁵⁴ 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. 

⁵⁵ O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 

⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Note: Every day we have reminders of the temporal world, but often we forget.

Watch the news for just a few moments and what do you see?

You read about people leaving this world. 

Tragedy everywhere. 

Hurts everywhere. 

Wildfires. 

Shootings. 

Sickness. 

2 Corinthians 4:18 KJV 1900

¹⁸ While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Note The sting of sin brings death – verse 56 teaches us that truth. 

Romans 5:12 KJV 1900

¹² Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Note: But Jesus has taken away the sting of death through His resurrection.

Little boy screaming because a bee flew into his car. His dad caught it and in the process was stung. 

He told his son, “Don’t worry. It only has one stinger and I took the sting for you.” 

That’s what Jesus has done for us.

Note: Some at Corinth questioned the resurrection of the dead.

Note: The Holy Spirit reminds us of God’s victory in a temporal world. 

Note: Death is not a period, but a comma in the story of life.

I. The Reminder of Life’s  Brevity 

1 Corinthians 15:51 KJV 1900

⁵¹ Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

Note: There are two terms that God uses to describe the death of a Christian. 

Note: Going home. 

Note: Going to sleep.

Note: This isn’t speaking of soul sleep, but going to sleep in death and waking up in glory.

Note: To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

Note: Not all Christians will die.

Note: The context is the rapture.

James 4:13–15 KJV 1900

¹³ Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 

¹⁴ Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 

¹⁵ For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

Note: Life is a vapour. It’s just a moment in the light of eternity. 

Note: Our lives will end in one of two ways…

A. God Will  Call  us Home by Death

Note: Death is a home-going for the Christian

1. There is a Time  Appointed 

Psalm 48:14

14 For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.

Hebrews 9:27

27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.

2. It is   Precious   to the Lord

Psalm 116:15

15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

Genesis 5:24

24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

1 Thessalonians 4:14

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

Note: When a Christian dies his soul and spirit leave the physical body and enter into the third Heaven, (God’s Heaven) into the presence of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:6–8 KJV 1900

⁶ Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 

⁷ (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 

⁸ We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Note: For the Christian, One day our heart will be still. 

Note: Our lungs will no longer fill with air. 

Note: We will be at home with Christ.

B. God Will Call Us Home by the  Rapture 

Note: The rapture is when God calls all of the believers out of this world to be with him. 

Note: The timing is unknown. 

Note: We must be ready for it to happen at any time.  

1. We Will Be  Caught  Up

Note: in a moment

1 Thessalonians 4:15–18 KJV 1900

¹⁵ For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 

¹⁶ For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 

¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

¹⁸ Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

2. We Will Be  Transformed 

1 Corinthians 15:51–53 KJV 1900

⁵¹ Behold, I shew you 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 

⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

Note: A glorified body. 

Note: We drop the curse of sin. 

Note: We put on immortality.

1 Corinthians 15:42–44 KJV 1900

⁴² So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 

⁴³ It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 

⁴⁴ It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

2 Corinthians 3:18 KJV 1900

¹⁸ But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Note: “changed” a different Greek word is used metamorphous

Note: metamorphoo: change into another form, to transform, to transfigure. 

Benjamin Franklin’s Obituary – “The body of Franklin, printer, like the cover of an old book, its contents torn out and stripped of its lettering and gilding, lies here. 

But the work will not be lost, for it will appear once more in a new and more elegant edition, revised and corrected by the author.”