1 00:00:00,380 –> 00:00:01,520 Well, good morning, everyone. 2 00:00:01,520 –> 00:00:06,300 We have a marvelous subject before us today. 3 00:00:06,300 –> 00:00:07,920 Over these last weeks, as you know, 4 00:00:07,920 –> 00:00:09,540 we’ve been looking at the theme of heaven. 5 00:00:09,540 –> 00:00:11,040 How can I be sure of heaven? 6 00:00:11,040 –> 00:00:12,600 What will we experience in heaven? 7 00:00:12,600 –> 00:00:14,800 Will we know one another in heaven? 8 00:00:14,800 –> 00:00:19,639 We’ve seen that there is a good, better, best pattern 9 00:00:19,639 –> 00:00:20,799 to the Christian life. 10 00:00:20,799 –> 00:00:23,280 To be in Christ is good. 11 00:00:23,280 –> 00:00:24,920 To be with Christ is better, 12 00:00:24,920 –> 00:00:28,760 in fact, the Apostle says it is better by far. 13 00:00:28,760 –> 00:00:30,840 But even for our believing loved ones 14 00:00:30,840 –> 00:00:32,540 who are with Christ right now, 15 00:00:32,540 –> 00:00:35,180 the best is yet to be. 16 00:00:35,180 –> 00:00:36,480 They are fully conscious, 17 00:00:36,480 –> 00:00:37,720 they are actively engaged, 18 00:00:37,720 –> 00:00:39,799 but they’re still eagerly waiting 19 00:00:39,799 –> 00:00:41,700 for the gift of the resurrection body 20 00:00:41,700 –> 00:00:44,119 for the new heaven and for the new earth 21 00:00:44,119 –> 00:00:46,580 that awaits the time when Christ shall come 22 00:00:46,580 –> 00:00:50,639 for all of His people in power and in glory. 23 00:00:50,639 –> 00:00:53,639 We had an entire message on the new heaven 24 00:00:53,639 –> 00:00:56,080 and the new earth and I kind of intended 25 00:00:56,119 –> 00:00:58,299 to finish the series there. 26 00:00:58,299 –> 00:01:00,880 But it has just been pressed upon me 27 00:01:00,880 –> 00:01:03,119 over these last couple of weeks, 28 00:01:03,119 –> 00:01:06,720 the sheer importance of us seeing the joy 29 00:01:06,720 –> 00:01:10,339 of life in the resurrection body. 30 00:01:10,339 –> 00:01:11,360 I want us to look, 31 00:01:11,360 –> 00:01:13,680 this is perhaps the most ambitious outline 32 00:01:13,680 –> 00:01:15,139 I’ve ever attempted, 33 00:01:15,139 –> 00:01:17,040 four doctrines, four promises, 34 00:01:17,040 –> 00:01:20,680 four changes and four conclusions in 40 minutes, okay? 35 00:01:20,680 –> 00:01:22,940 So here we go, that’s the introduction. 36 00:01:22,940 –> 00:01:25,379 We begin with four doctrines that teach us 37 00:01:25,519 –> 00:01:27,360 the importance of the body 38 00:01:27,360 –> 00:01:29,580 Number one, creation. 39 00:01:29,580 –> 00:01:32,260 Teaches us that God made us 40 00:01:32,260 –> 00:01:35,279 both body as well as soul. 41 00:01:35,279 –> 00:01:37,940 You remember Genesis chapter two and verse seven. 42 00:01:37,940 –> 00:01:40,800 The Lord formed a man from the dust of the ground 43 00:01:40,800 –> 00:01:42,599 and breathed into his nostrils, 44 00:01:42,599 –> 00:01:44,000 the breath of life 45 00:01:44,000 –> 00:01:47,320 and the man became a living creature. 46 00:01:47,320 –> 00:01:51,120 So God made the body of Adam 47 00:01:51,120 –> 00:01:53,959 from the dust of the ground. 48 00:01:53,959 –> 00:01:56,699 And imagine it there a biodegradable corpse 49 00:01:56,699 –> 00:01:58,419 and it’s lying there, lifeless made out 50 00:01:58,419 –> 00:02:00,500 of the dust of the ground. 51 00:02:00,500 –> 00:02:02,300 Could be chemically analyzed, 52 00:02:02,300 –> 00:02:05,180 the physical body but then into this corpse 53 00:02:05,180 –> 00:02:06,699 God breathes, the Bible says, 54 00:02:06,699 –> 00:02:08,919 the breath of life so that Adam 55 00:02:08,919 –> 00:02:12,619 became a body, soul union. 56 00:02:12,619 –> 00:02:14,860 And that is the nature of our life. 57 00:02:14,860 –> 00:02:17,059 That is why death is an enemy 58 00:02:17,059 –> 00:02:20,020 and why the Bible speaks of death as the last enemy 59 00:02:20,020 –> 00:02:21,539 because it is the separating 60 00:02:21,539 –> 00:02:23,779 of what God put together in the very nature 61 00:02:23,860 –> 00:02:25,000 with which he made us. 62 00:02:25,000 –> 00:02:26,779 We are a union of body and soul 63 00:02:26,779 –> 00:02:29,339 and death separates the soul from the body. 64 00:02:29,339 –> 00:02:32,720 It is a tearing apart of what God has joined together. 65 00:02:33,619 –> 00:02:34,979 So you have a phone 66 00:02:36,279 –> 00:02:38,580 but if it is not connected to the network, 67 00:02:38,580 –> 00:02:39,419 what is it? 68 00:02:39,419 –> 00:02:41,380 I mean, it’s no longer a phone. 69 00:02:41,380 –> 00:02:43,360 It can’t function as a phone. 70 00:02:43,360 –> 00:02:44,940 Without the network, 71 00:02:44,940 –> 00:02:47,500 it cannot fulfill the function for which it is made. 72 00:02:47,500 –> 00:02:49,899 It depends upon its union with the network. 73 00:02:51,520 –> 00:02:53,240 And there is a network 74 00:02:54,100 –> 00:02:56,259 but the fact that there is a cellular network 75 00:02:56,259 –> 00:02:57,940 is of absolutely no value to you 76 00:02:57,940 –> 00:02:59,160 if you do not have a phone. 77 00:02:59,160 –> 00:03:01,440 It is the joining of the two together 78 00:03:02,419 –> 00:03:03,639 that makes this wonderful gift 79 00:03:03,639 –> 00:03:06,820 of immediate personal communication possible. 80 00:03:06,820 –> 00:03:11,820 So God created you as a body soul union 81 00:03:11,940 –> 00:03:14,360 and all that God has created is good. 82 00:03:14,360 –> 00:03:16,539 We have that from Genesis in chapter one. 83 00:03:16,539 –> 00:03:19,440 That is why God will not scrap it and start again. 84 00:03:19,440 –> 00:03:21,720 He will not scrap you and start again. 85 00:03:21,820 –> 00:03:24,839 What God has made he redeems in Jesus Christ 86 00:03:24,839 –> 00:03:27,059 and that means he redeems your body 87 00:03:27,059 –> 00:03:28,740 as well as your soul. 88 00:03:29,740 –> 00:03:32,199 Second doctrine that speaks to this wonderful truth 89 00:03:32,199 –> 00:03:34,479 that is the doctrine of the fall 90 00:03:34,479 –> 00:03:37,539 that reminds us that sin has ruined us 91 00:03:37,539 –> 00:03:40,800 both in relation to body and soul. 92 00:03:40,800 –> 00:03:43,320 Never forget that the bodies that we have 93 00:03:43,320 –> 00:03:45,479 are different now from the bodies 94 00:03:45,479 –> 00:03:49,139 Adam and Eve had when they were created by God 95 00:03:49,139 –> 00:03:51,460 in that, created in the garden, 96 00:03:51,580 –> 00:03:53,639 their bodies were subject to no disease, 97 00:03:53,639 –> 00:03:55,479 no pain, and no death. 98 00:03:56,559 –> 00:03:58,940 All of that came, the Bible makes very clear, 99 00:03:58,940 –> 00:04:02,619 with the entrance of sin into the world. 100 00:04:02,619 –> 00:04:05,979 And what that means is that sin 101 00:04:05,979 –> 00:04:09,080 afflicts every area of our life 102 00:04:09,080 –> 00:04:11,100 including not only the soul 103 00:04:11,100 –> 00:04:13,259 but also the body, so we live with teeth 104 00:04:13,259 –> 00:04:14,179 that decay, 105 00:04:15,199 –> 00:04:17,220 and cholesterol that goes up, 106 00:04:17,220 –> 00:04:19,260 and energy that goes down, 107 00:04:19,380 –> 00:04:21,100 and skin that sags, 108 00:04:21,100 –> 00:04:22,679 and bones that ache, 109 00:04:22,679 –> 00:04:24,920 and eyes that need glasses, 110 00:04:24,920 –> 00:04:27,179 and hearing that declines. 111 00:04:27,179 –> 00:04:29,859 We live with the trials 112 00:04:29,859 –> 00:04:32,779 of chemical imbalances in the body, 113 00:04:34,059 –> 00:04:37,700 hormones flying around out of control, 114 00:04:37,700 –> 00:04:40,839 and on top of that a multitude of diseases 115 00:04:40,839 –> 00:04:43,079 and maladies, and conditions, 116 00:04:43,079 –> 00:04:45,079 and cancers that afflict 117 00:04:45,959 –> 00:04:47,959 the course of our lives. 118 00:04:49,980 –> 00:04:52,119 God created you, body and soul. 119 00:04:52,119 –> 00:04:56,119 Sin has affected all of us, body and soul. 120 00:04:56,119 –> 00:04:58,059 Third, the doctrine of the incarnation, 121 00:04:58,059 –> 00:05:01,980 Jesus Christ became one with us, body and soul. 122 00:05:01,980 –> 00:05:05,940 Think about this, the Word became flesh 123 00:05:05,940 –> 00:05:07,619 and dwelt among us. 124 00:05:07,619 –> 00:05:09,220 God became a man. 125 00:05:09,220 –> 00:05:13,239 That is a body-soul union in Jesus Christ. 126 00:05:13,239 –> 00:05:16,200 The body of Jesus was a body like ours 127 00:05:16,200 –> 00:05:18,420 with a central, nervous system. 128 00:05:18,440 –> 00:05:20,760 Born as a baby, he grew up as a child. 129 00:05:20,760 –> 00:05:23,559 He learned in the same way as we learn. 130 00:05:23,559 –> 00:05:24,760 He grew to be a man. 131 00:05:24,760 –> 00:05:27,619 He knew what it was to feel pressure, 132 00:05:27,619 –> 00:05:30,899 to sweat, to hunger, and to thirst, 133 00:05:30,899 –> 00:05:33,000 and to be weary. 134 00:05:33,000 –> 00:05:34,200 Very interesting 135 00:05:35,420 –> 00:05:38,619 that the first major heresy 136 00:05:39,519 –> 00:05:42,959 that the church had to deal with in the early days 137 00:05:42,959 –> 00:05:46,160 was not the denial that Jesus was God 138 00:05:46,160 –> 00:05:48,160 but the denial on the part of some 139 00:05:48,239 –> 00:05:49,600 that Jesus was man 140 00:05:50,579 –> 00:05:51,779 and here was the rational, 141 00:05:51,779 –> 00:05:53,359 you see people in the early world, 142 00:05:53,359 –> 00:05:54,779 they had this idea that we’ve sort of 143 00:05:54,779 –> 00:05:57,100 got a pure spirit in an unworthy body 144 00:05:57,100 –> 00:05:58,980 and so they raisin’ like this. 145 00:05:58,980 –> 00:06:02,679 Now how could God who is pure spirit 146 00:06:02,679 –> 00:06:04,760 possibly allow himself to get mixed up 147 00:06:04,760 –> 00:06:07,859 with anything as base as a human body 148 00:06:07,859 –> 00:06:09,619 and that’s why you have in 2 John 149 00:06:09,619 –> 00:06:11,480 chapter seven, for example, 150 00:06:11,480 –> 00:06:14,040 the statement, many deceivers have gone out 151 00:06:14,040 –> 00:06:17,299 into the world, those who do not confess 152 00:06:17,459 –> 00:06:21,540 the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. 153 00:06:21,540 –> 00:06:22,880 But God did become man. 154 00:06:22,880 –> 00:06:25,059 The word did become flesh. 155 00:06:26,200 –> 00:06:27,600 That’s very significant, you see, 156 00:06:27,600 –> 00:06:31,519 if the bible said in the beginning was the word 157 00:06:32,619 –> 00:06:35,040 and the word remained spirit, 158 00:06:36,760 –> 00:06:40,559 if it said that, we might reasonably conclude 159 00:06:40,559 –> 00:06:42,640 that God’s interest in our lives 160 00:06:42,640 –> 00:06:45,779 was only in relation to things of the spirit 161 00:06:45,859 –> 00:06:50,079 like prayer and meditation and bible study. 162 00:06:50,079 –> 00:06:52,420 If it said that, we might reasonably conclude 163 00:06:52,420 –> 00:06:56,579 that God’s concerned with your heart but not your home, 164 00:06:56,579 –> 00:06:57,920 that God’s concerned with your spirit 165 00:06:57,920 –> 00:07:00,480 but not your schedule, 166 00:07:00,480 –> 00:07:02,279 that God’s concerned with your character 167 00:07:02,279 –> 00:07:04,540 but not with your activity. 168 00:07:05,559 –> 00:07:10,399 But what the bible says is that the word became flesh, 169 00:07:10,399 –> 00:07:12,880 that God entered the world of noisy kids 170 00:07:12,899 –> 00:07:15,760 and pushy parents and over-crowded schedules 171 00:07:15,760 –> 00:07:18,980 and relentless pressures and unending demands 172 00:07:18,980 –> 00:07:20,440 that push us to the limit. 173 00:07:20,440 –> 00:07:25,320 He came into that world and lived life in the body 174 00:07:26,579 –> 00:07:27,880 and when He went to the cross, 175 00:07:27,880 –> 00:07:29,739 He died not only to save your soul 176 00:07:29,739 –> 00:07:31,420 but to redeem your life. 177 00:07:31,420 –> 00:07:34,640 What that means is that God is laying claim to 178 00:07:34,640 –> 00:07:37,679 and invading every part of your life, 179 00:07:37,679 –> 00:07:41,359 marriage, checkbook, career, kids, everything, 180 00:07:41,359 –> 00:07:43,760 not just, you know, here’s my life 181 00:07:43,760 –> 00:07:46,040 and I add prayer and church to it. 182 00:07:47,679 –> 00:07:50,000 No, the incarnation just blows that away. 183 00:07:51,320 –> 00:07:53,940 Fourth doctrine, resurrection. 184 00:07:55,440 –> 00:07:56,720 Now please understand this. 185 00:07:56,720 –> 00:07:59,119 All religions have at least some notion 186 00:07:59,119 –> 00:08:00,640 of survival after death. 187 00:08:00,640 –> 00:08:01,679 There are different notions 188 00:08:01,679 –> 00:08:03,859 but some notion is common to a religion. 189 00:08:05,399 –> 00:08:06,640 The Titanic goes down 190 00:08:06,640 –> 00:08:09,559 and what does Céline Dion sing for us? 191 00:08:09,640 –> 00:08:12,179 My heart will go on. 192 00:08:12,179 –> 00:08:14,359 She sings it very beautifully, too. 193 00:08:14,359 –> 00:08:16,920 Some idea of the survival of the soul 194 00:08:16,920 –> 00:08:18,480 is common to humanity 195 00:08:19,980 –> 00:08:22,339 but the resurrection of the body, friends, 196 00:08:22,339 –> 00:08:24,920 is unique to Christianity 197 00:08:24,920 –> 00:08:26,679 and the reason for that is very obvious. 198 00:08:26,679 –> 00:08:29,839 Only Christians have a risen savior. 199 00:08:29,839 –> 00:08:32,320 We should be trumpeting this. 200 00:08:32,320 –> 00:08:35,039 It is the most glorious truth 201 00:08:35,039 –> 00:08:37,599 that we need to grasp and to cherish 202 00:08:37,599 –> 00:08:40,460 and to put on display 203 00:08:40,460 –> 00:08:42,440 at the heart of our faith 204 00:08:42,440 –> 00:08:44,840 is that the tomb was empty 205 00:08:44,840 –> 00:08:48,559 and the corpse of Jesus was raised to life 206 00:08:48,559 –> 00:08:50,580 and that all who share in him 207 00:08:50,580 –> 00:08:54,320 will share in this glorious resurrection. 208 00:08:55,440 –> 00:08:58,780 The truth of the resurrection of the body, friends, 209 00:08:58,780 –> 00:09:03,200 is a crown jewel of the Christian faith. 210 00:09:04,080 –> 00:09:06,320 This is a truth that we are to treasure. 211 00:09:06,340 –> 00:09:08,679 This is a truth that we are to put on display 212 00:09:08,679 –> 00:09:09,500 before the world. 213 00:09:09,500 –> 00:09:11,539 Nobody else has anything like it. 214 00:09:12,880 –> 00:09:16,700 It is a promise to excite the interest of every Christian. 215 00:09:16,700 –> 00:09:18,359 It is a hope for every believer 216 00:09:18,359 –> 00:09:19,559 to anticipate with God, 217 00:09:19,559 –> 00:09:21,400 and here is the tragedy, 218 00:09:21,400 –> 00:09:24,400 many Christians hardly have a grip 219 00:09:24,400 –> 00:09:27,239 on this doctrine at all. 220 00:09:27,239 –> 00:09:29,679 In fact, what I’ve found over the years as a pastor 221 00:09:29,679 –> 00:09:30,739 and then what’s pressed me 222 00:09:30,739 –> 00:09:33,000 particularly to this message today 223 00:09:33,000 –> 00:09:35,200 is that it is increasingly obvious to me 224 00:09:35,200 –> 00:09:36,219 that many Christians 225 00:09:36,940 –> 00:09:38,940 have the idea that what God has prepared for us 226 00:09:38,940 –> 00:09:41,599 beyond this life is a kind of half-life. 227 00:09:42,859 –> 00:09:44,460 A sort of compensation 228 00:09:45,460 –> 00:09:47,299 for those who didn’t have the strength 229 00:09:47,299 –> 00:09:50,039 to continue their real life in this world. 230 00:09:51,219 –> 00:09:54,299 Friends, the resurrection is the very purpose 231 00:09:54,299 –> 00:09:55,900 for which you were created by God 232 00:09:55,900 –> 00:09:57,900 and redeemed in Christ. 233 00:10:00,099 –> 00:10:01,179 So, there’s four doctrines. 234 00:10:01,179 –> 00:10:04,419 Let’s move on and take a look at this glorious prospect 235 00:10:04,460 –> 00:10:08,080 that lies ahead and let me point you to four promises 236 00:10:08,080 –> 00:10:10,580 simply four scriptures from right across the Bible, 237 00:10:10,580 –> 00:10:12,299 Old Testament and new. 238 00:10:12,299 –> 00:10:15,219 And particularly, these point out for us 239 00:10:15,219 –> 00:10:17,780 the great continuity that there is 240 00:10:17,780 –> 00:10:21,780 between life here and the marvelous life that is to come. 241 00:10:21,780 –> 00:10:22,619 Here’s the first. 242 00:10:22,619 –> 00:10:26,340 Job chapter 19 and many of you know this well. 243 00:10:26,340 –> 00:10:28,159 Marvelous statement of Job. 244 00:10:29,340 –> 00:10:33,460 I know that my redeemer lives. 245 00:10:34,419 –> 00:10:38,719 And at the last he will stand upon the earth. 246 00:10:38,719 –> 00:10:42,780 And after my skin has thus been destroyed, 247 00:10:42,780 –> 00:10:47,780 yet in my flesh I shall see God. 248 00:10:49,780 –> 00:10:54,780 Whom I shall see for myself and my eyes shall behold 249 00:10:56,820 –> 00:10:57,979 and not another. 250 00:10:59,940 –> 00:11:01,580 Notice what Job knew. 251 00:11:02,580 –> 00:11:05,659 His Redeemer lives. 252 00:11:07,460 –> 00:11:12,039 And His Redeemer one day will stand on the earth. 253 00:11:12,039 –> 00:11:13,400 That’s what he says. 254 00:11:14,460 –> 00:11:17,659 And when this living Redeemer stands on the earth, 255 00:11:17,659 –> 00:11:19,799 here’s what will happen for me, says Job. 256 00:11:20,659 –> 00:11:25,479 I will see God with my own eyes. 257 00:11:26,820 –> 00:11:28,739 I don’t suppose for a minute that Job understood 258 00:11:28,739 –> 00:11:30,419 from that, all that was later revealed 259 00:11:30,419 –> 00:11:32,599 in regards to the resurrection of the body. 260 00:11:33,679 –> 00:11:36,340 The great Saint Augustine said on one occasion 261 00:11:36,340 –> 00:11:38,020 that the Old Testament is like a room 262 00:11:38,020 –> 00:11:41,440 that is fully furnished, but it’s only dimly lit. 263 00:11:41,440 –> 00:11:43,979 And when the New Testament light is pulled 264 00:11:43,979 –> 00:11:46,219 on the Old Testament scriptures, 265 00:11:46,219 –> 00:11:48,820 we have every reason to see what God had put there 266 00:11:48,820 –> 00:11:51,979 in the first place, even if it was not fully revealed 267 00:11:51,979 –> 00:11:55,179 to those who were living at the time. 268 00:11:55,179 –> 00:11:56,080 Notice what he says. 269 00:11:56,080 –> 00:11:58,679 I will see God with my own eyes. 270 00:11:59,599 –> 00:12:01,719 Friends, that’s eyeballs. 271 00:12:03,640 –> 00:12:05,479 That’s eyeballs. 272 00:12:05,479 –> 00:12:06,640 That’s not, you know, 273 00:12:06,640 –> 00:12:09,400 oh, now I see in the sense of now I understand. 274 00:12:09,400 –> 00:12:12,520 That’s I will see in the sense 275 00:12:12,520 –> 00:12:15,039 that you’re looking at this pulpit right now. 276 00:12:15,039 –> 00:12:17,039 You see it. 277 00:12:17,039 –> 00:12:18,500 Your eyeballs. 278 00:12:19,640 –> 00:12:21,280 And Job says, in that same way, 279 00:12:21,280 –> 00:12:26,280 I’m going to see God in all of his glory. 280 00:12:27,080 –> 00:12:28,479 And when’s it gonna happen? 281 00:12:28,479 –> 00:12:30,400 Not gonna happen immediately after my death. 282 00:12:30,400 –> 00:12:33,799 Now, my skin has thus been destroyed. 283 00:12:33,799 –> 00:12:35,640 It’s gonna happen when my Redeemer who lives 284 00:12:35,640 –> 00:12:38,119 stands on the Earth, but it is gonna happen. 285 00:12:38,119 –> 00:12:40,200 You will see God as truly 286 00:12:41,039 –> 00:12:43,460 as you see this pulpit in front of you. 287 00:12:43,460 –> 00:12:45,479 Second scripture, great promise. 288 00:12:45,479 –> 00:12:49,859 Romans chapter 8, verses 22 to 24. 289 00:12:49,859 –> 00:12:53,799 We know that the whole creation 290 00:12:53,799 –> 00:12:55,359 has been groaning together 291 00:12:55,500 –> 00:12:58,239 in the pains of childbirth until now. 292 00:12:59,119 –> 00:13:02,159 And not only the creation but we ourselves 293 00:13:02,159 –> 00:13:05,000 who have the first fruits of the spirit, 294 00:13:05,000 –> 00:13:06,260 what’s our experience now? 295 00:13:06,260 –> 00:13:10,760 We groan inwardly as we wait eagerly 296 00:13:10,760 –> 00:13:13,880 for the adoption as sons. 297 00:13:13,880 –> 00:13:14,719 And what is that? 298 00:13:14,719 –> 00:13:18,599 It is the redemption of our bodies 299 00:13:18,599 –> 00:13:21,859 for in this hope we were saved. 300 00:13:22,739 –> 00:13:24,940 You see what Paul says here? 301 00:13:24,940 –> 00:13:27,460 The redemption of your body 302 00:13:28,320 –> 00:13:32,780 is the hope in which you were saved. 303 00:13:32,780 –> 00:13:34,200 The great purpose of God, 304 00:13:34,200 –> 00:13:36,460 the great reason for which Jesus went to the cross 305 00:13:36,460 –> 00:13:39,140 was not to save a part of you 306 00:13:39,140 –> 00:13:41,700 but to redeem the whole of you. 307 00:13:42,859 –> 00:13:44,739 God made you body and soul 308 00:13:44,739 –> 00:13:46,500 and Christ came to redeem you, 309 00:13:46,500 –> 00:13:48,900 soul and body. 310 00:13:48,900 –> 00:13:50,380 And he does it in this order. 311 00:13:50,380 –> 00:13:54,619 Soul now, body later. 312 00:13:54,659 –> 00:13:56,340 But what God has joined together, 313 00:13:56,340 –> 00:13:59,960 no one is going to separate for all eternity. 314 00:14:01,380 –> 00:14:03,219 All that God has made is good 315 00:14:04,260 –> 00:14:08,380 and all that God has made he will redeem. 316 00:14:09,820 –> 00:14:11,380 This is staggering to our minds. 317 00:14:11,380 –> 00:14:13,440 Let’s look at a third great promise 318 00:14:13,440 –> 00:14:15,599 from Philippians chapter three this time 319 00:14:15,599 –> 00:14:17,539 just to fill our minds with this scripture 320 00:14:17,539 –> 00:14:19,780 regarding this great truth. 321 00:14:19,780 –> 00:14:21,460 Philippians three verses 20 and 21, 322 00:14:22,260 –> 00:14:25,760 our citizenship is in heaven 323 00:14:25,760 –> 00:14:30,760 and from it we await a savior the Lord Jesus Christ, 324 00:14:32,900 –> 00:14:34,580 what’s he gonna do? 325 00:14:34,580 –> 00:14:39,140 The Lord Jesus Christ who will transform our lowly body 326 00:14:40,059 –> 00:14:43,179 to be like his glorious body, 327 00:14:43,179 –> 00:14:44,580 how is he gonna do that? 328 00:14:44,580 –> 00:14:48,580 By the power that enables him 329 00:14:48,780 –> 00:14:52,940 to subject all things to himself. 330 00:14:55,299 –> 00:15:00,299 Now notice that the human body is described here 331 00:15:00,780 –> 00:15:03,460 as lowly, lowly. 332 00:15:04,619 –> 00:15:08,340 At its strongest it is quite fragile, 333 00:15:08,340 –> 00:15:10,840 the fittest person being hit by a car 334 00:15:10,840 –> 00:15:12,260 it’s very, very fragile. 335 00:15:13,260 –> 00:15:14,340 It’s a lowly body. 336 00:15:15,419 –> 00:15:18,479 C.S. Lewis has a wonderful picture here. 337 00:15:18,479 –> 00:15:22,219 He says, when you are learning to ride, 338 00:15:22,219 –> 00:15:24,940 they give you unimpressive horses. 339 00:15:26,140 –> 00:15:27,679 Only when you are ready for it 340 00:15:27,679 –> 00:15:32,380 are you allowed an animal that will really gallop and jump. 341 00:15:32,380 –> 00:15:34,320 Isn’t that a great picture? 342 00:15:34,320 –> 00:15:36,659 When you’re learning to ride, 343 00:15:36,659 –> 00:15:38,919 they give you unimpressive horses. 344 00:15:39,840 –> 00:15:41,619 And God has given you a body 345 00:15:41,619 –> 00:15:44,299 that the bible says for all its marvelous capacities 346 00:15:44,299 –> 00:15:46,679 and for all that we enjoy in it, 347 00:15:46,679 –> 00:15:49,099 God describes it as lowly. 348 00:15:50,039 –> 00:15:51,700 In other words, what he’s saying to us 349 00:15:51,700 –> 00:15:55,119 is wait til you see the upgrade. 350 00:15:55,979 –> 00:15:58,320 Wait til you see the upgrade. 351 00:15:58,320 –> 00:16:00,640 And here’s how the upgrade’s gonna happen. 352 00:16:00,640 –> 00:16:03,940 Your body that’s presently lowly, 353 00:16:03,940 –> 00:16:05,619 however strong and well developed 354 00:16:05,619 –> 00:16:08,159 and capable it marvelously is, 355 00:16:08,159 –> 00:16:11,440 it is going to be transformed from its present condition 356 00:16:11,440 –> 00:16:15,020 by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. 357 00:16:16,000 –> 00:16:20,599 In other words, this is a truth that cannot be grasped 358 00:16:20,599 –> 00:16:24,460 apart from the work of Christ and the power of Christ. 359 00:16:24,460 –> 00:16:27,500 That’s why it’s a uniquely Christian doctrine. 360 00:16:27,500 –> 00:16:29,599 It’s only when you consider the power 361 00:16:29,599 –> 00:16:30,820 of the Lord Jesus Christ 362 00:16:30,820 –> 00:16:32,580 and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ 363 00:16:32,580 –> 00:16:34,500 by which he himself rose from the dead 364 00:16:34,500 –> 00:16:37,000 that you can begin even to contemplate 365 00:16:37,000 –> 00:16:39,580 this amazing and glorious truth. 366 00:16:39,580 –> 00:16:41,820 The credibility of this great truth 367 00:16:41,820 –> 00:16:43,979 is demonstrated in this one fact 368 00:16:44,059 –> 00:16:45,859 that Jesus Christ has the power 369 00:16:45,859 –> 00:16:47,659 to raise his people from the dead 370 00:16:47,659 –> 00:16:50,260 because he rose himself. 371 00:16:51,260 –> 00:16:52,580 And think of it this way, 372 00:16:52,580 –> 00:16:56,299 the Savior gave you a new heart. 373 00:16:56,299 –> 00:16:58,219 You rejoice in that if you’re a Christian. 374 00:16:58,219 –> 00:16:59,979 Oh yes, he gave me a new heart. 375 00:16:59,979 –> 00:17:01,299 Well, the Savior in the same way. 376 00:17:01,299 –> 00:17:03,080 He’s going to give you a new body, 377 00:17:03,080 –> 00:17:04,439 a new heart now. 378 00:17:06,060 –> 00:17:07,839 New body to come. 379 00:17:07,839 –> 00:17:11,180 And we’re told that your resurrection body 380 00:17:12,099 –> 00:17:17,099 will be like Christ’s glorious body. 381 00:17:18,140 –> 00:17:19,300 Philippians chapter three. 382 00:17:19,300 –> 00:17:20,540 Your resurrection body 383 00:17:20,540 –> 00:17:25,540 will be like Christ’s glorious body. 384 00:17:28,140 –> 00:17:31,199 Now, that means that it will be a physical body. 385 00:17:31,199 –> 00:17:33,819 You will not be a disembodied ghost 386 00:17:33,819 –> 00:17:36,780 or spirit in the new creation. 387 00:17:37,660 –> 00:17:38,819 Let me put it this way. 388 00:17:39,819 –> 00:17:43,500 The reason that you won’t be floating on a cloud 389 00:17:43,500 –> 00:17:46,040 is that bodies don’t float, 390 00:17:47,020 –> 00:17:49,119 they fall, right? 391 00:17:49,119 –> 00:17:53,020 And when people are in this sort of vague, floating world, 392 00:17:53,020 –> 00:17:55,459 it’s a denial of the resurrection of the body. 393 00:17:55,459 –> 00:17:57,180 That’s what it is. 394 00:17:57,180 –> 00:17:58,420 It really is. 395 00:17:58,420 –> 00:18:00,339 It’s a failure to grasp Christian doctrine 396 00:18:00,339 –> 00:18:01,760 at its most central point. 397 00:18:01,760 –> 00:18:04,140 That’s why this issue is so important. 398 00:18:04,140 –> 00:18:05,540 Listen to what Jesus said 399 00:18:05,540 –> 00:18:08,260 as he appeared in the resurrection body 400 00:18:08,300 –> 00:18:10,699 to his disciples and he says this, 401 00:18:10,699 –> 00:18:13,099 see my hands and my feet. 402 00:18:13,099 –> 00:18:15,260 This is Luke 24 and verse 39. 403 00:18:15,260 –> 00:18:20,260 It is, I, myself, touch me and see for a spirit 404 00:18:20,619 –> 00:18:25,619 does not have flesh and bones 405 00:18:26,660 –> 00:18:29,819 as you see I have. 406 00:18:29,819 –> 00:18:32,219 Flesh and bones, resurrection body. 407 00:18:32,219 –> 00:18:34,739 Our body will be like his. 408 00:18:34,739 –> 00:18:37,739 That’s a physical body. 409 00:18:37,739 –> 00:18:41,099 That’s why the word resurrection is used. 410 00:18:41,099 –> 00:18:42,800 Yes, there will be ways in which it is different. 411 00:18:42,800 –> 00:18:44,800 We’ll come to that in just a moment. 412 00:18:44,800 –> 00:18:45,900 But the first thing you need to know 413 00:18:45,900 –> 00:18:48,579 about the resurrection body is that it is a body. 414 00:18:50,020 –> 00:18:54,180 In terms of appearance, the resurrection body of Jesus 415 00:18:54,180 –> 00:18:56,400 and ours will be like his, 416 00:18:56,400 –> 00:18:59,780 the resurrection body of Jesus was so similar in form 417 00:18:59,780 –> 00:19:01,079 to the body that we have now 418 00:19:01,079 –> 00:19:03,420 that Mary could mistake him for a gardener. 419 00:19:05,280 –> 00:19:07,199 The two disciples on the road to Emmaus 420 00:19:07,420 –> 00:19:09,619 and they thought this was just another traveler. 421 00:19:10,579 –> 00:19:14,579 The resurrection body will be very different in some ways. 422 00:19:14,579 –> 00:19:17,160 It will be different in that it’s a vehicle 423 00:19:17,160 –> 00:19:18,500 for endless life, 424 00:19:18,500 –> 00:19:21,939 which the present body obviously is not. 425 00:19:21,939 –> 00:19:24,459 The similarities between what we have now, 426 00:19:24,459 –> 00:19:26,140 created good by God 427 00:19:26,140 –> 00:19:30,500 and the upgrade created better and best by God, 428 00:19:30,500 –> 00:19:33,339 the similarities are more striking than the differences. 429 00:19:34,699 –> 00:19:36,000 And as if to press it home, 430 00:19:36,199 –> 00:19:38,099 you have the risen Lord Jesus Christ, 431 00:19:38,099 –> 00:19:40,439 saying to them, look 24, 432 00:19:40,439 –> 00:19:42,959 have you anything to eat? 433 00:19:42,959 –> 00:19:46,540 And they gave him a piece of broiled fish 434 00:19:46,540 –> 00:19:51,540 and he took it and ate it before them. 435 00:19:51,920 –> 00:19:53,560 Later in John’s gospel, 436 00:19:53,560 –> 00:19:56,280 we have Jesus actually cooking the breakfast 437 00:19:56,280 –> 00:19:57,839 and eating it with the disciples. 438 00:19:57,839 –> 00:20:00,239 Friends, we are definitely talking barbecue 439 00:20:00,239 –> 00:20:02,160 in the resurrection. 440 00:20:02,199 –> 00:20:06,040 And if we start thinking in more concrete terms 441 00:20:06,040 –> 00:20:09,079 with regards to the promise of the life to come, 442 00:20:09,079 –> 00:20:11,439 we will be helped in our anticipation. 443 00:20:11,439 –> 00:20:13,479 Walking and running and jumping 444 00:20:13,479 –> 00:20:15,640 and hitting balls on green grass, 445 00:20:15,640 –> 00:20:18,239 growing in this planet, 446 00:20:18,239 –> 00:20:20,599 renewed and made perfect as it shares 447 00:20:20,599 –> 00:20:24,000 in the redemption of the children of God. 448 00:20:24,000 –> 00:20:26,199 A spirit does not have flesh and bones 449 00:20:26,199 –> 00:20:27,780 as you see I have. 450 00:20:29,359 –> 00:20:31,239 That’s about as physical as you can get. 451 00:20:31,239 –> 00:20:36,239 So forget the idea of a body that passes through walls. 452 00:20:36,479 –> 00:20:38,640 I mean, for one thing, you can’t play football 453 00:20:38,640 –> 00:20:41,380 with bodies that pass through walls, right? 454 00:20:43,160 –> 00:20:46,359 Wayne Grudem says, this is very helpful to me 455 00:20:46,359 –> 00:20:49,300 because many of us have ideas that float around 456 00:20:49,300 –> 00:20:50,140 in our minds. 457 00:20:50,140 –> 00:20:51,319 We don’t quite know where we got them from 458 00:20:51,319 –> 00:20:53,540 and I certainly have an idea in my head 459 00:20:53,540 –> 00:20:54,859 of Jesus walking through walls 460 00:20:54,859 –> 00:20:56,180 in the resurrection appearances. 461 00:20:56,180 –> 00:20:57,680 Wayne Grudem says, 462 00:20:57,680 –> 00:20:58,719 and I always quote him when I need 463 00:20:58,719 –> 00:21:00,920 a really good authority, you understand. 464 00:21:01,439 –> 00:21:04,300 No text says that Jesus passed through walls 465 00:21:04,300 –> 00:21:06,180 or anything like that, period. 466 00:21:07,479 –> 00:21:10,199 The disciples of course were meeting behind locked doors 467 00:21:10,199 –> 00:21:12,319 but Peter was behind a locked door in the prison 468 00:21:12,319 –> 00:21:15,119 in Acts chapter 12 and God miraculously opened the door 469 00:21:15,119 –> 00:21:17,719 and Peter walked out flesh and bones. 470 00:21:17,719 –> 00:21:20,520 I mean, no dematerializing and rematerializing 471 00:21:20,520 –> 00:21:21,520 or any of that. 472 00:21:22,760 –> 00:21:24,959 Friends, the idea of a body that dematerializes 473 00:21:26,040 –> 00:21:29,000 and rematerializes simply comes from watching 474 00:21:29,040 –> 00:21:34,000 too much Star Trek, it does not come from the Bible. 475 00:21:34,839 –> 00:21:36,280 And the first thing you need to know 476 00:21:36,280 –> 00:21:38,760 about the resurrection body is that it is a body 477 00:21:38,760 –> 00:21:41,040 and when you get that settled in your mind 478 00:21:41,040 –> 00:21:43,680 you will have a far greater anticipation 479 00:21:43,680 –> 00:21:45,280 of the joys that lie ahead. 480 00:21:46,859 –> 00:21:50,119 Fourth Scripture 1 Corinthians chapter 15 481 00:21:50,119 –> 00:21:53,500 and verses 51 that was read to us. 482 00:21:53,500 –> 00:21:57,560 Behold I tell you a mystery, we shall not all sleep 483 00:21:57,560 –> 00:22:01,020 for we shall all be changed in a moment 484 00:22:01,020 –> 00:22:03,079 and a twinkling of an eye the last trumpet 485 00:22:03,079 –> 00:22:04,319 for the trumpet will sound 486 00:22:04,319 –> 00:22:06,459 and the dead will be raised imperishable 487 00:22:06,459 –> 00:22:10,040 and we shall be changed. 488 00:22:11,579 –> 00:22:13,739 And when Christ comes the transformation 489 00:22:13,739 –> 00:22:15,819 of the body that you have now 490 00:22:15,819 –> 00:22:17,780 into the body that you will have then 491 00:22:17,780 –> 00:22:19,939 will be instantaneous 492 00:22:20,800 –> 00:22:24,020 and all believers will receive this most marvelous gift 493 00:22:24,020 –> 00:22:26,780 at the same time. 494 00:22:27,780 –> 00:22:29,800 Those who are with the Lord receiving it. 495 00:22:29,800 –> 00:22:31,439 Those who are alive and caught-up 496 00:22:31,439 –> 00:22:33,920 to meet with the Lord receiving it 497 00:22:33,920 –> 00:22:36,260 and are meeting with the Lord 498 00:22:36,260 –> 00:22:40,619 and being brought later into all of the new creation 499 00:22:40,619 –> 00:22:44,180 that he has for us glorious, glorious prospect 500 00:22:44,180 –> 00:22:49,180 that lie ahead for all of the people of God. 501 00:22:50,699 –> 00:22:53,739 Four doctrines. 502 00:22:53,739 –> 00:22:56,140 Four promises. 503 00:22:56,140 –> 00:22:58,959 Three, and we’re on schedule, so fear not. 504 00:22:58,959 –> 00:23:03,560 Four changes, four changes. 505 00:23:03,560 –> 00:23:06,060 Now, here we have come to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 506 00:23:06,060 –> 00:23:07,920 I just want to look more closely 507 00:23:07,920 –> 00:23:11,439 at verses 42 and immediately following 508 00:23:11,439 –> 00:23:15,219 because I try to stress, in order to help us, 509 00:23:15,219 –> 00:23:17,939 the degree of continuity 510 00:23:17,939 –> 00:23:19,459 that the Scriptures indicate 511 00:23:19,459 –> 00:23:22,219 with regards to the nature of this body 512 00:23:22,219 –> 00:23:24,300 and the resurrection body. 513 00:23:24,300 –> 00:23:26,400 How will it be continuous because it is resurrection, 514 00:23:26,400 –> 00:23:28,319 it’s not something other. 515 00:23:28,319 –> 00:23:30,540 But clearly there are ways in which it will be different 516 00:23:30,540 –> 00:23:32,300 and so I want to look at these four changes 517 00:23:32,300 –> 00:23:34,699 that are laid out for us quite clearly in 518 00:23:34,699 –> 00:23:37,300 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 519 00:23:37,300 –> 00:23:38,280 Here’s the first. 520 00:23:38,280 –> 00:23:40,020 It will be imperishable. 521 00:23:40,020 –> 00:23:41,160 Notice what he says. 522 00:23:41,160 –> 00:23:44,020 So it is with the resurrection of the dead. 523 00:23:44,020 –> 00:23:45,780 Marvelous statement. 524 00:23:45,780 –> 00:23:48,560 Oh, right, how is it with the resurrection of the dead? 525 00:23:48,560 –> 00:23:49,699 Come on, Paul, tell us. 526 00:23:49,699 –> 00:23:51,300 How is it with the resurrection of the dead? 527 00:23:51,319 –> 00:23:52,520 Well, here it says, 528 00:23:52,520 –> 00:23:56,300 what is sown is perishable, 529 00:23:56,300 –> 00:23:58,699 I know that about our bodies. 530 00:23:58,699 –> 00:24:02,979 What is raised is imperishable. 531 00:24:04,300 –> 00:24:05,339 Now think about this. 532 00:24:05,339 –> 00:24:09,719 Lazarus was raised from the dead, 533 00:24:10,579 –> 00:24:13,520 but he came back in the same body 534 00:24:13,520 –> 00:24:16,760 when he came out of the tomb which meant, 535 00:24:16,760 –> 00:24:18,859 I mean, poor Lazarus that he would have had to go through 536 00:24:18,859 –> 00:24:21,500 the whole miserable business of dying all over again. 537 00:24:23,180 –> 00:24:25,060 Feel sorry for him almost, don’t you? 538 00:24:26,939 –> 00:24:30,500 But Jesus rose in the power of an endless life, 539 00:24:30,500 –> 00:24:33,400 that’s Hebrews seven and verse 16. 540 00:24:33,400 –> 00:24:36,079 And your resurrection body will be like his, 541 00:24:36,079 –> 00:24:38,800 it will be a body that will never die. 542 00:24:39,900 –> 00:24:42,219 Your resurrection body will never age, 543 00:24:42,219 –> 00:24:44,500 it will never decline, 544 00:24:44,500 –> 00:24:47,540 it will never be in reduced energy. 545 00:24:49,119 –> 00:24:51,219 We don’t want the old perishable body back, 546 00:24:51,219 –> 00:24:53,260 we want the upgrade, isn’t that right? 547 00:24:55,060 –> 00:24:58,400 People say you can’t put an old head on young shoulders. 548 00:24:59,699 –> 00:25:02,060 But in the resurrection the wisdom of maturity 549 00:25:02,060 –> 00:25:04,180 will be combined with the strength of youth. 550 00:25:04,180 –> 00:25:06,540 Isn’t that a wonderful thought? 551 00:25:06,540 –> 00:25:09,800 And all of Christ’s people will flourish 552 00:25:09,800 –> 00:25:11,099 to their full potential. 553 00:25:12,140 –> 00:25:14,219 Second, it will be glorious. 554 00:25:14,219 –> 00:25:16,680 It is sown in dishonor. 555 00:25:17,520 –> 00:25:20,640 It is raised in glory. 556 00:25:21,739 –> 00:25:23,640 Think about the face of Moses 557 00:25:23,640 –> 00:25:25,680 when he came down from the mountain. 558 00:25:25,680 –> 00:25:27,599 It was glowing. 559 00:25:27,599 –> 00:25:28,599 And why was it glowing? 560 00:25:28,599 –> 00:25:32,239 Because he had been in the immediate presence of God. 561 00:25:32,239 –> 00:25:35,280 His face shone, there was a radiance about him. 562 00:25:35,280 –> 00:25:38,500 And you will be in the immediate presence of the Lord. 563 00:25:38,500 –> 00:25:39,859 The Lord will be with his people. 564 00:25:39,859 –> 00:25:40,979 He will be their God. 565 00:25:40,979 –> 00:25:42,640 They are his. 566 00:25:42,880 –> 00:25:47,920 And then think about the transfiguration of Jesus. 567 00:25:47,920 –> 00:25:50,920 He goes up the mountain with Peter andJames and John 568 00:25:50,920 –> 00:25:54,400 and their faith is strengthened just before the cross 569 00:25:54,400 –> 00:25:59,319 with this kind of preview of the glory that is in Jesus 570 00:25:59,319 –> 00:26:00,760 that will soon be revealed. 571 00:26:02,680 –> 00:26:06,280 So in the one case, you’ve got Moses’ face glowing 572 00:26:06,280 –> 00:26:08,000 because he’s in the presence of the glory. 573 00:26:08,000 –> 00:26:10,640 In transfiguration, you have the glory 574 00:26:10,640 –> 00:26:15,140 of actually being in Jesus and both will be true if you 575 00:26:15,140 –> 00:26:16,839 as a believer in the resurrection body. 576 00:26:16,839 –> 00:26:19,699 You will be in the presence of the incomparable glory 577 00:26:19,699 –> 00:26:22,599 of the Lord and because you will not only have 578 00:26:22,599 –> 00:26:25,479 a resurrection body but a glorified body, 579 00:26:25,479 –> 00:26:30,479 there will be a radiance about your inner and outer life. 580 00:26:33,319 –> 00:26:35,699 Third, powerful. 581 00:26:37,000 –> 00:26:38,900 The body is sewn in weakness. 582 00:26:40,640 –> 00:26:43,479 It is raised in power. 583 00:26:43,479 –> 00:26:44,579 I love this. 584 00:26:46,099 –> 00:26:48,000 One writer says, the resurrection body 585 00:26:48,000 –> 00:26:51,000 is going to have more energy, more physical capability, 586 00:26:51,000 –> 00:26:55,079 more stamina, more athleticism, more speed, 587 00:26:55,079 –> 00:26:59,300 more coordination, more durability than it ever had before 588 00:26:59,300 –> 00:27:02,000 because we are not going to need the body less. 589 00:27:02,000 –> 00:27:04,859 We’re gonna need it more and we’re going to use it more. 590 00:27:05,780 –> 00:27:09,420 My heart has just been thrilled reflecting and praying, 591 00:27:09,420 –> 00:27:12,719 thinking about what this means for our friends 592 00:27:12,719 –> 00:27:16,280 who have been restricted to wheelchairs, 593 00:27:16,280 –> 00:27:17,800 have physical challenges 594 00:27:17,800 –> 00:27:20,660 that have restricted their lives in this world. 595 00:27:21,560 –> 00:27:24,380 Think of the words of Jesus being fulfilled, 596 00:27:24,380 –> 00:27:26,400 the blind will see, 597 00:27:27,880 –> 00:27:30,520 and the deaf will hear, 598 00:27:30,520 –> 00:27:33,140 and the lame will walk. 599 00:27:34,420 –> 00:27:37,439 And the Garden of Eden, there at the beginning, 600 00:27:37,439 –> 00:27:41,339 it offered all of the scope 601 00:27:41,339 –> 00:27:45,079 for the pursuit of art and the pursuit of science 602 00:27:45,079 –> 00:27:46,920 and the pursuit of technology. 603 00:27:46,920 –> 00:27:50,140 And the same, of course, will be true in the world to come. 604 00:27:51,880 –> 00:27:53,439 Donald MacLeod says it well, 605 00:27:53,439 –> 00:27:56,739 not only the Creator, but the new creation too, 606 00:27:56,739 –> 00:27:59,339 will be an object of wonder to the redeemed. 607 00:27:59,339 –> 00:28:01,359 It will challenge their intellects. 608 00:28:01,359 –> 00:28:03,520 It will fire our imaginations. 609 00:28:03,520 –> 00:28:05,880 It will stimulate our industry. 610 00:28:05,880 –> 00:28:08,420 The scenario is a thrilling one. 611 00:28:08,420 –> 00:28:11,619 Brilliant minds in powerful bodies 612 00:28:11,619 –> 00:28:13,239 in a transformed universe. 613 00:28:13,239 –> 00:28:15,540 Don’t you find that that gives you a, 614 00:28:15,540 –> 00:28:17,020 Lord, bring that on. 615 00:28:19,040 –> 00:28:21,719 You know, I can’t remember someone’s name, you know. 616 00:28:21,719 –> 00:28:24,079 Brilliant minds renewed. 617 00:28:27,020 –> 00:28:27,979 Powerful bodies. 618 00:28:27,979 –> 00:28:32,180 Here, try this as a way to engage people 619 00:28:32,180 –> 00:28:34,479 who are working out at the gym. 620 00:28:34,560 –> 00:28:36,719 There are thousands of them. 621 00:28:36,719 –> 00:28:39,880 Ask them, would you like to know about 622 00:28:39,880 –> 00:28:42,699 how to get a really strong body? 623 00:28:43,780 –> 00:28:45,180 Powerful. 624 00:28:45,180 –> 00:28:46,619 Now, of course, they’ll think that you’re trying 625 00:28:46,619 –> 00:28:49,839 to sell them some kind of a supplement, 626 00:28:51,400 –> 00:28:52,800 but try it. 627 00:28:52,800 –> 00:28:54,160 Powerful. 628 00:28:54,160 –> 00:28:55,000 Powerful. 629 00:28:56,199 –> 00:28:58,099 The last one is godly. 630 00:28:58,099 –> 00:29:00,479 It is sewn a natural body 631 00:29:01,339 –> 00:29:04,020 it is raised a spiritual body. 632 00:29:04,020 –> 00:29:06,280 And the reason I use the word godly here 633 00:29:06,280 –> 00:29:08,400 is because the word spiritual in this verse 634 00:29:08,400 –> 00:29:10,800 is a word that has often been misunderstood 635 00:29:10,800 –> 00:29:13,079 and has led to all kinds of confusion 636 00:29:13,079 –> 00:29:16,239 along the lines of dematerializing, and rematerializing. 637 00:29:16,239 –> 00:29:18,900 People say a spiritual body, what is that? 638 00:29:18,900 –> 00:29:20,680 But it doesn’t sound like a body 639 00:29:20,680 –> 00:29:22,599 in which you could go bungee jumping, 640 00:29:22,599 –> 00:29:24,760 or snorkeling or snowboarding, 641 00:29:24,760 –> 00:29:26,939 or anything that might really be enjoyable. 642 00:29:26,939 –> 00:29:31,739 Listen, here’s what a spiritual body is. 643 00:29:32,680 –> 00:29:35,079 When Paul speaks about a spiritual body, 644 00:29:36,180 –> 00:29:38,180 he is speaking about a body 645 00:29:38,180 –> 00:29:42,979 that is fully responsive to the Holy Spirit. 646 00:29:42,979 –> 00:29:45,619 That’s how the word spiritual is used in Paul’s writings, 647 00:29:45,619 –> 00:29:47,979 and I won’t go into all of the detail of that. 648 00:29:48,979 –> 00:29:50,339 But when Paul talks about a spiritual body, 649 00:29:50,339 –> 00:29:52,619 he’s not talking about something that’s not material 650 00:29:52,619 –> 00:29:53,979 because that would be in opposition 651 00:29:53,979 –> 00:29:56,420 to what Jesus said, flesh and bones. 652 00:29:56,420 –> 00:29:59,140 And when Paul speaks about a spiritual body, 653 00:29:59,140 –> 00:30:00,579 this is the most marvelous thing of all, 654 00:30:00,579 –> 00:30:05,579 a body that is finally fully responsive 655 00:30:06,099 –> 00:30:07,739 to the Holy Spirit. 656 00:30:07,739 –> 00:30:09,280 What a marvelous thought this is. 657 00:30:09,280 –> 00:30:11,900 You will never see, in the new heaven and the new earth, 658 00:30:11,900 –> 00:30:14,680 the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. 659 00:30:14,680 –> 00:30:16,140 All of that will be behind you. 660 00:30:16,140 –> 00:30:18,859 No, the resurrection body will be as eager 661 00:30:18,859 –> 00:30:22,859 to do the will of God as your redeemed spirit is. 662 00:30:23,739 –> 00:30:25,780 So here’s what you have to look forward to 663 00:30:25,780 –> 00:30:28,380 in the new heaven and in the new earth. 664 00:30:28,380 –> 00:30:30,979 A body that is adapted to life forever 665 00:30:30,979 –> 00:30:32,800 and will never decline. 666 00:30:32,800 –> 00:30:34,819 A body that is glorious. 667 00:30:34,819 –> 00:30:36,780 A body that is powerful. 668 00:30:36,780 –> 00:30:39,420 And a body that is fully responsive, 669 00:30:39,420 –> 00:30:43,420 at last, to the Holy Spirit. 670 00:30:45,400 –> 00:30:48,160 Lastly, four conclusions. 671 00:30:49,579 –> 00:30:54,579 Number one, recognize that you are wholly owned 672 00:30:54,859 –> 00:30:56,339 by Jesus Christ. 673 00:30:57,180 –> 00:30:59,380 And thinking of 1 Corinthians 6, 674 00:31:00,300 –> 00:31:03,500 you are not your own, Paul says to believers, 675 00:31:04,719 –> 00:31:06,660 because you were bought with a price. 676 00:31:08,199 –> 00:31:12,599 So glorify God in your body. 677 00:31:14,099 –> 00:31:16,199 He made you soul and body. 678 00:31:17,640 –> 00:31:20,599 He redeemed you, soul and body. 679 00:31:21,739 –> 00:31:24,160 He paid the price, not to save a bit of you, 680 00:31:24,199 –> 00:31:26,959 he paid the full price to save the whole of you. 681 00:31:27,880 –> 00:31:30,599 And the resurrection has its root 682 00:31:30,599 –> 00:31:32,319 in that most marvelous truth, 683 00:31:32,319 –> 00:31:37,319 that means that He owns you, soul and body. 684 00:31:39,020 –> 00:31:43,359 That means Christ reigns not only over your heart, 685 00:31:44,520 –> 00:31:45,800 but over your life. 686 00:31:46,719 –> 00:31:49,119 It means He has the right to determine where you will live 687 00:31:49,119 –> 00:31:50,599 and what you will do. 688 00:31:51,520 –> 00:31:53,640 The fact that He has bought all of you 689 00:31:53,640 –> 00:31:56,459 with His own blood 690 00:31:56,459 –> 00:32:01,319 means that over every part of your life, 691 00:32:01,319 –> 00:32:03,680 material, spiritual, whatever it is, 692 00:32:03,680 –> 00:32:07,760 Jesus Christ, by rights, says, mine, 693 00:32:07,760 –> 00:32:09,079 mine, you’re not your own. 694 00:32:10,520 –> 00:32:15,520 Your life is His to spend in whatever way He chooses. 695 00:32:15,719 –> 00:32:18,319 It’s fundamental to what it means to be a Christian. 696 00:32:19,260 –> 00:32:22,780 Second, in the light of this great truth, 697 00:32:22,780 –> 00:32:25,140 be done with everything that defiles 698 00:32:25,140 –> 00:32:27,640 either your body or your soul. 699 00:32:28,479 –> 00:32:31,180 This is Second Corinthians chapter seven in verse one. 700 00:32:31,180 –> 00:32:34,459 Since we have these promises, 701 00:32:34,459 –> 00:32:37,119 in other words, in the light of the glorious promise 702 00:32:37,119 –> 00:32:39,319 of the resurrection that lies ahead of us, 703 00:32:39,319 –> 00:32:40,339 what should we do? 704 00:32:40,339 –> 00:32:45,339 Let us cleanse ourselves of every defilement of body 705 00:32:46,160 –> 00:32:50,380 and of spirit, bringing holiness to completion 706 00:32:50,380 –> 00:32:51,859 in the fear of the Lord. 707 00:32:51,880 –> 00:32:53,180 Did you notice that, by the way? 708 00:32:53,180 –> 00:32:56,560 Since we have these promises, 709 00:32:56,560 –> 00:32:59,099 not since we have these rules, 710 00:32:59,099 –> 00:33:01,260 though Paul could have said that, 711 00:33:01,260 –> 00:33:03,260 God to command is enough. 712 00:33:04,380 –> 00:33:06,199 But what he’s bringing is motive. 713 00:33:07,180 –> 00:33:10,979 And he’s bringing a higher motive even than the law of God 714 00:33:10,979 –> 00:33:15,359 in terms of the weight that it carries in the human soul. 715 00:33:15,359 –> 00:33:17,640 And he says since we have these promises, 716 00:33:17,640 –> 00:33:20,180 since you have as a believer, 717 00:33:20,239 –> 00:33:22,780 a glorious future for your body 718 00:33:24,719 –> 00:33:26,319 as well as your soul, 719 00:33:27,500 –> 00:33:29,719 well, that’s the reason to cleanse yourself 720 00:33:29,719 –> 00:33:31,900 of everything that defiles. 721 00:33:33,420 –> 00:33:36,540 You have a glorious future for your mind, 722 00:33:36,540 –> 00:33:38,859 so use your mind in a way that glorifies God. 723 00:33:38,859 –> 00:33:40,540 Don’t pollute your mind, 724 00:33:40,540 –> 00:33:43,180 fill your mind with what pleases God. 725 00:33:43,180 –> 00:33:44,540 And the same is true for your body, 726 00:33:44,540 –> 00:33:45,699 that’s what he’s saying. 727 00:33:45,699 –> 00:33:48,180 Don’t use your body as an instrument for sin, 728 00:33:48,219 –> 00:33:50,300 that’s Romans chapter six and verse 12. 729 00:33:50,300 –> 00:33:51,859 Use your eyes and your ears 730 00:33:51,859 –> 00:33:53,199 and your hand and your tongue 731 00:33:53,199 –> 00:33:55,319 in ways that honor Christ. 732 00:33:56,579 –> 00:33:58,439 And do not defile your own body 733 00:33:58,439 –> 00:34:00,479 because Christ died to redeem it. 734 00:34:01,520 –> 00:34:04,579 And there’s a glorious future for your resurrected body 735 00:34:06,300 –> 00:34:09,300 as a servant of God forever and forever. 736 00:34:09,300 –> 00:34:12,080 Number three, offer your whole self to God, 737 00:34:12,080 –> 00:34:14,300 this is Romans chapter 12 and verse one, 738 00:34:14,340 –> 00:34:17,820 I appeal to you, therefore brothers, 739 00:34:17,820 –> 00:34:20,139 by the mercies of God, in the light of all of this, 740 00:34:20,139 –> 00:34:23,379 I appeal to you to present your bodies 741 00:34:23,379 –> 00:34:27,500 as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, 742 00:34:27,500 –> 00:34:30,020 which is your spiritual worship. 743 00:34:31,459 –> 00:34:33,479 It’s very common, isn’t it, in church circles 744 00:34:33,479 –> 00:34:36,600 for us to talk about giving Jesus your heart. 745 00:34:38,379 –> 00:34:40,919 And we understand what is meant by that, 746 00:34:41,899 –> 00:34:45,040 but why in the world would it only be your heart? 747 00:34:46,919 –> 00:34:48,239 What about your body? 748 00:34:49,399 –> 00:34:53,139 It’s not enough to say, oh, his heart was in the right place 749 00:34:53,139 –> 00:34:55,040 God wants more than your heart. 750 00:34:56,560 –> 00:34:57,840 Present your bodies, why? 751 00:34:57,840 –> 00:35:01,479 Because the body is what gives you the capacity to act. 752 00:35:01,479 –> 00:35:05,360 What is he saying is this, spend your strength, 753 00:35:05,360 –> 00:35:09,560 spend your life, spend all that you are 754 00:35:09,600 –> 00:35:12,419 and all that you have in the honoring of Jesus Christ. 755 00:35:12,419 –> 00:35:15,919 Let it be one great sacrifice of worship. 756 00:35:15,919 –> 00:35:18,760 Here’s one of the great truths about the resurrection body 757 00:35:18,760 –> 00:35:21,639 or great applications of the resurrection body. 758 00:35:21,639 –> 00:35:25,479 Folks, it means you don’t have to worry anymore 759 00:35:25,479 –> 00:35:28,040 about your bucket list. 760 00:35:28,040 –> 00:35:31,100 You don’t have to worry about it. 761 00:35:32,379 –> 00:35:36,479 I was gonna preach for the Gospel Coalition in Canada 762 00:35:36,500 –> 00:35:39,159 this summer, and I thought, 763 00:35:39,159 –> 00:35:42,399 I’m gonna get a chance to go to Nova Scotia 764 00:35:42,399 –> 00:35:44,260 because the conference is right now. 765 00:35:44,260 –> 00:35:46,239 I’ve always wanted to go to Nova Scotia 766 00:35:46,239 –> 00:35:49,800 for a reason that you might be able to work out. 767 00:35:49,800 –> 00:35:54,100 And the conference just got canceled 768 00:35:54,100 –> 00:35:56,439 because they had 17 feet of snow in the winter 769 00:35:56,439 –> 00:35:57,919 and the very structure of the church 770 00:35:57,919 –> 00:35:58,840 has been compromised, 771 00:35:58,840 –> 00:36:01,479 they’re gonna have to completely rebuild it. 772 00:36:01,479 –> 00:36:03,840 So, no Nova Scotia. 773 00:36:03,840 –> 00:36:06,199 And if I never get to Nova Scotia, 774 00:36:06,260 –> 00:36:07,260 maybe I will, 775 00:36:09,000 –> 00:36:11,280 there’ll be a better Nova Scotia in the new heaven 776 00:36:11,280 –> 00:36:12,439 than in the new earth. 777 00:36:13,600 –> 00:36:15,280 And there’ll be a better body than this one 778 00:36:15,280 –> 00:36:17,520 to explode it as well. 779 00:36:17,520 –> 00:36:19,080 You don’t have to worry so much 780 00:36:19,080 –> 00:36:20,479 about your bucket list, 781 00:36:20,479 –> 00:36:22,360 in fact, think about this. 782 00:36:22,360 –> 00:36:24,639 You, as a Christian, if you really believe this, 783 00:36:24,639 –> 00:36:27,379 you can afford to live sacrificially. 784 00:36:28,399 –> 00:36:31,800 You can afford to lay down your life. 785 00:36:31,800 –> 00:36:34,600 The new earth will be better than the one we have now. 786 00:36:34,600 –> 00:36:36,399 The resurrection body will be better 787 00:36:36,399 –> 00:36:38,239 than the body you have now. 788 00:36:38,239 –> 00:36:40,760 And you will have forever to savor 789 00:36:40,760 –> 00:36:43,540 the pleasures that God has in store for you. 790 00:36:45,459 –> 00:36:47,679 The last application is this. 791 00:36:47,679 –> 00:36:49,379 And it’s right from the conclusion 792 00:36:49,379 –> 00:36:51,300 of the verses that we read, 793 00:36:51,300 –> 00:36:55,800 therefore never give way to discouragement. 794 00:36:55,800 –> 00:36:58,040 And this comes right out of all that Paul says 795 00:36:58,040 –> 00:37:01,459 about the resurrection body 1 Corinthians 15-58. 796 00:37:01,520 –> 00:37:05,020 Therefore, my brothers, 797 00:37:05,020 –> 00:37:09,159 be steadfast, immovable. 798 00:37:09,159 –> 00:37:12,360 All was abounding in the work of the Lord, 799 00:37:12,360 –> 00:37:17,260 knowing that in the Lord your labor, 800 00:37:17,260 –> 00:37:19,739 that is your hard work, your sweat, 801 00:37:19,739 –> 00:37:22,479 your graft, your sticking at it. 802 00:37:22,479 –> 00:37:24,820 Your gritting your teeth and enduring stuff 803 00:37:24,820 –> 00:37:26,419 that’s not easy. 804 00:37:26,419 –> 00:37:27,820 Knowing that in the Lord, 805 00:37:27,879 –> 00:37:33,479 your labor is not in vain. 806 00:37:33,479 –> 00:37:34,479 How do you know that? 807 00:37:34,479 –> 00:37:36,639 You know that because soon you will savor 808 00:37:36,639 –> 00:37:40,360 the joys of life in the resurrection body. 809 00:37:40,360 –> 00:37:43,280 Soon your struggles with sin are going to be over, 810 00:37:43,280 –> 00:37:46,760 so fight your best warfare against it now. 811 00:37:46,760 –> 00:37:49,439 Soon the weariness that comes 812 00:37:49,439 –> 00:37:52,280 with being stretched to the limit 813 00:37:52,280 –> 00:37:57,159 in serving will be a thing of the past 814 00:37:57,320 –> 00:37:59,840 because you are pressing 815 00:37:59,840 –> 00:38:02,800 forward towards the resurrection. 816 00:38:02,800 –> 00:38:06,679 So keep giving yourself fully to everything 817 00:38:06,679 –> 00:38:08,780 that God is calling you to do. 818 00:38:08,780 –> 00:38:12,639 Do it with joy and do it knowing 819 00:38:12,639 –> 00:38:14,500 that if even a cup of cold water 820 00:38:14,500 –> 00:38:16,560 will not go without its reward 821 00:38:16,560 –> 00:38:18,360 you can be absolutely certain 822 00:38:18,360 –> 00:38:21,840 that a life laid down in service for Jesus 823 00:38:21,840 –> 00:38:26,639 can never, never, never be in vain. 824 00:38:26,719 –> 00:38:28,139 Let’s pray together shall we? 825 00:38:30,000 –> 00:38:34,659 Father, settle in our minds 826 00:38:36,139 –> 00:38:40,800 the glorious hope of the Resurrection 827 00:38:43,320 –> 00:38:47,340 and help us to live in a way 828 00:38:47,340 –> 00:38:52,340 that reflects our knowledge 829 00:38:52,360 –> 00:38:54,280 that we are wholly owned. 830 00:38:55,280 –> 00:38:59,219 our radical commitment to be done with sin 831 00:39:01,780 –> 00:39:04,280 our offering of ourselves 832 00:39:04,280 –> 00:39:08,780 wholly and sacrificially to You 833 00:39:08,780 –> 00:39:12,780 and are sure in certain knowledge 834 00:39:12,780 –> 00:39:17,060 that such a life is never, never, never, lived in vain. 835 00:39:17,060 –> 00:39:19,860 And these things we ask in Jesus name 836 00:39:19,860 –> 00:39:22,100 and all of God’s people together said 837 00:39:22,620 –> 00:39:23,620 Amen