Strength for today (1 Corinthians 15)

We are continuing this kind of short series after Easter,

thinking about the difference that the resurrection of Jesus

makes to our lives here and now. And so I want to begin our time

by with two quotations from one of my favorite films.

So I want you to listen to each short quotation.

If you recognise the film, please shout out.

Here we go. So first quotation, hope is a

dangerous thing, hope can drive a man insane straight away in

there where people of a certain age in the mid 90s this golden

age. The second quote from the same

film, hope was a dangerous thing, hope can drive a man

insane, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things and no

good thing ever dies. So straight out the gate,

Shawshank Redemption is the film from 1994, these two views of

Hope. It's set in a brutal prison in

the United States between the 40s and 60s, focuses on the

friendship between the two men on the screen, Andy played by

Tim Robbins and Red, played by Morgan Freeman.

On a good day, I try and channel Morgan Freeman's voice because

it's it's just great. And in the in the film, Red has

been imprisoned much longer than Andy and the two friends have

opposing views on Hope. So Red is the one who says that.

First quote I read. Hope is a dangerous thing.

Hope can drive a man insane. Andy, Hope is a good thing,

maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.

And as the film unravels unfolds, we're busy asked which

view of hope is the right one? Which view of hope is true?

Because Red's view of hope that it's a dangerous thing that can

drive someone insane. Well, that's correct if hope is

just a vague sense of optimism, if hope isn't based on anything

real, if hope's about shutting your eyes and pretending the bad

things aren't there, if that's what hope is, then red's right.

Hope's a dangerous thing. But equally, if Andy's view of

hope that it's a good thing is correct, well, well, that could

be right. If hope is based on something

solid and real, if you know something about the future that

makes the present more livable, if what you're hoping in really

will come about and you really can depend on it.

And this morning, as we're looking at One Corinthians

chapter 15, this is the apostle Paul's most detailed exploration

of the resurrection of Jesus. I want us all to see this

morning that if we are followers of Jesus, hope is a good thing.

In fact, according to Paul, it's our future hope that gives us

the strength we need to live for Jesus today in a fallen world as

fallen people when life is often hard and unpredictable.

No one could. It's 15.

You saw it. It's a very long passage.

We had just had three excerpts from it.

We're just going to get sort of edited highlights this morning.

But. But by the end of the chapter,

Paul lands on an amazing destination.

If you want to summarize the message of this, this bit of

Scripture, it's that your life here and I, if you're a follower

of Jesus, has meaning and purpose and hope.

Because Christ is risen, we will be raised with Christ, and

therefore nothing we do for Jesus in this world is ever lost

or wasted. That's what Paul is declaring to

the Corinthians. Christ is risen, we'll be raised

with him. Therefore, nothing we do for him

in this world is ever lost or wasted.

And we're talking about hope a lot, the different views of it

in that film. A few weeks ago on Easter

Sunday, we sort of tried to come up with a loose definition of

hope. Sort of things may be difficult

now, but we know the future is going to be so much better.

The future waiting for us makes the hard things now worthwhile.

And the stumbling block in that definition is like Red in

Shawshank Redemption. Well, how can anyone know for

certain that the future is going to be better?

Gunn Red would say that sort of thinking could drive you insane.

What if you're wrong? What of the future isn't going

to be great? What will you do then?

But again, a few weeks ago on Easter Sunday and this morning,

and one could. It's 15.

We learn where Christian hope comes from.

Our hope rests on something solid, more accurately, on

someone solid. Our hope rests on the crucified

and risen Jesus. That's why the Apostle Paul ends

this chapter the way he does verse 58.

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm.

Let nothing move. You always give yourselves fully

to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the

Lord is not in vain. I want to be honest with you.

This is a verse that I've just kept coming back to you again

and again in my life. It reminds me of just precious

truths. A life lived for Jesus has

meaning because Jesus is Lord. He's the Son of God who loved me

and gave himself for me. I'm precious to him.

But a life live for Jesus also has purpose, that there is work

to be done. We are his witnesses in this

world. We've got things to do in this

world as followers of Jesus. But overarching all that a life

live for Jesus has hope because we will be raised with Jesus in

a glorious new creation. The last word does not belong to

suffering and death. The last word belongs to Jesus.

So let's look at this passage together, just unedited

highlights this morning. And the first thing Paul wanted

to see is a truth that stands at the heart of the gospel.

Christ is risen. Put it another way, the

resurrection of Jesus really happens again.

We learn from this chapter that in the 1st century, just as in

the 21st century, there have always been people who've denied

that the resurrection of Jesus actually happened.

There've been people who've said, well, it's a hoax or it's

a lie, or maybe more positively say, well, it's a beautiful

story, but there's no basis in historical facts because we know

dead people don't rise again. But in response to those people,

Paul wants his readers to see the resurrection of Jesus really

happened in time and space, in the real world we all live in.

And as a result, Jesus really has defeated sin and death.

Jesus really has one hope for us and look at how Paul opens the

chapter verse one and two. Now brothers and sisters, I want

to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you

received, on which you have taken your stand.

By this gospel you are saved if you hold firmly to the word I

preached to you, otherwise you believed in vain.

So according to Paul, the gospel, the good news of Jesus,

it is solid ground on which we can stand.

And in these verses, Paul makes it clear he didn't invent the

gospel. He didn't come up with on his

own. Though the gospel is something

that Paul received from the eyewitnesses, that is Jesus

original disciples, and that he then passed on to the

Corinthians. And now in one Corinthians he's

passing it on to us. Paul wants us to know the truth

of the gospel. What I received, I passed on to

you. These verses, Paul seems to be

saying they're not his own words even.

It's something Paul received. Antony's passed on.

This is this record in verses 1 to to 8.

It's like an early Christian creed.

And what's a creed? It's it's a summary of what

Christians believe, and they've been used since the earliest

days of the church. And what is this early creed?

We're told here that Christ died for our sins according to the

Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third

day according to the Scriptures, that he appeared to Cephas, and

then to the 12th. This is the essence of the

Christian faith. Christ died for our sins.

He was buried, He was raised, and He was seen.

It seems to be from the earliest days of the church.

There are hints here. Paul is writing right about AD

54, but he's saying he received this already, probably from the

church in Jerusalem. The way Peter is referred to

here as Cephas, that is his Aramaic name.

This is an early name for Peter. This could have been as early as

the mid 30s after Paul came to faith and he went to Jerusalem.

He may have heard this creed and now he is passing it on to the

Corinthians. Well, this shows us that the

earliest Christians were celebrating Jesus death for our

sins and rising again from the very earliest days of the

church. And why does that matter?

Well, actually there are always are many people who would say

maybe the Apostle Paul, he's the one who came up with the

resurrection of Jesus. That's where many years after

the event, people like Paul took this great human teacher Jesus

and they invented lots of things around him, said actually he

wasn't just a teacher, he was the son of God and he didn't die

heroes again, as if that's like years after the events.

Many sceptics point to that. Now many Muslim people will say

the apostle Paul, he's the one who invented the resurrection.

But the fact that Paul here says he's quoting a summary that he

received and then passed on shows us from the very earliest

days of the church, the earliest disciples worshipped Jesus as

the crucified and risen Lord. They rejoiced in his death for

their sin, and they rejoiced in the victory he had won over sin

and death in their place. Christ died for our sins.

Christ was buried. Christ was raised.

That is, these are truths that Christians have recited for

centuries, from the very earliest days of the church.

And notice also that Paul is keen to record the actual names

of people who saw the risen Jesus.

Here he mentioned Cephas, the Aramaic name for Peter.

This is verse 5. Then the 12.

Then to more than 500 of the brothers and sisters at the same

time. Then to James, that's Jesus

brother, who at that point did not believe in him.

Then to the apostles. That's possibly a wider group

than the 12 or just the 12 again.

And finally to Paul himself some years later on the road to

Damascus. Now, it's not an exhaustive

list. Not everyone who saw Jesus is on

this. For instance, there's no mention

of the women who saw Jesus first on Easter Sunday.

All four Gospels tell us that. But this early creed emphasizes

that the same Jesus who died on the cross and was buried was

seen by real life people who know actually encountered him

and saw he has won the victory over sin and death.

We're even told that once he appeared to over 500 people at

the same time. At the same time saying this

wasn't just a hallucination, wasn't just one person having a

strange vision or a bit of cheese and then having a weird

dream. No, this was shared by 500

brothers and sisters, most of whom Paul says at this point are

still living. Those some have fallen asleep.

Again, this is writing in the mid 50s AD.

It's as if Paul's inviting the Corinthians.

Actually don't just take my word for it.

You could actually talk to some of those 500 people.

Now you go and ask them, what did you see when you saw the

risen Jesus? Go and talk to them yourself.

It's like Paul is so confident of the truth of what he's

saying, he invites the Corinthians to follow up.

Now, of course, that's not an option for us today, nearly 2000

years later, but we need to see Paul's confidence here.

The resurrection of Jesus really happened.

It is an historical event, it is true, and it's something we can

build our lives upon. And why does that matter to Paul

so much? We'll look down at verse 17.

He puts a really starkly if Christ has not been raised, your

faith is futile. You're still in your sins or

verse 19, if only for this life. We have hope in Christ.

We are of all people most to be pitied.

Paul saying if the resurrection didn't happen, I'm not.

That's not just a small thing. That's just well, I'll opt out

of the resurrection. I like the other stuff about

Jesus. I'm going to opt out of

believing he's risen now. He says it's because Christ has

risen, but we can know that Jesus is who he says he is, that

death is a defeated enemy. Sin is a defeated enemy, and our

lives now have meaning and purpose.

This is the basis for Christian hope.

And hope is a good thing for Christians because it rests on

the crucified and risen Jesus. And it's our hope that stands at

the heart of our message for the world.

Again, one of the witnesses named by Paul here Cephas or

Peter writing to a group of Christians scattered across Asia

Minor a few years after the events of the resurrection said

this always be prepared to give an answer to everybody asks you

to give the reason for the hope that you have, but do this with

gentleness and respect. That's there's so much there

about what it means to live as a witness for Jesus.

Be prepared to give an answer. Expect people to ask you

questions. Do this with gentleness and

respect. But the heart of it I want us to

see here is what is the reason for the hope that Christians

have? Well, the reason is Jesus.

The reason is what he has done in our place in dying and rising

again. He is our message for the world.

The reason for the hope we have is the crucified and risen

Jesus. That's where Paul begins.

He wants his readers to know Christ is risen, the

resurrection really happened, and then he wants to lift their

eyes to their future and the future of everyone who trusts in

Jesus. We will be raised with Christ,

says Paul. Now this is the bit we're going

to absolutely skim. I will, I give apologies now,

there's so much in here. I'd encourage you to read it

yourself later. We just have time for some of

the headlines. Verse 20, Jesus, Paul says is

the first fruits of the resurrection.

Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.

Verse 20, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep,

Those who have fallen asleep, that's a reference to those who

have died and what? What does it mean?

Jesus the first fruits look in. Anyone who does any gardening or

has seen gardening on telly will know the first signs of a

harvest to come. It's like the first ripe tomato

on your tomato plants. Everything else might be green.

Nothing else is edible. But that right tomato reminds

you the harvest is on its way. It's not here yet, but the proof

is. I can see the first fruits and

the resurrection of Jesus on the first Easter Sunday is the proof

that the resurrection is coming. Just as God raised Jesus from

the dead, so God will raise everyone who trusts in Jesus

from the dead. We're told Jesus is the second

Adam. Verse 21.

For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the

dead comes also through a man. For is an Adam all die, so in

Christ all will be made alive. Paul's referring back to the

events in Genesis when the first Adam rejected God.

In his ways, sin and death entered the world, and all

humanity is under the sentence of death.

In Adam, all die, says Paul. It's the ultimate statistic.

One in one people born will die. But the resurrection of Jesus

has happened and the future is going to be different, says

Paul. By rising again, Jesus is a

fresh start to a new humanity, one that is now free from sin

and death. In Christ, all will be made

alive. Everyone who trusts in Jesus now

shares in his victory over death and sin.

Death will not have the final word for any believer.

We're now headed for resurrection life thanks to

Jesus Jesus, if you like, is the trailer for the Resurrection to

Come, verse 51. Listen, I tell you a mystery.

We'll not all sleep, but we will all be changed in a flash, in

the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet.

For the trumpet will signed, the dead will be raised

imperishable, and we will be changed.

We will be like Jesus again. We saw that on Easter Sunday a

few weeks ago. When we look at the risen Jesus

and the Gospels, we are getting a glimpse of the future

resurrection life. He is 1 for everyone who trusts

in him. You look at the risen Jesus and

the Gospels. He can be touched, He can eat

and enjoy food. He spends time with his

disciples. And in the same way, in the new

creation we will be physical, we will be able to eat and enjoy

food. We will be able to worship God

together in the community of his people.

That is our future hope. And it is a good thing, says

Paul. Because here and now, our bodies

fade away. Some of us maybe feel that more

than others. The wrinkles keep coming.

Hair goes where you want it, and it comes where you don't.

Your energy levels decrease. And the older you get, you

realize, actually, I can't do everything that I'd like to do.

I want to eat a huge amount of cheese at 10:00 PM.

But my body rejects that. Our bodies let us dine and they

will do more and more. But Wanquin is 15.

Come the new creation won for us by Jesus, we will have

resurrection bodies. It's mind blowing but but

basically the summary is that you will be strong and whole and

healthy and satisfied for the first time ever.

Your body will work perfectly. Your mind will think clearly,

your heart will be full of love for God and full of love for

people. And that is not our experience

here and now. But Paul says it will be our

experience when Christ returns because of what Jesus has done

for us. Hope is a good thing for the

Christian, says Paul. Of course, here and now death is

still an enemy. Verse 26 Death is still a

reality for followers of Jesus, but it's a defeated enemy.

Death can still hurt us. It still disrupts relationships.

We still grieve in the face of it.

But actually see where Paul lands in verses 54 to 57.

He says the saying that is written will come true.

Death has been swallowed up in victory.

Where O death is your victory? Where O death is your sting?

The sting of death is sin. The power of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God, he gives us the victory over.

He gives us the victory story through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanks to the death and resurrection of Jesus in our

place, death is now a defeated enemy for every Christian.

And one day when Jesus returns, death itself will die.

Jesus took the sting of death, the pain of death on himself, so

that we will not face that sting of death and sin that is the

basis for our future hope that Jesus died.

Jesus rose from the dead and we will raise with him.

Christ has died. Christ has risen, will be raised

with Christ, and therefore Paul finishes.

Nothing we do for Jesus in this world is ever lost or wasted.

Verse 58. Therefore, my dear brothers and

sisters, stand firm, let nothing move.

You always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because

you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

I referred to midlife crises a few minutes ago.

I guess the older you get, the more you're linked to things

that didn't quite work out. Disappointments, griefs, hard

things. You look at verse 58 and it

reminds us nothing we do for Jesus is ever lost or wasted.

It's not in vain. That doesn't mean everything we

want. We'll go according to plan.

That doesn't mean we're we're kept safe from the hard things

in a fallen world, Not at all. We still sin, we still get sick,

we still hurt other people. Other people still hurt us.

We still die. That's why we need the

encouragement of verse 58. My dear brothers and sisters, I

love Paul's love for the Corinthians.

Here they are family to him. Stand firm, let nothing move you

in light of Jesus death and resurrection.

Don't give up on following Jesus, don't give in to despair,

don't change what you believe to make life a little bit easier.

Stand firm on the truths of the gospel, on the crucified and

risen Jesus and give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord.

Paul knows we all the temptation to become half hearted in our

love and our worship. He says instead give everything

you are to the God who has given everything for you because it'll

be worth it in the end. Your labor is not in vain.

Nothing you do for Jesus is ever lost or wasted.

I want to see one can his 15 has such a glorious message for

everyone who follows Jesus. Your life has meaning because

Jesus is Lord and He loves you and He wants you in this world

and he suffered and died and rose again for you.

Your life has purpose because now He wants you to live as His

witness in this world. God has people in your life He

wants you to love. God has work in your life he

wants you to do. God has a gospel that He wants

us to proclaim through our lives and through our words.

And ultimately your life has hope as you will be raised with

Christ one day and nothing can stop that, nothing get in the

way of that. Because Jesus has won the

victory one can, as 15 is good news for weary people and weak

people and discouraged people. Because we are following the

Jesus who suffered and died for us.

Because we're following a suffering Jesus, it will involve

suffering at times, but we know the victory is secure because

Jesus has secured it. Hope can be a dangerous thing if

it's based on nothing. Hope is a good thing when it's

based and rooted on the living, risen, glorious, and returning

Jesus. Let's pray together.

Let's pray. Therefore, my dear brothers and

sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you always give

yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that

your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Christ has died. Christ is risen.

Christ will come again. We will be raised with Christ.

Lord, thank you neither. In this world, here and now,

nothing we do for you is ever lost or wasted.

You are present with us, You will bring us home, and You will

be near to us every step of the journey.

We thank you for that meaning, for the purpose you give us and

the hope you have won for us. Help us hold onto and rest in

that hope in the days ahead. For your glory we ask it, Lord

Jesus, Amen.