The Hope of the Resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:12-34 June 23, 2024 Pastor Stephen Prescott

Thesis Because Jesus rose from the dead, the power of sin is broken, our service and suffering matter eternally, we will rise again with the church, and Christ will return in victory—therefore we must live with hope and eternity in mind rather than for this life only.

Series

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Type

Expository

Tone

pastoraldidacticpropheticcelebratory

Method

grammatical-historicalcanonicalapplicatory

What's in this sermon

The shape of the argument

24 units across exposition, application, illustration, theological claim, and conclusion. The pastor's argument is built from these moving parts.

Pastoral correction · unit #7

"The preacher applies the resurrection's power to believers who feel stuck in sin patterns, addressing two common responses—either giving up on holiness or despairing in discouragement—by reminding them that Jesus is alive, interceding, and breaking sin's power, which should change their self-perception and inspire hope for transformation."

Doctrinal loci· 12 surfaced

Eschatology · 11 Sanctification · 7 Soteriology · 7 Christology · 5 Ecclesiology · 4 Ethics / Moral Theology · 2 Hamartiology · 2 Pneumatology · 2 Doxology / Worship · 1 Pastoral Theology · 1 Providence / Sovereignty · 1 Theology Proper · 1

Bible citations· 23

Illustrations· 3

personal story · unit #10 — The preacher uses his personal experience of receiving mail during military deployments as an analogy for the resurrection: just as letters remind soldiers of home and what they're fighting for, the resurrection reminds believers that this world isn't home and gives meaning to their service and suffering for the gospel.
cultural reference · unit #20 — The preacher uses the cultural phrase 'YOLO' (You Only Live Once) as an illustration of how living for the present without eternal perspective leads to destructive choices and wasted opportunities, neglecting God's eternal purposes.
personal story · unit #21 — The preacher recounts the common pattern of soldiers squandering deployment earnings on immediate gratification—impulsive purchases, tattoos, expensive cars—because they fail to plan with the future in mind, setting up an analogy for how believers can waste their lives by living for present comfort without eternal perspective.

Theological claims· 2

Because Christ has in fact been raised from the dead, believers must live awake to the resurrection reality, rejecting the world's 'live for today' philosophy and living as people of hope who will also rise again. unit #3
While Jesus is our friend, the resurrection establishes him as sovereign Lord and King with all things subjected under his feet, which means holiness matters, sin has consequences, and he is worthy of worship, reverence, and obedience—not merely casual friendship. unit #19

Quotations· 2

"imagine there's no heaven or hell below. It's easy if you try above us, only sky. Imagine all the people living for today. Imagine no countries. It's not hard to do nothing, to kill or die for no religion." — John Lennon (unit #1)

"I think it wise to take the passage at face value. It seems that certain Corinthians were baptized on behalf of people who were christians, possibly family members or friends who died. And it seems likely the Corinthians were concerned about believers who died before they could be baptized and feared some spiritual loss as a result... this view suits the context and coheres with other scriptures which show Paul as a lion when he's detecting any challenge to the gospel itself." — Doctor Dan Doriani (unit #14)

Read it

Full transcript

40,148 characters 24 units ~45 min reading time

0 · The preacher opens with a call to locate the primary text and announces his intent to read the full passage aloud to establish the biblical foundation for the sermon

phrases. If you have your bibles, turn with me to first corinthians, chapter 15. We're going to be looking at verses twelve to 34, and I'm going to read the whole thing because I just want us to be able to see it today. We'll have it up on the screen as well. And so again, that's one corinthians 15 12 34.

1 · The preacher introduces the sermon's thematic tension by recounting his mother's graduation, where John Lennon's 'Imagine' presented a hopeless worldview void of heaven or religion—a cultural vision the sermon will counter

I thought, as we introduced this, I was wanting just to share a story about my mom, and I don't want to date my mom. She's going to be here second service, so she wouldn't want me to do that. But she was telling me about when she graduated in high school. And a lot of times when you graduate in high school, there's kind of like a theme song that they play for the graduation class.

It's like a song of hope. You know, you're going into your life, you're going into your career, all the next steps. And so, for my mom's class, some of you may be familiar with this song. The theme song, kind of, for the graduating class, was this song called Imagine by John Lennon. And the song, a couple lyrics from the song go like this.

It says, imagine there's no heaven or hell below. It's easy if you try above us, only sky. Imagine all the people living for today. Imagine no countries. It's not hard to do nothing, to kill or die for no religion.

He says. He says, imagine this. And he's talking about this world without countries, without religion or faith, without heaven. And, you know, I remember my mom was telling me, she says, man, Stephen, it was not a very hopeful moment for me as I'm graduating, and there is no heaven, there is no religion. And she just said, that wasn't.

And I thought about that. I said, man, what a terrible world. What a terrible future to imagine. In this passage today, Paul does something kind of similar. He says, imagine there is no resurrection.

What does that mean?

2 · The preacher walks through Paul's logical argument in verses 12-32, outlining the catastrophic consequences if there is no resurrection: preaching is useless, believers remain in sin, suffering is pointless, the dead perish, Christ is not king, and the believer's life is pitiable

He says in verse twelve, if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And he kind of repeats this in verse 16. If the dead are not raised.

Not even Christ has been raised. And he's kind of like, imagine this, and it's not really a dream. This is a nightmare scenario right here that he's imagining. Right. And he says, let's just argue this for a moment.

And he says in 16, if the dead are not raised, then Christ hasn't been raised either. And so we're going to just kind of outline some consequences. And this is sort of what Paul does in this passage, is we're going to outline some consequences if there is no resurrection. And he first of all says, then our preaching is useless. It's just a waste of time and we're misrepresenting God.

He also would kind of say here, too, if there is no resurrection, then we're just still in our sins and we're slaves to our sins. And it doesn't make a difference in that realm. He says, all of the serving and suffering that you've done for the gospel, all the proclamation for the gospel, well, that doesn't matter. That's just a waste of time. He says, if Jesus hasn't been raised, we're not going to be together with the church again in heaven or after this life is over.

And ultimately, he says, if there is no resurrection, then Jesus truly isn't king. He isn't alive, and he's not coming again. Boy, what a. And he sums it up in verse 19. He says, if in Christ, if we have hope in this life, only if John Lennon's song is true, we're just living for today.

He says, we are of all people most to be pitied. What a terrible way to live. In verse 32, it repeats this common framework, and it actually doesn't take long to think about this and think, man, there is so much of our culture, just like the culture in Corinth, that is living under this of philosophy, because he repeats the philosophy in verse 32. And he said, if the dead are not raised, then this is how you ought to live. You ought to live with saying, eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.

Just live it up in this life. Don't even think about the future. Don't have eternity in mind. Just live selfishly for yourself. The sad part is many people do live this way.

They don't know about Jesus, they don't know about the resurrection. They don't know that there is an eternity. And so they live for this life only. And our response ought to be to have pity and compassion for people like this and to share faith. But it's interesting to me because this passage is also written to the church in Corinth.

And so it's possible for people to not know about the resurrection and just live for today. But it's also possible for people who are connected to the church to be aware of the resurrection, but somehow to still live like there is no resurrection. Otherwise this passage wouldn't be here for the church. And it doesn't take long for us to see this. We see this actually often and probably at times even in our own lives, when we prioritize a position and a job as the number one priority in our life.

If I get this position, then I'll be happy and things will be good. Or when we make money the number one goal of our life, I have to earn just as much money as I can because that's what matters the most. Or maybe we prioritize it this way when we think to ourselves that, man, it's all about my political team winning. Or maybe it's all about this hobby in my life. If I have this hobby, then things are good.

Maybe even sometimes we put good things in this position and we say, you know what? It's all about family. I need to take care of my family or my friends. But I'm so thankful for this text today because it's this reminder that this life is not all there is. And living for any of these one things, it's putting the wrong thing in the top priority of our lives.

3 · The preacher pivots from the nightmare scenario to the hope-filled reality: Christ has been raised as the firstfruits, and in Christ all will be made alive

So this passage ought to be hope inspiring, and it gives us what this life, the christian life, is all about. In verse 20, he says, but in fact, I love this verse. Christ has been raised from the dead, right? The firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death talking about Adam.

And by a man has come the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam, all die. Come on, church. And also in Christ, all shall be made alive. That's a good word, everybody, isn't it?

That's Easter 2.0. I like that. And in verse 33, he kind of sums it up, and he says, listen, church, don't be deceived. Bad company ruins good morals. In other words, don't let anybody who's living according to some other way of life thinking this life is all there is.

Don't let them influence you to forget that there is an eternity that we're living for. Don't get your mindset forgetting that there is a resurrection that we live according to. And so he says, don't let bad company ruin the good morals. And he says is, wake up. Wake up.

From your drunken stupor. He says, as is right, do not go on sinning, because those who are telling you this, no knowledge of God. And so we have to think about even who are the people speaking into our lives. Now, he's pretty passionate, so hopefully don't get too offended about the drunken stupor. Comment, everybody.

Okay, but don't miss the point of this. He's saying, let us live as people who are awake. Let us live as people who are awake to the resurrection. Amen, church. Amen.

Live like Jesus is alive. So this is our bottom line. We like to have a bottom line. I was talking with Becky this week as we were putting in our notes for the slides, and I wrote in the word bluff. You know, it's my army background coming out.

She's like, what is Bluff? Is that somebody's name or something? No, it's a bottom line up front. Okay. So if there's one thing that you take from today, the main idea, it's this.

Because church, Jesus has risen from the dead. It should change how we live. Let us live as people of hope, knowing we will too rise again. Let us live with people of hope, knowing we will too rise again.

4 · The preacher begins unpacking the first major consequence of the resurrection by distinguishing the cross from the resurrection: the cross pays for sin's penalty (substitutionary atonement), while the resurrection breaks sin's power over the believer, enabling new life

So I want to draw this out. We're going to have a lot of scriptures today, because, you know scripture, when we hear it, it just builds our faith, and that's what I hope for us today. And so our first point, our first scripture that we're going to look at is actually in verse 16. We're going to start to unpack a bit of his argument. So you remember that nightmare scenario he was bringing out? He was talking about, man, if there is no resurrection.

And here's what he says. If there is no resurrection, if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is also in vain. And he says it in verse 17. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. He's saying, your faith in the gospel would then be in vain.

Your faith in being sanctified and growing in Christ would be in vain. And so many people can get tangled up on the understanding between the. The relationship between the cross and resurrection. And what we find is at the cross, Jesus provides this beautiful thing called substitutionary atonement for our sins. He pays for our sins at the cross, what we deserve.

Jesus took on himself at the cross. We remember this at communion. He pays for our sins, and we receive forgiveness. And somebody might be thinking to themselves, Steve, if Jesus paid for my sin at the cross, then what is the deal with the resurrection? My sin has been paid for.

It got dealt with at the cross. So what is it about the resurrection that I need to pay attention to? Why is it that my entire faith is in vain if there is no resurrection? And I like to think of it this way, and maybe this would be helpful for you. When you think about the cross, think about death.

Think about death out of love, died as a substitute to atone for our sins. That's a powerful thing, by the way. And, you know, Jesus even tells his disciples to carry their cross and to follow him. And so with the cross, there's this death idea, a death to myself and what I want, to carry my cross and not what I want, but to follow Jesus, the cross. Think of death.

But when you think of the resurrection church, think of new life. Think of power to live a new life. Romans tells us the same spirit that rose Jesus from the dead is at work in our bodies as well. And so that brings us to our first point today. Because Jesus rose from the dead.

It's the power of sin that's broken over our lives. Our sin is paid for at the cross, but the power of sin over our lives is broken in his, his resurrection, its power to live a new life. I like to think of this in the ordinances of the church. We have communion, where we celebrate the work that Jesus did at the cross out of love for you and me. But we also have baptism.

And while the communion pictures Jesus at the cross, what does baptism picture? The resurrection of Christ. And because he rose again, guess what that means for the believer. There is new life in Christ as well.

5 · The preacher marshals two cross-references—Ephesians 3 and Hebrews 7—to establish that because Jesus is alive, he dwells in believers' hearts by the Spirit, strengthens them with power, holds a permanent priesthood, and intercedes for them continually, enabling complete salvation and ongoing sanctification

I want to show you this in the scriptures as well. And I love what Paul prays in the book of Ephesians, chapter three. He says, for this reason, I'll bow my knees before the Father with whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory, he may grant you to be strengthened. Look at this church with power through his spirit in your inner being. Look at this so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. If Jesus is dead, he can't be dwelling in our hearts through faith, but he's alive.

And look at what it says about us, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, look, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and the length and the height and the depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God, because he lives the power of sin is broken. And instead his power helps us to live transformed and resurrected lives. Take a look at what it says in Hebrews, chapter seven. It says in verse 22, this makes Jesus the guaranteer of a better covenant. The former priests were many in number because they were prevented by death from continuing in office.

But he holds a priesthood permanently because he's alive. That's why. Because he continues forever. Consequently, church, this is what it means. He is able to save, come on.

To the uttermost. He's able to save all the way, not just in the past paying for your sins. He's able to sanctify you too, church. Those who draw near to God through him. Look at this.

Since he always lives to make intercession for them. If Jesus is dead, he's not interceding for us, church, but he's alive. And so he is interceding for you. Isn't that good news, by the way, that the king of kings is interceding and praying for you and for me? That's good news, church, because he is alive.

He's praying for us and saving us to the uttermost.

6 · The preacher corrects a cultural distortion of freedom in Christ—that it means license to sin—by expounding John 8, where Jesus defines true freedom as liberation from sin's slavery

You know, and then there's this idea about being free in Christ. And Jesus talks about this in John, chapter eight. So often we can sing songs about being free in Christ. You turn on the radio, you'll hear freedom in Christ. And we sing songs about that. And sometimes people leave. They have this idea of freedom, which is just kind of to say, oh, that just means I can do whatever I want, right? I'm free and cry. I'm going to just live any sort of way.

I'm going to just live for today. You know, and sometimes some of these bad ideas from culture can influence what we understand to be freedom in Christ. But look what Jesus says in the gospel of John. He says in verse 34. Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin, look at this, is a slave to sin.

Like they can't change. This is who they are. The slave does not remain in the house forever, but the son remains forever. And look what Jesus says here. And if the son sets you free indeed, you will be free indeed.

And so freedom in Christ is not about being free to sin or just do whatever we want. It's about being free from the power of sin, sin over your life. It's being free to not have to sin in areas of your life. Because Jesus rose from the dead, he can change dead hearts. So prone to sin, he's sanctifying us from the inside out.

We're not the people we were we can be different people moving forward because Jesus rose from the dead. Amen, church. Amen. That's what this is saying.

7 · The preacher applies the resurrection's power to believers who feel stuck in sin patterns, addressing two common responses—either giving up on holiness or despairing in discouragement—by reminding them that Jesus is alive, interceding, and breaking sin's power, which should change their self-perception and inspire hope for transformation

And so often, and even within the church, sometimes we can believe about ourselves. Well, I'm just stuck. I can't change. God's not going to change. I'm always going to struggle in the same areas, in the same habits and the same addictions and the same hang ups. And sometimes people in this spot go one of two ways.

They say, you know what? Since I can't change, I might as well just live it up and kind of give up on sort of following Jesus in this whole taking up my cross thing. Or sometimes people think to themselves, since I can't change. And they're just so despair. They just are in despair and discouraged because they can't change.

But church, I wanted to share these scriptures with you. And I think this scripture today is so powerful for us today because it ought to change the way we think about this, that the power of sin is broken over our lives. Because Jesus rose from the dead. You've received Christ as your savior. He's at work in your heart.

He's interceding on your behalf. The power of sin is broken because the sun sets you free. You're free indeed. And, church, you can live a sanctified life in Christ. Amen, everybody.

That's good news for us today. And that ought to encourage us. I hope, and give us hope in the midst of these difficult things.

8 · The preacher signals a structural shift from the first major consequence of the resurrection (sin's power broken) to the second (service and suffering have eternal significance)

I want to keep moving through church. And so our second point today is this, because Jesus rose from the dead, serving and suffering for Christ matters. Your serving and your suffering for Christ matters.

9 · The preacher expounds Paul's rhetorical question in verses 15 and 30-32: if there is no resurrection, then apostolic preaching is false testimony, and the suffering Paul endured in Ephesus was pointless

And so Paul's in this nightmare scenario again. He's saying, if Jesus hasn't been raised, then everything you heard from us about the gospel are just lies about who God is and what he's done. This is what he says in verse 15. He says, if he hasn't been raised, then we are even found to be misrepresenting God. He said, because we testified about God, that he raised Christ. And if he didn't raise him, then he couldn't have raised him. If it's true that the dead are not raised, he's like, if Jesus isn't alive, then I guess we were lying the whole time. You know, that's what Paul is saying here. And he picks this up in verse 30, and he kind of starts to talk about some challenges that he faced in Ephesus.

And he says, why would we be in danger? Every hour I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus, our Lord. I die every day referring to how he shares the gospel. What do I gain if, humanly speaking, if this life is all there is? That I fought with these beasts at Ephesus.

So he's kind of throwing Ephesus under the bus a little here. I mean, calling them beasts and all this kind of stuff, but he's getting at this point, that man. The gospels cost him some things. There's been some suffering involved with it. There's been some challenges that he's faced from proclaiming the gospel.

And if Jesus hasn't risen, then this is just. This is just the way it is. It's just how it is, I guess. Well, that's just how it goes, I guess. You shouldn't have wasted your time on that.

But because Jesus has risen, our serving and suffering have eternal significance. Every effort and every hardship that we endure for Christ has lasting impact in God's kingdom.

10 · The preacher uses his personal experience of receiving mail during military deployments as an analogy for the resurrection: just as letters remind soldiers of home and what they're fighting for, the resurrection reminds believers that this world isn't home and gives meaning to their service and suffering for the gospel

Maybe you have spaces in your life where you've gone through incredible suffering. Maybe on behalf of the gospel, you've shared your faith, and it's come back and it's like, man, it's been hard, and maybe you've been tempted to believe. You know what? How can I get out of having to share my faith? Or how can I? Maybe I don't want to serve anymore or suffer anymore. You know, one of, in the army, one of the greatest joys for soldiers when they're deployed far from home, often in difficult environments, one of the greatest joys for soldiers is to receive mail. I mean, that is the time where every soldier is paying attention.

Did I get any mail? I know on my deployments I would. As a chaplain, I was really privileged. I had an office right near the post office, and I would check for mail almost every day. You know, I was looking for that care package.

My wife Chelsea, would often send me care packages with notes. I remember in basic training back in 2003, I didn't have a phone or a computer, and so I spent some of my free time when I was at basic training just writing letters to friends and to my parents. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't hope that they would send me some mail in return. You know what I'm saying? I just wanted that encouragement.

And it's not hard to see the impact that mail can have on a soldier. You know, it's this reminder of home. It's a reminder of who that soldier is. It's a reminder of, especially in deployed settings, what they're fighting for and also suffering for church, the reality of the resurrection. It's a reminder that this world isn't our home.

And the reminder of the resurrection is like a letter that reminds us where our home is. It reminds us who we are. It reminds us what we're serving for and what we're even sometimes suffering for. Church, we're in this world a relatively short amount of time. I'm talking about when you compare it to eternity.

We're in this world a short amount of time and God gives us this mission as good soldiers to share the good news of what Jesus has done with the world that so desperately needs to hear it. And so we share, we serve. And sometimes that involves suffering, too.

11 · The preacher applies the resurrection's significance to believers who are weary in service or tempted to withdraw from gospel witness due to difficulty

Like I was mentioning earlier, I'm so thankful for just the teams in our church that serve so faithfully every week. Like I mentioned, we have that prayer team, our kids ministry volunteers who are serving right now with our children, our musicians who take time in the week to prepare for Sunday mornings, actually thankful for how our team prepares. We have people who open their homes for groups and for opportunities who prepare for that in advance with time, with effort. Many of you churches, as I know, are such faithful givers and you give of your hard earned finances to forward God's church and his kingdom. Sometimes there's opportunities where we share our faith and people on the other end don't receive it, or they dismiss us or make fun of us or insult us in different ways. And for those who serve or those who give or for those who share, there may be times in our life where we say, man, this isn't fun.

I'm a little tired this morning. I'd like to just kind of call it in and not be a part of serving today. Or I could say this gospel opportunity with my friend, but I'm going to just hold it in this time because I don't want them to get upset with me or to treat me poorly. And sometimes we just think, maybe it's just not worth it. Maybe you've been there before, man. Steve, I just want to just check out for a minute.

It's not worth it. It's too hard. Church, like a good soldier, read the letter from home. Remember where home is. It's not this world. And the resurrection is this reminder of our home. I love what Paul says in his second letter to the corinthians.

He says this in chapter four. And he says, so we don't lose heart because we have this eternal perspective. We know Jesus has risen from the dead. We don't lose heart. Though our outer self might be wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day for this light and momentary affliction.

You hear that language of momentary. This momentary affliction is preparing for us. Look at this, an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. The resurrection church gives us this eternal perspective.

You know, you might remember Paul's question in verse 32 of chapter 15. He says, what do I gain if I follow those beasts from Ephesus? Well, church, because the resurrection is real, he gains an everlasting reward. In God's kingdom, there is much to gain. And so, church, we give, we serve, we sacrifice, we share the gospel, even when it costs us.

Because as soldiers, the resurrection reminds us of our home. So, church, I hope that truth just gives you hope today. I hope that encourages you in your service and in your sacrifice to our lord.

12 · The preacher signals the third major structural section: the resurrection's guarantee that the church will be reunited in resurrection life

All right. .3. Let's keep moving through. Says this, because Jesus rose from the dead, the church. Church, come on. The church will also rise again. I like that.

Because Jesus rose from the dead, the church will also rise again.

13 · The preacher expounds verse 18—that without resurrection, the dead in Christ have perished—and then shares a personal story of his friend Grace's death and how her husband Innocent's faith in the resurrection provided comfort and hope

And so Paul, again, he's making his argument about this nightmare scenario. He says, if Christ hasn't been raised, then in verse 18, he says, then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. In other words, without the resurrection, christians who have died, they just remain dead. That's it. We wouldn't have any hope of being together with them and ultimately with God again.

So I moved here from Maine. That's where I was born. And we were living there up until just a couple years ago, got to meet some dear friends who, for them, they had moved from Rwanda to Maine. And God just allowed us just to become dear friends, my friends, innocent in grace. And they have a boy named Jason.

And we haven't been, we haven't stayed in touch, like calling every week or anything like that since we moved. But it was a few weeks ago that I. And it was such a special thing because Grace was separated from her family for a while, but we were able to work through the immigration system, and she was able to come and be with her family. And I'm so thankful for that. But I found out a few weeks ago that she passed away, and I found that out.

And so she leaves behind her husband and her son. And she was just such a spiritual encouragement to me and to our family. Both of them are. And so I just remember seeing that, just being instantly moved to grief. And I called my friend innocent.

I called him on the phone, and he was actually in Rwanda mourning her with people in Rwanda as well. And I called him and. And it was one of those moments where, I mean, a lot of times I have words for things, but it was one of those moments where I just. I didn't know what to say. And so all I could say in that moment was just, I'm so sorry, innocent.

And, you know, I mean, I was grieving, and he was grieving, too. But it was in that moment that he was actually encouraging me in my faith. Because he said, Stephen, she. She doesn't have any pain right now. She's with the Lord.

To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. He's reminding me of these things. He says, we're not mourning her. We're celebrating the life that God gave us with her. He was reminding me of all of these truths that we're talking about today.

So thankful for just the faith of my friend. And there was just so much hope in his language on that phone call. And he was, again, just reminding me of so much of these truths that church, when this life is over, it isn't the end of life. That when we are absent from the body, we are present with the Lord. And that ought to be a hope filled truth for us today.

Because Jesus rose from the dead, we too will rise and be reunited with the church. That's good news, everybody. And it brings immense comfort and hope, especially in times of grief. And sometimes we can be so focused on grief and mourning, and that's there. We miss that person, and that can be there.

But I love what was even said earlier today, that we don't grieve like those without hope. We just have such hope in this. And what gives us the hope? It's the resurrection church. It's the resurrection.

It's such a powerful truth for us today. Perhaps for you today, you believe in the resurrection, but your emotions need some reminding of this hope that we have. Church, receive that today. Let even your emotions be changed by this truth today. Because Jesus rose from the dead, death has been defeated.

We have the promise of eternal life, and the church, too, will rise again. Amen, church. Amen.

14 · The preacher addresses the difficult verse about baptism for the dead (v

So there's this interesting statement that gets made in this passage, and I kind of wasn't sure where to deal with this, but he says in verse 29, take a look at this. Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? It's like, whoa, what in the world is this? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? You might be thinking what two people mean by the baptism of the dead. Like, what is this verse all about? There's really not a scriptures that kind of COVID this. And it sparks some interpretations, even some heresies in groups that are not christians. And so I didn't want to get through this passage without taking a few minutes on this. Today, some groups, this would be non christian groups, interpret this verse to mean this idea of vicarious baptism for the dead. In other words, somebody could pass away and then somebody else could be baptized on their behalf to somehow posthumously, like, pass on salvation benefits church. That's not a orthodox teaching, okay?

That violates the gospel, that we are saved by grace through faith alone, not through baptism, not through somebody else's practice of some sort of faith on our behalf. And we really don't see this in church history or anywhere else in the Bible. Okay? So I just want to put that out there. There's been other groups that have kind of said, oh, well, it's this figurative baptism.

And you just, you know, you hear that language, it's really not baptism. It's really just this change, and it's really not the spiritually dead or people that feel like they're dead. It's like, no, that's not what it says. This is figurative understanding. It's not.

That's passing over the straightforwardness of this text. And so what I think the most plausible explanation is is this idea of substitute baptism. Doctor Dan Duriani wrote for the Gospel coalition in this article, what does Paul mean by baptism for the dead? And he wrote, I think it wise to take the passage at face value. It seems that certain Corinthians were baptized on behalf of people who were christians, possibly family members or friends who died.

And it seems likely the Corinthians were concerned about believers who died before they could be baptized and feared some spiritual loss as a result. And he goes on to say this view suits the context and coheres with other scriptures which show Paul as a lion when he's detecting any challenge to the gospel itself. And so he's trying to explain, why doesn't Paul just slam this? Because if it's that vicarious idea, but he doesn't do that here. And so this is what he thinks it kind of means.

So it's this practice that likely arose out of this desire to honor those who had died in the faith, but for some reason, during their life never were water baptized. Now, there's a reason, though. I just want to say there's a reason that this practice isn't mentioned in other scriptures, and we really don't see this in church history. And it's not a practice that has continued throughout history because this is not what baptism is. If you want to read more about baptism, Romans chapter six is a great passage to look at when you're reading about baptism.

But when somebody asks me about what water baptism is, I like to say it this way. I like to use the acronym. Like every good church person, I like to use acronyms. The acronym P's baptism is a public symbol of personal salvation. It's a public symbol of personal salvation.

It doesn't save somebody. It's a symbol of personal salvation that occurs through faith in Jesus Christ. And so as a symbol, if a Christian died and for some reason during their life, they never got water baptized, that person can have assurance that their standing with God isn't based on whether they were baptized. It's not salvation. It's not the same thing.

And so as a symbol, if you haven't been water baptized, it is a symbol, though. And so we would encourage you to be water baptized. It's a great symbol that edifies you and the church. But if for some reason somebody dies in the faith and they haven't been water baptized, that doesn't affect their standing with God. That's good news.

But secondly, it's personal. It's personal salvation. In other words, nobody else can be baptized on your behalf because nobody else can put your trust in Jesus on your behalf. It's a personal thing. And so we each personally must trust Jesus in his work at the cross and his resurrection from the dead.

And so as a personal thing, it would just undermine the idea of baptism for this, for us to be baptized for other people. Does that make sense to everybody? And so Paul's bringing this up because the corinthians have practiced this. They're not trying to undermine the gospel, but they're just mistaken in this practice. But he's bringing it up because why would you all practice this?

He's saying if there is nobody who is alive with Jesus as they're dead, and so he's bringing it up in that kind of argument. But again, I wanted to clarify that for us to hear today because it is kind of a sticky verse and we want to make sure we understand that.

15 · The preacher pauses to directly address anyone uncertain about their salvation, urging them not to leave the service without settling the question

Let me just say this in light of all of this business about baptism, if you have any question where you stand with Jesus. If you have any question when it does come to actually what baptism represents, moving from death to life in Jesus Christ, believing the work that he did at the cross to pay for your and for my sins, that he rose again on the third day, just like we're talking about today. If you have any question, don't leave today with that question still there. The Bible says we can have assurance of salvation when we put our faith in Jesus Christ. And it's a gift of God. It's his grace. And so if God, even right now, is stirring in your heart to trust Jesus as your savior for your sins, man, make that decision right now. And if you have questions about it or you need to talk to somebody about it, don't let me get off the stage today without asking me at the end of our service about what that means or asking one of the team members or anyone you see with a lanyard, by the way, like, don't leave today with that unsettled.

Amen. Church

16 · The preacher signals the fourth and final major section: Christ's resurrection guarantees his victorious return and ultimate triumph over all enemies, including death

all right, let's get to our fourth point here. And I love this final one. It's our final point today because Jesus Rose again. He is alive, church, and he will come again in victory. That's good news, everybody.

17 · The preacher expounds verses 23-27, tracing the eschatological order: Christ as firstfruits, then the resurrection of believers at his coming, then the final destruction of all hostile powers including death, culminating in the kingdom delivered to the Father

And so we've, this gets into some end times kind of stuff, and we actually got to do a series through the book of Revelation, I want to say about a year ago or a year and a half or something, and so you can get online and go back and listen to some sermons on that to dive deeper into some teaching on the end times. But Paul addresses this, that Jesus is going to come again in first corinthians 1523 to 24. He says each, but each in his own order. He's talking about the resurrection. Christ is the first fruits. So this is everything Pastor Ricky preached two weeks ago. Jesus died on the cross and he rose again. That's the first fruits. Okay.

That's what he's talking about here. That's the capital r resurrection. I love that. And as the firstfruits, it says this Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming, those who belong to Christ, that he's going to come again. Church that's a great hope that we have.

And then it says, and then comes the end when he delivers the kingdom to God the father after destroying every rule, every authority and power and church that's referring to Jesus's ultimate victory over evil. He continues in verse 25, for he must reign until he put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. Verse 27. For God has put all things in subjection under the feet of Jesus. I love that.

I always like to give other references if you want to kind of check out and do some further study on your own. I put in just in my notes here, revelation, chapter 21, verses one to four, as well as the book of psalms, chapter eight. Those are a couple of good passages to look at with some of this. But everything is subjected to Jesus. He's king.

He's defeated every form of evil, even death itself. And that's good news for us.

18 · The preacher applies Christ's victorious return to believers facing injustice, abuse, war trauma, and unresolved pain

And I think there's two applications that we can get and kind of leave with this today. The first, I hope, is encouragement, because this life is hard. You know, as a chaplain, I have the opportunity to often counsel soldiers, and it's regular that I hear just incredible difficulties that soldiers. But really that everyone can face could be abuses that happen to children, injustices that happen in times of war, injuries inflicted on others that they have to live with the pain of loss, the ways people wrong other people and seemingly get away with it. And, church, this doesn't solve every circumstance that you or I might be facing right now, but, church, there's hope in knowing that Jesus cares, first of all, and that one day Jesus as king will return and deal with every injustice, every evil, every pain, every loss, and he will make all things right. And if he's dead, he's not coming back. But, church, he isn't dead. He's alive.

And there's hope in that, and it ought to change the way we live. We ought to leave today. I hope my prayer for you and for me today is to leave with a bit more hope in our life, that God sees it all and he's going to one day deal with it all. That's a good word. I hope that's an encouraging word for you today.

19 · The preacher corrects a cultural tendency to emphasize Jesus as friend while neglecting his lordship and sovereignty

And secondly, kind of another application point, I think, out of this is so often in our culture, and this isn't necessarily all bad, but in our culture, we can emphasize Jesus as our friend, and that's good. If he is our friend, he is loving. That is a true statement. But sometimes we can forget that Jesus is also Lord. He's also our king.

He's worthy of our worship. He's worthy to be revered. He's worthy of our obedience. He's not just a friendly figure. He is that.

But he's not just that. He's also a sovereign ruler. And this passage reminds us, all things are under his feet in subjugation. I think this passage is kind of sobering in some ways, it reminds us that holiness matters. It reminds us that Jesus does deal with sin and that sin does have consequences. It ought to caution us from some of the culture that says, hey, you just live for this life only. Just do whatever you want in this life only. It ought to caution us from that.

20 · The preacher uses the cultural phrase 'YOLO' (You Only Live Once) as an illustration of how living for the present without eternal perspective leads to destructive choices and wasted opportunities, neglecting God's eternal purposes

You know, there's a popular phrase that's out there, yolo, right? And people like to live by this phrase. You know, they're trying to make a decision on what to do. They're like, well, Yolo. And this is what it means.

You only live once. They say. And I'll tell you, you take that phrase the wrong way, it's gonna actually mess your life up. That phrase. There's weekends you'll never get back from living.

That phrase, I'll tell you, especially when you think about eternity in mind, living only for today, without regard for the future, it can lead to a life fully focus solely on our comfort and pleasure, and we neglect the eternal purposes God has for us.

21 · The preacher recounts the common pattern of soldiers squandering deployment earnings on immediate gratification—impulsive purchases, tattoos, expensive cars—because they fail to plan with the future in mind, setting up an analogy for how believers can waste their lives by living for present comfort without eternal perspective

And so, just as we close today, I wanted to share with this so, so many soldiers I've talked to, whether that maybe you're a soldier here, you've personally experienced this, or maybe you've heard a story of somebody. But so many soldiers I've talked to have regret from. From mishandling the finances they receive from a deployment. And within the army or within soldier life, deployments are a great opportunity. You have your clothes. You know, it's your uniform. You've got your meals paid for. You got a place to live. You're not paying any utilities because you're living outside maybe, you know, and.

But it's a great way to save some money. You don't have time to spend it, you know? And so many soldiers, they get back. I remember a soldier from basic training got the basic training unit tattooed onto himself. We're like, what are you doing?

This isn't. Anyway, you know, there's a reason so many car dealerships are, like, right outside army bases, okay? And so many soldiers have regret over focusing on, I have all this money now. It's burning a hole in my pocket, and I want to feel good right now. I just want to have fun right now.

And they forget to plan with the future in mind.

22 · The preacher draws the analogy to completion: just as soldiers regret wasting deployment earnings on present gratification, believers must not waste their lives by living for present comfort without eternal perspective

And as a chaplain, I want to just read this passage to these soldiers, and I say, don't be deceived. Bad company corrupts good morals, you know, don't let anyone wake up from your drunken stupor. Like, this is what I want to say. But church, this passage isn't even written just to soldiers.

This passage is written to us. Don't be deceived. Jesus has risen from the dead. This life is not all there is. Don't just live for this life.

Live with eternity in mind. Make your choices with eternity in mind. It's one thing for a soldier to blow a lot of money on a car. It's another thing for a life to be wasted because we've just put the wrong thing in priority. We gathered up all this stuff for this life and then the resurrection happens.

Live with eternity in mind. Jesus is king. He is coming back. He has risen from the dead. There is resurrection for those in Christ.

Let that give us hope. Church, the power of sin is broken over your life. Serving and suffering for Christ matters. We will be together with the church again and Jesus will again return in victory. Isn't that good news, church?

Amen. Amen.

23 · The preacher closes the sermon with a prayer confessing the tendency to live forgetting the resurrection, asking God to help the church live dependent on and transformed by the resurrection reality, and thanking God for his work in the church through the living Christ

Well, let's close in prayer together. Let's pray. Lord Jesus, I am just so thankful for this passage and what an encouragement it is to us in the midst of resurrection. 2.0 Lord, you are alive. I just confess, Lord, there are times that I live forgetting that truth. So, Lord, let us we as a church live lives dependent, remembering, reflecting on being transformed and changed by your resurrection. Would it change the way we live? Would it change our emotions today?

Lord, because you are alive. Thank you for how you're working in your church in this way. In Jesus name, all God's people said amen. Amen. Church.

Where this fits

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Discuss · apply · pray

Small groups

6 discussion questions

In 1 Corinthians 15:12-17, Paul argues that if Christ has not been raised, then Christian faith is futile and believers are 'of all people m…

Daily readings

5-day reading plan

This week we trace the power of Christ's resurrection through five claims: his risen reality demands we live awake to eternity, his lordship reshapes our obedience and worship, his intercession breaks sin's grip, his return reframes our suffering as momentary, and his victory secures our ultimate hope.

Prayer

The Resurrection Changes Everything

Father, we come before you in awe of the living Christ who has conquered death and broken sin's power over us (1 Corinthians 15:20-22). We a…

Family table

If Christ Didn't Rise, Then What?

Pastor Stephen walked through what falls apart if Jesus didn't actually rise from the dead—and then showed us what becomes true because He d…

Couples

Living in Light of the Resurrection

What aspect of the resurrection—Christ's victory over sin, the promise of our own rising, or His return in glory—stirred your heart most dee…

Memorize

1 Corinthians 15:20-22

This verse is the theological linchpin of the entire sermon—it establishes both the historical reality of Christ's resurrection and its redemptive power to break sin's dominion and secure the future resurrection of all believers. Memorizing this passage anchors the congregation in the gospel truth that transforms how we live: because Christ rose, we will rise, and therefore we can live with hope and eternity in view rather than despair.

Small-group discussion

6 questions for your group this week

In 1 Corinthians 15:12-17, Paul argues that if Christ has not been raised, then Christian faith is futile and believers are 'of all people most to be pitied.' What does Paul mean by this? Why does the resurrection of Jesus stand as the cornerstone upon which all Christian hope and meaning rests?

1 Corinthians 15:16-17

→ How would you describe the difference between believing in Jesus as a good moral teacher versus believing in Jesus as the risen Lord who conquered death?
Paul describes in verses 30-32 the suffering and danger apostles endure, then asks, 'Why are we in danger every hour?' What problem is he exposing about a life lived without the hope of resurrection—a life that treats this present age as all that matters?

1 Corinthians 15:30-32
According to the sermon, the resurrection establishes Jesus not merely as our friend but as sovereign Lord with all things subjected under His feet. How does understanding Christ's present reign and return change the way we should view sin, holiness, and our obedience to Him?

1 Corinthians 15:23-27; Psalm 8

→ Can you think of an area of your life where you have been tempted to treat Jesus as a helpful friend rather than as your King—where casual familiarity might be crowding out reverence?
The sermon identifies a 'fallen condition' many of us face: feeling trapped in sin patterns, oscillating between despair and license. How does Paul's proclamation that 'Christ has broken sin's power' (through His resurrection and intercession) address this struggle? What does it mean that sin no longer has dominion over us (see Romans 6 and John 8:34-36)?

John 8:34-36; Hebrews 7:22-25

→ What would it look like to live this week as though sin's power over you has genuinely been broken, rather than as though you are helpless?
In verses 18-19, Paul speaks of believers who have died and the false hope of those who have 'hope in Christ in this life only.' How does the gospel address the deepest longings we carry—our longing for reunion with loved ones, for justice, for an end to suffering and evil? What comfort does the resurrection promise that this present world cannot deliver?

1 Corinthians 15:18-19; Revelation 21:1-4
The sermon calls us to 'live with eternity in mind rather than for this life only.' As you look at your schedule, relationships, work, and witness this week, what would change if you genuinely believed that the risen Christ is returning and that your service and suffering have eternal significance? Where might you be tempted to 'eat and drink, for tomorrow we die' (verse 32) instead of living in light of resurrection hope?

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

→ What is one concrete way you could reorder your priorities or choices this week to reflect belief in the resurrection?

Draft · pending review

Daily readings · Monday–Friday

5-day reading plan

Monday 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Paul's exhortation to fix our eyes on the unseen and eternal directly embodies the posture the resurrection demands: we renounce the world's philosophy of present comfort and reorient our whole inner person toward the age to come. This is not escapism but the natural response to grasping that death is conquered and a new creation awaits—we live differently when we believe we will rise again.

Tuesday Hebrews 7:22-25

Jesus' perpetual intercession at the Father's right hand is not distant theology but present power for our deliverance from sin's dominion. Because he lives and speaks for us, we are neither abandoned to our sin patterns nor left to despair—his advocacy secures the grace we need to experience genuine freedom and grow in holiness.

Wednesday Psalm 8

The psalmist's vision of humanity crowned with glory and dominion finds its ultimate fulfillment in the risen Christ, to whom the Father has subjected all things. We bow before a King, not merely befriend a teacher—and this majestic reality compels us toward holiness and obedience, not as burden but as the gladness of worshiping one infinitely worthy.

Thursday Revelation 21:1-4

John's vision of the new creation—where God dwells with us and wipes away every tear—anchors our hope not in this age's resolution of suffering but in Christ's return and the renovation of all things. When we grasp that evil will not have the final word and that our losses are not permanent, we persevere with courage and compassion, knowing his victory is certain.

Friday John 8:34-36

Christ's promise that the Son sets us free from sin's slavery becomes our foundation for faithful witness and joyful labor, even in hardship. We are liberated not only from sin's condemnation but for a cause that outlasts this fleeting age—knowing our Savior reigns and our work for his kingdom will endure forever frees us to give ourselves fully to his service today.

Draft · pending review

Pray together this week

The Resurrection Changes Everything

Father, we come before you in awe of the living Christ who has conquered death and broken sin's power over us (1 Corinthians 15:20-22). We adore you for raising Jesus from the dead—not as a distant historical fact, but as the present reality that redefines our entire hope and transforms how we live. You have seated him at your right hand with all things subject beneath his feet, and he intercedes for us even now (Hebrews 7:22-25). We confess that we often live as though this present life is all that matters, succumbing to the world's pressure to chase comfort and security in the here and now. We acknowledge too our weariness in service, our despair when sin patterns seem unbreakable, and our temptation to believe that our suffering and witness count for nothing in the end (1 Corinthians 15:30-32). Forgive us for forgetting that we belong to a risen Lord who has made us alive and secured our future.

In the gospel, we have the assurance that Christ's resurrection is our resurrection—that we too will rise again with him and will stand in his presence forever (1 Corinthians 15:23). The living, interceding Christ has broken the power of sin in our lives, and though we still struggle, we are no longer enslaved (John 8:34-36). Our service, our sacrifice, our witness are never wasted; they matter eternally because he is alive and reigning. We ask that you would awaken us to live as people of resurrection hope, people who see present suffering through the lens of eternity and find courage to persevere in gospel witness despite opposition or weariness (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). Teach us to live with eternity in mind, rejecting the lie that we must secure our own comfort and recognizing that our ultimate hope rests in Christ's return and the renewal of all things (Revelation 21:1-4). Grant us the grace to embrace holiness because our risen Lord is worthy of reverence and obedience, not casual indifference.

We commit ourselves together to live as people awakened by the resurrection, set free from sin's dominion and energized by hope. May the reality of Christ's victory reshape our choices, our endurance, and our worship, until he comes in glory to complete what he has begun. To him be honor and dominion forever.

Draft · pending review

Sunday-evening family table

If Christ Didn't Rise, Then What?

For the parent

Pastor Stephen walked through what falls apart if Jesus didn't actually rise from the dead—and then showed us what becomes true because He did. This prompt invites your family to notice the difference the resurrection makes in one area of life they care about.

Pastor Stephen said that if Jesus didn't rise, our hard work for God wouldn't matter, and we might as well just have fun today. But because Jesus did rise, our work and suffering *do* matter forever. Can you think of something hard you're doing right now—maybe serving someone, or being kind even when it's tough, or telling a friend about Jesus? How does it change things to know that what you're doing will matter forever, not just today?

works for ages 8+

Draft · pending review

Couples · three questions over coffee

Living in Light of the Resurrection

What aspect of the resurrection—Christ's victory over sin, the promise of our own rising, or His return in glory—stirred your heart most deeply today, and why?
In what area of our marriage are we tempted to 'live for today only' rather than living with eternity in view, and how might the resurrection hope reshape that pattern together?
What is one way the resurrection empowers you to persevere—in a sin struggle, in service, or in suffering—that we could pray for one another about this week?

Draft · pending review

Memory verse this week

1 Corinthians 15:20-22

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

Why this verse: This verse is the theological linchpin of the entire sermon—it establishes both the historical reality of Christ's resurrection and its redemptive power to break sin's dominion and secure the future resurrection of all believers. Memorizing this passage anchors the congregation in the gospel truth that transforms how we live: because Christ rose, we will rise, and therefore we can live with hope and eternity in view rather than despair.

Draft · pending review

Where this was preached

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# Cross of Grace Church

A church preaching expository sermons through the books of the Bible.

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