THE PORTAL TO THE IMMORTAL. 1 Corinthians 15:54-57

Transcription

1 THE PORTAL TO THE IMMORTAL 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 S

2 Epitaphs S On an attorney s tombstone: Goembel, John E The defense rests S Here lies Johnny Yeast, Pardon me For not rising

3

4

5

6

7

8 1 Corinthians 15: When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 Q: What if everything you feared and hated about death could be erased? S

10 I. The Resurrection Topples The Triumph Of Death S 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory. S Isaiah 25:8a He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears.

11 Death Brings The Force Of Despair S Kenneth Patchen: There are so many little dyings that it doesn't matter which of them is death. S Edward Young (Night Thoughts): Our birth is nothing but our death begun. S Epicurean Creed: Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.

12 Death Breeds The Power Of Uncertainty S Plato: No one knows whether death is really the greatest blessing a man can have, but they fear it is the greatest curse, as if they knew well. S Emily Dickinson: Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me. The Carriage held but just ourselves, And Immortality. S From Gladiator (the movie): "Death smiles at us all; all a man can do is smile back.

13 Religions On Death S Reincarnation S Annihilation S Purgatory S Heaven with wives S Resurrection

14 II. The Resurrection Removes The Sting Of Everything We Hate And Fear About Death S 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. (cf. Hosea 13:14) S Hosea 13:14 Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from Death? O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my eyes.

15 A. Christ s Resurrection Taunts At Defeated Death SO death, where is your victory

16 Paul taunted death like Richard Sherman taunted Michael Crabtree Death, Where is your victory?

17 1. The Uncertainty Of Death Brings Fear S Job 3:21 Who long for death, but it does not come, And search for it more than hidden treasures; S Job 14:14 If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, Till my change comes.

18 2. The Inevitability Of Death Brings Fear S Ecclesiastes 3:2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; S Ecclesiastes 9:5 For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten.

19 3. The Immanence Of Death Brings Fear S Job 14:1-2 1 Man who is born of woman Is of few days and full of trouble. 2 He comes forth like a flower and fades away; He flees like a shadow and does not continue. S Psalm 39:4-5 4 Lord, make me to know my end, And what is the measure of my days, That I may know how frail I am. 5 Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my age is as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. S Psalm 90:9 For all our days have passed away in Your wrath; We finish our years like a sigh.

20 4. The Manner Of Death Brings Fear S Pain, suffering, torture, martyrdom S Cancer, disease S Long term care S Dementia

21 5. The Darkness Of Death Brings Fear S Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; S Psalm 55:4 My heart is severely pained within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me. S Psalm 73:19 Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors.

22 6. The Finality Of Death Brings Fear S Ecclesiastes 2: So I said in my heart, As it happens to the fool, It also happens to me, And why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, This also is vanity. 16 For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come. And how does a wise man die? As the fool!

23 B. The Resurrection Removes The Venom Of Death S O death, where is your sting, The sting of death is sin S Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned S Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death S Ezekiel 18:4 Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die.

24 C. The Resurrection Removes The Influence Of The Law On Sin S The power of sin is the law

25 Power of Sin in the Law S Romans 7:7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, You shall not covet. S Romans 5:13 Sin is not imputed where there is no law

26 S Romans 7:5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.

27 III. The Resurrection Crowns Christ The Champ Over Death S 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

28 S Romans 6:9 Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. S 2 Timothy 1:10 But has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished deat and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, S Hebrews 2:15 And release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

29 Revelation 1:18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. Revelation 21:4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.

30 As exciting as a World Series victory is

31 The Victory Over Death Is Greater

32