Good morning, church.
It's good to be with you all this morning.
Our text this morning is 1 Corinthians 15, verses 35 through 49.
Let me encourage you to turn there with me.
It's page 961 in the Pew Bible.
Now, this is the text we'll be diving into this morning, 1 Corinthians 15, 35 through 49.
Let me pray for us as we go to God's word together.
Lord, indeed, as we have just sung, that you would come and you would bind our wandering
hearts to you.
Lord, we confess that we are prone to wander.
We are prone to distraction.
God, we are prone to seek our life and our happiness and so many lesser things.
And yet, God, we thank you for this moment that we get on this first day of the week to
draw around your word, to come around your word together.
And we trust, Lord, to hear you speaking to us through your spirit by the scriptures.
Lord, we know that it's your word that does a mighty work in our lives and our hearts.
So we pray and we ask that you would come and you would do that this morning.
Bless the reading and the preaching and the hearing of your word.
For Christ's sake, we pray.
Amen.
1 Corinthians 15, 35 through 49.
But someone will ask, how are the dead raised?
With what kind of body do they come?
You foolish person.
What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.
And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel.
Perhaps of wheat or of some other grain.
But God gives it a body as he has chosen and to each kind of seed its own body.
For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another
for birds, and another for fish.
There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind
and the glory of the earthly is of another.
There is one glory of the sun and another glory of the moon and another glory of the stars.
For star differs from star in glory.
So it is with the resurrection of the dead.
What is sown is perishable.
What is raised is imperishable.
It is sown in dishonor.
It is raised in glory.
It is sown in weakness.
It is raised in power.
It is sown a natural body.
It is raised a spiritual body.
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
Thus it is written, the first man, Adam, became a living being.
The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the natural and then the spiritual.
The first man was from the earth, a man of dust.
The second man is from heaven.
As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust.
And as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.
Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust,
we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
Well, friends, I wonder what images you have in your mind when it comes to the afterlife.
Yes, we're in church.
We're going to talk about the afterlife.
Maybe you have a fairly positive picture.
Something like bright, fluffy clouds and white, ethereal robes.
Maybe a golden harp or two.
Sort of a giant, disembodied day at the beach.
With constant Muzak just playing in the background.
Sort of an elevator ride that just never ends.
Now, of course, in the ancient world, the world of 1 Corinthians,
people would have had a murkier sort of image.
And on the other hand, maybe you do too.
Maybe you think of a place where our spirits just live in a sort of shadowy,
thinned out version of reality.
Maybe a kind of sad doctor's office waiting room where no one gets called in
and you just sort of sit there reading old magazines
and mulling over your earthly regrets.
Or maybe here and you don't really believe in the afterlife at all.
Maybe the picture you have of the afterlife, if you want to call it that,
is just of your body decomposing, your atoms returning to the earth,
and, you know, if you're lucky, your reputation may be living on for a generation or two.
But no real sense of life after death.
Now, what's funny about all these popular images that we tend to have
is that they all seem to have no place for our physical bodies.
Whether it's our spirit sitting on a shiny cloud or sulking in a murky netherworld,
or even if it's just our reputations living on in the hearts of our friends,
all of these images of the afterlife see our bodies as something that's pretty much just left behind,
gotten rid of, done away with.
And in that way, pretty much all of our thinking about the future,
about the afterlife,
falls woefully short
of the biblical vision.
Because you see,
what Christianity teaches about the future,
about our ultimate hope,
is the resurrection of the body
and the renewal of creation
in all of its material, physical, sensory goodness.
Now, don't get me wrong.
The New Testament is very clear
that when a believer dies in this life,
they are immediately with the Lord.
Jesus says to the thief on the cross,
today you will be with me in paradise.
Do you remember that?
Paul says in his letter to the Philippians
that to depart from this life is to be with Christ.
Believers do, in that sense,
go to heaven when they die.
And you might think,
well, man,
what more do you need?
To be with Christ.
To see him in all of his fullness.
I mean, what more could you ask for?
But being with Christ in heaven
as glorious and as soul satisfying
as that is and will be,
that's not the last chapter
of God's story for us.
As we saw last week
in verses 20 through 28
of 1 Corinthians 15,
as we've been working through this book
of 1 Corinthians sort of section by section,
the day is coming
when Christ will return in glory
to defeat death once and for all.
And on that day,
everyone who belongs to Christ,
living and dead,
will experience what Paul calls
the resurrection of the body.
Not spirits on clouds,
not murky souls lingering in the shadows,
not merely a reputation living on in memory,
but a body raised to life,
never to die again
in a perfectly healed creation.
Now, if we have a hard time
properly imagining the afterlife,
we have an even harder time,
I think, properly imagining
the resurrection of the dead.
If you think about it
for more than 30 seconds,
I think you find yourself
asking the same kind of question
that Paul supposes
we're asking in verse 35.
Look at it again.
How exactly are the dead raised, Paul?
I mean, what sort of body
are we talking about here?
Maybe with a little bit of skepticism,
maybe with a little bit of scorn.
For all of you Walking Dead fans,
October 23rd, season seven, right?
You know what I'm talking about.
Maybe the idea of the dead
coming back to life
sends shivers up your spine.
Something that doesn't cause you
to want to break out into worship,
but go grab your shotgun, right?
The resurrection of the dead
doesn't sound appealing,
it sounds appalling.
I know I've shared this story before,
but I remember walking down Grove Street
with a friend who was visiting town,
and as we went past
Grove Street Cemetery,
as we were walking,
you know, over Grove Street Cemetery,
over the entryway,
what is it?
What does it read?
The dead shall be raised.
And my friend looked up at that,
read the words,
and said,
ew.
Which, of course,
wasn't a very philosophical
or scientific rebuttal
of the doctrine
of the resurrection of the body, right?
She wasn't contemplating
how the molecules and atoms
of saints long deceased
will be miraculously reconfigured
at the return of Christ,
if indeed that's how God
decides to do it,
we just don't know.
But, you know,
her response was an honest one,
and it's one I think
a lot of us maybe share.
You see,
it's not that we can't wrap
our minds around the resurrection.
I mean,
if there is an all-powerful God,
logically speaking,
it shouldn't be too hard
for God to make that happen, right?
It's not that we can't wrap
our minds around the resurrection,
it's that we can't quite seem
to wrap our hearts around it.
We can't picture the reality of it
in a way that makes sense
to our deep longings
for what's true
and beautiful and good.
But in this text
that we've just read,
Paul's helping us
to get there.
What is the resurrection body like?
And why is it actually good news?
That's what this text
is all about.
And it unfolds the nature
of the resurrection body
for us in three steps.
Let's start with step one,
verses 36 through 41.
Here,
Paul gets us thinking
about the resurrection body
by using an analogy
from creation.
An analogy from creation.
Paul,
God,
in his sovereign,
creative power,
Paul reminds us
in verse 38,
has made all sorts of bodies.
Verses 39 through 41
echo Genesis chapter 1.
Humans,
animals,
birds,
fish,
sun,
moon,
stars.
Do you see what Paul's doing there?
He's sort of moving backwards
through the creation account.
Day 6,
humans,
animals.
Day 5,
birds in the air,
fish in the sea.
Day 4,
sun,
moon,
stars.
Paul's rehearsing
the stunning array
of different bodies
that God has made
to fill
and adorn his creation.
Each with their own
particular unique glory,
brilliance,
and beauty.
Even star differs
from star and glory,
he says.
Sort of waxing poetical
at the end
of his paragraph.
And friends,
how much better
do we know
that truth today
as space telescopes
send us images
of planets
and galaxies
and nebula
that we could have
never imagined
all amazing
and all seemingly
amazingly different
in glory
and in beauty.
Do a Google search
of Hubble pictures
when you get home
and just realize
how amazing
the things that God
has made really are.
But the point I think
that Paul wants us
to see here
is that if God
has created
such a stunningly
beautiful diversity
of bodies
in creation
if his creative
majesty
can do that
what might he
have in store
for us
in the new creation?
In the great renewal?
What particular
bodily glory
might it be possible
for God
to yet have in mind
for us
in the resurrection?
It's sort of
as if Paul
wants us
to watch
this opening
chapter of Genesis
a bit like
a movie trailer
like an advanced
clip
of some highly
anticipated blockbuster
and he's saying
that if that
60 second clip
can spark
your imagination
and get your heart
beating
just imagine
what it's going
to be like
when you sit down
and watch
the whole thing
on full display.
But that's not
all we're meant
to get
out of this
analogy
from creation.
Paul directs
our attention
in verse 36
through 37
to a seed.
You plant
a seed
in the ground
and figuratively
speaking right
it's buried
it dies.
And then
from that
seed
comes something
that's both
the same
there's an
unbroken
organic
continuity
between the seed
and the plant
right?
And yet
at the same
time
it's radically
and completely
transformed.
Picture
in your mind
a little acorn
or as my kids
like to call them
the seeds
with the hats
right?
and now
go out
and find
an oak
tree.
And what
could be
more different?
Continuous
yes
but radically
transformed
than an acorn
and an oak
tree.
So you see
right there
in the middle
of our everyday
experience
of the created
world
is an
illustration
of what the
resurrection
will really
be like.
Like a
seed planted
in the
ground
that becomes
not less
itself
but transforms
into its
true self
when all
of its
potential
is unlocked
and set
free
and unfolds
and unfurls
in glory.
Like a tree
rising in strength
from a tiny
seed.
Like a
monarch
butterfly
taking to
flight
when once
its old
caterpillar
self
could only
inch along
nibbling
on leaves.
What will
the
resurrection
body
be like?
Step one
Paul says
take an
analogy
from nature.
Continuity
yes
it will
be you
and yet
there will
be
transformation
so deep
it's as if
the real
you has
finally
come forth.
friend
do you ever
feel
sometimes
like you
just
don't
fit
in your
body
that you
just feel
a little
dislocated
and not
quite
right?
Don't you
see the
truth that
Paul's
pointing us
to here
is explaining
that
that there's
a bodily
existence
for you
to come
that's going
to unfurl
and unlock
your potential
and be right
and fitting
and beautiful
in the ways
that your deep
heart longs
for and aches
for and reaches
for.
That's step one.
Step two
now Paul gives
us a description.
In verses
42 through
44 there are
four contrasts.
Granted
the resurrection
will mean this
massive transformation
but what sort
of transformation?
And we see it
here.
First he says
it's from perishable
to imperishable.
Friends our present
bodies deteriorate
don't they?
When I was 18
I didn't really
think a lot
about that.
Now I'm 35
and I just
keep getting bigger
and I get a little
heavier
and running around
the block
takes a little
more sweat.
Our bodies
deteriorate.
Our joints
get stiff.
Our eyesight
gets worse.
We know that
our bodies
don't last
forever.
Eventually
they perish
but the new
body,
the resurrection
body isn't
going to
deteriorate.
It's not
going to
grow old.
It's not
going to
decay.
And do you
see what that
means?
It means that
all those
fears that we
carry around
that fear of
injury
that fear
of physical
pain and
the loss
of ability
that fear
of losing
our eyesight
maybe even
that fear
of losing
our memory
ultimately
our fear
of dying
all those
fears
will be
gone.
Isaiah 25
talks about
death and
the fear
of death
like a veil
spread over
all the
people
over everyone
in all nations
a dark
drape
covering
and coloring
everything.
And friends
isn't that
true in your
own experience
that every
great meal
you share
every sunny
day you
enjoy
every friendship
you make
isn't all
of it
maybe far
back in
your mind
covered
and colored
in the
background
by that
looming
reality
of our
transience
and that
looming
fear
of death
that our
bodies
are perishable
and yet
in the
resurrection
that curtain
is going to
be thrown
back
cast aside
and that
fear will
be gone
and our
bodies will
be raised
imperishable
Israel
describes
that day
like a
feast
of rich
wine
and rich
food
can you
imagine
what it
will be
like
to eat
that first
meal
without
the looming
lingering
fear
of
deterioration
and decay
and death
second
our
bodies
will undergo
a transformation
from dishonor
to glory
you know
our physical
limitations
and their
deterioration
are only
half the
story
aren't
they
more
bitter
than that
I think
is the
dishonor
in other
words
the shame
that we
feel
in our
bodies
now some
of this
shame
comes from
cultural
standards
sort of
values
and images
that our
society
holds up
and things
that we
don't sort
of measure
up to
we're too
fat
we're too
thin
we're too
tall
we're too
short
our hair
isn't the
right color
the right
length
the right
style
we don't
even have
any hair
and so
on
but you
know
there's also
the shame
that we
carry
not just
from
the cultural
standards
around us
but because
of the
things
that maybe
have been
done
to us
in our
bodies
maybe
someone
hurt us
or took
advantage
of us
and maybe
there's no
visible
mark
or scar
but our
bodies
still carry
the shame
of that
act
of being
wronged
and being
hurt
and it's
like a
stain
has been
marking
us
all of
our
days
and if
there's
the shame
that we
have
from what's
been done
to us
there's
also the
shame
in our
bodies
from what
we've
done
to
others
maybe
even
from what
we've
done
to
ourselves
that
addiction
we
kept
feeding
those
scars
that remind
us
of the
years
we kept
running
from God
and hurting
others
and yet
in the
resurrection
all this
shame
all this
dishonor
will be
released
and we
will be
raised
in
glory
instead
of wanting
to hide
instead
of wanting
to just
disappear
which is
what shame
sort of
forces us
to want
to do
friends
we're going
to be
whole
and we're
going to
be
clean
and others
around us
won't help
but admire
and call
forth our
radiance
and beauty
and honor
and it
will be
celebrated
and the
crazy thing
is that
in that
day
that kind
of celebration
isn't going
to make
you proud
and it's
not going
to go
to your
head
and it's
not going
to make
you look
down on
others
because when
you look
at others
they'll be
glorious
too
and there
won't be
any more
comparisons
or envy
or jealousy
all those
shadows will be
dispelled
because we
will all
embody the
unique
particular
glory
we were
meant to
have
without any
shame
and like
slide
after slide
of the
Hubble
telescope
reveals
one glory
after another
so in the
resurrection
there won't
be favorites
just
breathtaking
glory
upon glory
third
in the
resurrection
our bodies
will be
transformed
from weakness
to strength
I was
watching some
of the
men's
gymnastics
yesterday
on the
Olympics
Mike
I've got
an Amazon
fire TV
thing
my brother
sent it
to me
and it's
awesome
you can
watch
any sport
any time
of the day
and my
daughter
was like
dad
I want
to watch
gymnastics
so we're
like alright
we're going
to watch
gymnastics
and I'll
tell you
what
it is
incredible
what these
guys can
do
I can do
a somersault
and I get
sort of
motion sick
and these
guys
they're doing
handstands
with their
arms like
this
and their
heads
aren't
touching
the
ground
that's
insane
and yet
you know
friends
that the
strength
of even
the most
accomplished
athlete
will seem
like
weakness
compared to
what we
will all
be in
the
resurrection
when our
fatigue
will be
swallowed
up
and our
chronic
illnesses
and limitations
will be
no more
and when
even our
most severe
disabilities
will be
healed
do you
remember how
some of the
Christians at
Corinth
we looked at
this a number
of weeks
ago
you remember
how some of
the Christians
at Corinth
were calling
themselves
strong
and looking
down on
members in
the congregation
that they
thought were
weak
we do that
too
don't we
but you
see the
coming
resurrection
if we
let that
reality
sink in
again
it just
cuts out
it just
takes out
our pride
like the
cancer that
it is
no matter
how strong
we think
we are
today
no matter
what
attainments
we think
we've
achieved
physically
intellectually
spiritually
that's
nothing
compared
to what
even the
weakest
Christian
will be
like
in the
resurrection
and so
you see
when you're
doing that
kind of
calculus
this side
of the
resurrection
we're
all
weak
we're
all the
same
none of
us is
really
superior
to
another
we
all
every
Christian
we all
stand
in need
of God's
radical
transforming
grace
on the
last day
to take
us
to where
God
really
wants
us
to be
so we
can't
look down
our noses
at one
another
in pride
we can't
give in
to prejudice
or to
racism
or to
classism
we've
all been
put on
the same
plane
all of
us
and we've
all been
promised
that one
day we'll
be raised
in strength
yes
all are
weak
and all
will be
made
strong
fourth point
Paul describes
the transformation
of our bodies
in the resurrection
as going from
a natural
body
to a
spiritual
body
now this
dichotomy
is by
far
the
trickiest
of the
four
contrasts
to
understand
because
when we
in our
sort of
everyday
language
today
compare
something
that's
natural
and
spiritual
we usually
mean
something
that's
physical
on the
one
hand
and
something
that's
not
physical
on the
other
right
the
natural
is
sort
of
physical
material
the
spiritual
is
sort
of
immaterial
but that's
not
actually
what Paul
means
in this
contrast
for starters
when he
uses the
word
natural
he's
not
using
a
word
that
anyone
would
have
heard
to
mean
material
or
physical
rather
that
word
natural
is
from
the
same
word
that
we
often
translate
as
soul
psuche
where we
get the
language
of
psychology
so
Paul's
not
saying
that
there's
a
material
thing
and
an
immaterial
thing
so
what
is
he
saying
well
you
have
to
see
that
these
adjectives
that
are
the
kind
of
adjectives
that
describe
what
something
is
powered
by
if
after
the
service
I
was
out
in
the
parking
lot
with
you
and
asked
you
hey
do
you
drive
an
electric
car
or
a
gas
car
you
wouldn't
think
that
I
was
asking
whether
your
car
was
made
up
of
a
stream
of
highly
charged
electrons
or
a
puddle
of
smelly
petroleum
right
I'm
not
asking
you
whether
your
car
is
made
of
electric
or
made
of
gas
I'm
asking
you
what
your
car
is
powered
by
what
drives
it
it's
the
same
thing
here
Paul
is
contrasting
our
present
bodies
with
our
resurrection
bodies
both
are
physical
both
are
material
but
the
first
is
powered
by
the
ordinary
human
soul
our
natural
human
capacities
and
personality
but
the
second
the
resurrection
body
will
be
completely
enlivened
and
empowered
and
directed
by
God's
own
spirit
what's
that
going to
be like
I don't
know
but here's
what I came
up with
as I was
thinking
about it
psychologists
and work
productivity
experts
often talk
about something
called
flow
it's
this
state
of
being
where
you're
performing
an
activity
and
you're
totally
engaged
and
you're
totally
focused
and
everything
is
clicking
and
there's
even
this
sort
of
deep
sense
of
enjoyment
about
you
if
you're
an
athlete
you
would
call
it
being
in
the
zone
or
if
you
played
basketball
in
the
early
90s
you
would
say
that
you're
on
fire
my
guess
is
that
we've
all
experienced
maybe
for you
it
is
playing
a
sport
you're
skiing
down
a
mountain
you're
running
around
the
track
and
you
feel
that
effortless
flow
that
focus
that
joy
that
accomplishment
maybe
if
you're
lucky
it
happens
for
you
at
work
you're
writing
that
paper
you're
accomplishing
that
project
you're
swinging
that
hammer
and
you
just
sort
of
lose
yourself
in
the
work
you're
in
the
zone
and
if
you
felt
it
and
you
probably
have
you
know
that
there's
almost
this
effortless
focus
this
absorption
and
effectiveness
in
what
you're
doing
and
it's
joyful
and
you
like
it
but
you
also
know
of
course
that
most
of
our
waking
moments
aren't
like
that
we
struggle
and
we
strive
we
procrastinate
we
get
distracted
and
above
all
we
labor
at
whatever
we're
doing
now
if
you
felt
the
difference
between
those
two
states
between
flow
and
struggle
then
I
think
we've
had
a
small
foretaste
of
the
difference
Paul's
talking
about
here
to
have
God's
spirit
empowering
and
enlivening
our
bodies
through
and
through
with
no
reserve
isn't
just
going to
make
them
imperishable
and
glorious
and
strong
but
it's
going
to
mean
living
and
being
and
acting
without
that
striving
and
struggling
that
we
so
often
experience
as
we
go
about
our
ordinary
lives
empowered
by
our
ordinary
human
selves
in
other
words
friend
there's
coming
a
day
when
we
will
no
longer
be
our
own
worst
enemies
at
last
God's
will
and
our
will
and
God's
desire
and
our
desire
will
be
united
in
effortless
focus
and
in
joy
and
we'll
stop
kicking
against
the
goads
because
we'll
finally
be
wholly
empowered
by
the
spirit
of
the
God
who
made
us
and
who
loves
us
so
this
is
Paul's
description
of
the
resurrection
body
imperishable
glorious
strong
and on
top
of
it
all
empowered
by
God's
spirit
friends
does
that
sound
too
good
to
be
true
and
how
in
the
world
can
Paul
be
so
confident
that
this
is
actually
what
it's
going
to
be
like
I
mean
sure
the
Old
Testament
talks
about
resurrection
Ezekiel
talks
about
resurrection
is sort
of
a
big
metaphor
for
return
and
restoration
from
exile
and
then
you
have
Daniel
who
talks
about
personal
individual
resurrection
and he
sort
of
gets a
glimpse
of it
we're
sort
of
shining
like
stars
but
there's
nothing
this
specific
nothing
this
detailed
that
Paul
could
have
been
drawing
from
none
of
the
literature
produced
between
the
Old
Testament
and
the
New
had
anything
like
this
how
in
the
world
does
Paul
and
that's
where
we
come
to
step
three
of
Paul's
argument
here
he
gave
us
an
analogy
from
creation
a
description
of
the
body
and
now
he
confronts
us
with
the
reality
of
redemption
all
of
this
will
be
true
of
us
because
it
is
true
of
Christ
we
know
God's
power
in
creation
yes
but
more
than
that
we
will
share
Christ's
image
in
redemption
at
the
end
of
verse
44
Paul
says
if
there's
a
natural
body
there's
also
a
spiritual
body
how
does
Paul
make
that
jump
he's
not
making
some
sort
of
logical
deduction
as if
the
existence
of
one
necessarily
implies
the
other
no
he's
saying
you
know
there's
a
natural
body
right
this
ordinary
human
way
of
being
in
the
body
well
let
me
tell
you
there's
also
a
spiritual
body
a
body
renewed
and
powered
and
made
real
by
God's
spirit
and
Paul
knows
this
because
he's
met
the
one
for
whom
it's
already
true
because
he's
seen
the
one
whom
God
raised
from
the
dead
imperishable
glorious
strong
and
overflowing
with
God's
spirit
the
risen
Lord
Jesus
has
opened
up
for
us
a
whole
new
way
of
being
human
that's
what
this
first
Adam
last
Adam
comparison
is
all
about
in
these
last
verses
all
of
us
are
in
the
first
Adam
we
all
belong
to
that
sort
of
humanity
by
birth
with
Adam
as
its
head
we
all
carry
his
image
which
is
the
image
of
God
that's
been
marred
by
sin
fallen
and
so
destined
for
the
dust
but
friends
in
Christ
a
new
possibility
has
opened
up
that
another
Adam
has
come
the
last
Adam
the
only
Adam
we'll
need
now
and
in
him
we
become
a
new
humanity
when
we
belong
to
Christ
through
faith
we
become
bearers
of
his
image
and
this
image
of
Christ
is
the
image
of
God
restored
we
now
belong
not to
the
dust
but
we
belong
to
heaven
and
when
Christ
returns
bringing
heaven's
glory
to
earth
and
making
all
things
new
we
will
receive
bodies
just
like
his
imperishable
glorious
strong
spirit
filled
what
what's
true
of
him
is
true
of
us
the
first
Adam
became
a
living
being
or
we
might
translate
it
a
living
soul
that's
Paul
quoting
genesis
2
7
and
the
word
being
there
the
word
soul
there
is
the
same
word
underlying
natural
in
verse
44
this
is
the
natural
ordinary
typical
way
of
being
human
but
the
last
Adam
became
a
life
giving
spirit
Paul
saying
not
that
Jesus
came
back
as
a
ghost
no
he's
saying
that
just
as
Adam
embodied
the
living
soul
so
Christ
embodies
the
life
giving
spirit
of
God
and
pours
it
out
on
us
if
we
get
our
ordinary
humanness
from
Adam
we
get
our
spirit
filled
humanness
from
Christ
and
Paul
ends
with
this
triumphant
promise
just
as
we
have
born
the
image
of
the
man
of
dust
so
also
shall
we
bear
the
image
of
the
man
of
heaven
so
take
a step
back
friends
take
this
whole
passage
in
do
you
see
what
Paul
is
doing
do
you
see
what
he's
saying
if
the
resurrection
of
our
bodies
is
made
possible
by
God's
power
and
creation
it's
made
certain
by
Christ's
work
in
redemption
he's
come
we
shall
bear
the
image
of
the
man
of
heaven
what
we
know
about
the
resurrection
we
know
because
of
Jesus
and
because
he's
promised
to
raise
us
up
with
him
but
the
full
beauty
of
the
gospel
you
see
isn't
just
that
the
risen
Lord
Jesus
is
now
imperishable
glorious
powerful
the
beauty
of
the
gospel
is
that
Christ
has
done
everything
necessary
to
get
us
there
with
him
because
you
see
we
don't
deserve
actually
to be
raised
like
this
we
don't
deserve
to
have
an
imperishable
glorious
spirit
filled
bodily
existence
with
God
forever
our
sins
have
forfeited
that
right
we
have
willfully
stood
with
the
first
Adam
we
sought
our
life
apart
from
God
and
now
we
rightfully
receive
the
wages
of
that
sin
which
is
death
but
if
we
have
stood
with
the
first
Adam
the
last
Adam
has
come
and
he
has
stood
with
us
the
perfect
human
being
fully
God
and
fully
man
has
come
and
stood
with
us
in
order
to
renew
humanity
and in
standing
with
us
what
does
he
do
he
becomes
perishable
he
becomes
dishonorable
he
becomes
weak
Isaiah 53
says
he had
no
form
or
majesty
that
we
should
look
at
him
and
no
beauty
that
we
should
desire
him
Isaiah
goes
on
to
say
that
on
the
cross
he
will
be
wounded
for
our
transgressions
and
crushed
for
our
iniquities
he
takes
our
place
in
that
old
perishable
dishonorable
weak
life
of
death
so
that
all
who
place
their
trust
in
him
might
have
their
sins
forgiven
and
know
that
if
Christ
has
died
for
me
then
I
will
be
raised
with
him
we're
about
to go
to the
Lord's
table
friends
and
remember
Christ's
sacrifice
for
us
to
remember
that
because
Christ's
body
was
broken
for
us
our
sins
are
forgiven
and
because
Christ's
body
was
raised
we
too
shall
be
raised
this
is
our
hope
you
see
not
some
body
less
immaterial
afterlife
not
merely
our
memories
living
on
in
the
lives
of
our
friends
no
our
hope
is
the
full
restoration
of
what's
been
lost
in
the
fall
all
our
death
all
our
shame
all
our
weakness
all
of
that
Christ
swallowed
up
on
the
cross
and
rose
again
in
power
and
in a
beautiful
way
what
has
Christ
done
he's
given
us
these
physical
tangible
reminders
in the
bread
and the
cup
he's
given us
something
you can
touch
and
something
you can
taste
he's
given us
these
things
that speak
again
and again
to our
hearts
of this
great
hope
so that
as we
take up
our cross
and follow
him
we can
be
reminded
and we
can
know
that our
future holds
nothing
less
than the
renewal
of all
creation
and the
resurrection
of our
bodies
let's
pray
Lord Jesus
we come
now to
your table
and we
ask that
you by
your
spirit
would
allow
us
to
remember
deeply
and richly
what you've
done for
us
and not
just remember
what you've
done for
us
Lord
but to
replace
ourselves
again
into
that
great
story
of
redemption
that
you've
accomplished
for us
Lord
help us
to
replot
our
lives
again
on
this
great
arc
of
hope
this
great
arc
of
life
this
great
arc
of
resurrection
that
you
have
put
us
in
through
your
death
and
resurrection
and by
your
spirit
Father
we ask
that you
would do
all this
in Jesus
name
Amen
Thank you.