Sunday 05/15/16
Series: Living in the Kingdom Pt. 33
Message – The Redemption of the Body IV
Living in the Kingdom
Last week we introduced four points and touched on 2 of them…:
#1. We need to believe God care for & redeemed our bodies.
#2. Life in the body is part of the work of the Kingdom.
#3. Healing is a benefit of the Kingdom.
#4. We’ve been given the Holy Spirit Who gives us life.
But it is important for us to realize that our bodies were included in the redemptive plan of Christ.
* Remember 1 Cor. 6 told us that…
- “the Lord is FOR the body
- our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit
- We were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body
Now there does seem to be an ORDER of importance –
3 John 1:2,
“Beloved I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”
This is NOT to imply that the body is less valuable than the soul. It is SO important that Paul made it a MAJOR part of his presentation before the Jewish Counsel and Felix!
So knowing that the resurrection of the body was a MAJOR part of the Gospel for which Paul was willing to testify AND die – we’ve decided to place to one side all considerations that the body is NOT as important as the rest of us.
Now 2 weeks ago we ended with an example of healing..it was found in Luke 5…
Remember that Jesus preached the Kingdom of God and Along with teaching about God’s kingdom what did Jesus DO as a MAJOR part of His ministry?
He HEALED bodies and even raised some of them from the dead! We have testimony of this in the gospels SO THAT YOU MIGHT BELIEVE!
Luke 5:12-13,
“(12) And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” (13) Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him.”
What did this man do? He came and He asked.
What did Christ do? He answered and He healed.
Remember that the scriptures we have, were HAND picked by the Spirit of God in order that we might come to Christ in faith – and JUST LIKE THIS MAN, we are to HEAR and BELIEVE.
So we covered our first point that – We need to believe God care for & redeemed our bodies.
What did Christ say, “You search the scriptures for IN THEM YOU THINK you have life, but they are which testify of Me are you are UNWILLING to come to ME that you might have LIFE.”
The scriptures that are recorded therefore are hand-picked by the Holy Spirit to lead us to intimacy with Him!
Consider > What were the O.T. scriptures intended to lead us to?
Then what should be expect the N.T. Scriptures to lead us to?
This man was FULL of leprosy and Jesus was not only ABLE but WILLING to heal him.
It is UNREASONABLE in the extreme to assume that Jesus was willing to DO something which worked against the work of the Kingdom.
Luke 7:19-23,
“(19) And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” (20) When the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’ ” (21) And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight. (22) Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. (23) And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
I also felt led to refer to one for which I did not have a reference. If you remember it was of a DAUGHTER OF ABRAHAM who Jesus delivered. This week I have the reference.
Turn with me to Luke 13:10-17,
“Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. (11) And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. (12) But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” (13) And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. (14) But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.” (15) The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? (16) So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” (17) And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.”
Then the next thing Jesus began to do was talk about the Kingdom of God!
This leads us to POINT #2:
Life in the body is part of the work of the Kingdom.
Say this with me – Jesus is FOR my body!
Our bodies are NOT peripheral to the Gospel but very much included in it!
Last week we looked at Romans 6-8 which talked about:
- Our being baptized INTO Christ.
- Paul’s desire to be delivered from a body which drew him towards sin.
- Our great hope of the resurrection of our bodies
These words from Romans 6:3-5 will sound familiar to you,
“(3) Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? (4) Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (5) For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,”
Baptism represents three things:
- Being Placed INTO Christ
- Dying with Him
- Rising WITH HIM.
When you were baptized – How many in here were baptized?
When you were baptized, what happened? You went under and you CAME UP!
They didn’t leave you under there did they?
Well God didn’t leave Christ in the grace either and if you have died with Him…
You will experience the exact same change that Christ did following His resurrection.
However, You need to know that this redemption and glory is NOT all future!!!!
Remember Romans tells us that, He Who raised Christ will also give LIFE to your MORTAL bodies by His Spirit.
Say this –
“My body is redeemed”
“My body is part of Christ”
– Point at yourself “THIS body”
Christ values THIS body – He made it and He redeemed it.
God did not use Christ’s blood to redeem your spirits and some lesser blood to redeem your bodies! It was the same purchase price!
My body is the TEMPLE of the Holy Spirit!
Did Jesus rise? Was life given to His mortal body? HOW? By the Spirit! Rom. 8:11
Now, Who have we received from God…Who dwells in you? The Holy Spirit.
I’m going to introduce you to a word this morning – it’s called EARNEST.
The Holy Spirit is called the EARNEST of our inheritance. Turn to Ephesians chapter 1.
(Steven – would you turn to Romans 8:22)
The word earnest means – a pledge, something which stands for part of the price and is paid beforehand to confirm the fullness of the completed transaction.
Eph 1:7-14,
“(7) In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (8) which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, (9) having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, (10) that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. (11) In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, (12) that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. (13) In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, (14) who is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”
He stands for PART of what is to come.
Again, Romans 8 tells us we are saved in the hope of the FULL redemption of our bodies, but that right NOW, if the Spirit of Him Who raise Christ dwells in us, He Who raise Christ from the dead will also GIVE LIFE to your mortal bodies!
What will our bodies be like in the resurrection?
Turn to 1 Cor. 15 we are going to read the whole thing!
1Cor. 15:1-58,
“(1) Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, (2) by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
(3) For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, (4) and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, (5) and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. (6) After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. (7) After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. (8) Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
(12) Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? (13) But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. (14) And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. (15) Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, Whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. (16) For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. (17) And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! (18) Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. (19) If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. (20) But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
(21) For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.
How CERTAIN is my bodily redemption?
(22) For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. (23) But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. (24) Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. (25) For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. (26) The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
(30) And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour? (31) I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. (32) If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, “LET US EAT AND DRINK, FOR TOMORROW WE DIE!” (33) Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” (34) Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.
(35) But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” (36) Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. (37) And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. (38) But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. (39) All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. (40) There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. (41) There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. (42) So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. (43) It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. (44) It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. (45) And so it is written, “THE FIRST MAN ADAM BECAME A LIVING BEING.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. (46) However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. (47) The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. (48) As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. (49) And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. (50) Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. (51) Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— (52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (54) So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.” (55) “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING? O HADES, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY?” (56) The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. (57) But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (58) Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
I want you to know that God is NOT for a partial redemption. The resurrection of the WHOLE man was ALWAYS intended and just as right now we are only changed into His character to the degree that we see Him, but THEN we will be made FULLY like Him in every way in terms of character. SO IT IS WITH THE BODY!
One day this body will have ALL corruption striped from it – all that lends itself to mortality, pain, sickness, decay and death will be removed FOREVER…but now, I have an earnest of that inheritance by His Spirit Who dwells in me!
Remember Romans 8 again – Paul tells us that sin and death are STILL in our bodies and that nothing good come from them. However, everyone of us has experienced an inner change.
My flesh has lost its grip and in fact even my body now rejects things it once craved. I am experiencing “life” in my mortal body. BUT this not only removes tendencies towards sins from my body, but also tendencies towards death!
Blessings!
The video is pending….
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Blessings!
