Good morning my brothers and sisters!
Today, I am excited and humbled to be able to preach from one of my favorite passages in the Bible.
One of my favorite scenes in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy is the final battle at the Black Gates of Mordor, which is the last stronghold of the enemy. Even though it takes place during broad daylight, black smoke from Mount Doom fills the air and darkens the sky. The remnant of the armies of men have come to wage war for the future of mankind. They are the last defense against the darkness that seeks to swallow Middle Earth. As the enemy gates slowly open, it becomes obvious to many of the men that they are hopelessly outnumbered. You see the entire front line take a few steps back in fear and individual soldiers looking left and right, unsure if they want to hold the line, but for sure knowing they will lose their life. Aragorn, the rightful King of Gondor, rides out in front and delivers this speech.
“Hold your ground! Hold your ground! Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers. I see in your eyes the very fear that would take the heart of me! A day may come when the courage of men fail, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day! An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand! Men of the West!”
It was a rallying cry that reached every ear and heart of the last defenders of Middle Earth. It instantly changed the tone of the battle. Trembling became stilled and fear gave way to purpose. Aragorn encouraged boldness, he offered hope, and he rallied them together to a calling greater than themselves.
Likewise, the church in the port city of Corinth was under siege by the outside influences of various religions and cultures. Issues of division within the church, sexual immorality, idol worship, and conflicting ideas of the resurrection battled against the gospel Paul had sown and the faith he so diligently defended.
Here we see in 1 Corinthians 15: 50-58, Paul writes to encourage the church of Corinth to stand as well. When the inherent sinful nature of man lays siege to a church, when the gospel is not allowed to take root within the hearts of our brothers and sisters, unity dissolves, love for self overrides love for our neighbors, and the world takes the place of God in our hearts. Paul heard of these problems within the church while he was away and wrote the letter of 1 Corinthians to rally the church community back to the gospel.
In our modern day, what does our church face from the secular world? What idols blind us from the gospel of Christ? We often hear we are all perfect just the way we are. But according to Paul, we came into this world as sinners. In our discipleship, Brian Rao and I are going through the book, Radical, in which David Platt writes,
“Our natural inclination is toward sin, not righteousness. Of course, no one looks at a baby and thinks, ‘What a cute little ball of sin!’ (Certainly didn’t come to mind when I met my nephew for the first time this week!) But think about it: no one ever taught us how to lie or take things that don’t belong to us. We all came to that knowledge on our own very naturally.”
It’s often easier to hear the lies of the world saying we’re perfect in our imperfection than to think that in our imperfection, we need a perfect Savior.
As we go through this morning’s passage, let’s ask ourselves, are we still living by our own understanding and power? Has the gospel taken root and transformed our lives? And are we working and building towards the ephemeral or the eternal?
Before we go any further, please join me in prayer.
Point 1: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.
Paul writes to us in verses 50 - 54 that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, for the perishable cannot inherit the imperishable and the mortal cannot inherit the immortal. Something that is perishable will decay, it will wear out, it will run down. Something that is mortal means it can and will die. But only through the victory of Christ, for all who believe at the time of the second coming, the perishable will put on the imperishable. And the mortal shall put on immortality.
One of my favorite memories of elementary school was when I was in 5th grade. Our class had just gotten a butterfly kit. Each one of these kits came with a caterpillar for every student. I was probably the most impatient and annoying student my 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Williamson, ever had. But I was so anxious to see the change, I was excited to witness the transformation of this earth-bound caterpillar into a sky-ward butterfly.
But in the same way that a caterpillar, as is, does not have what is necessary to take to the skies, we too do not have what it takes to enter the kingdom of God. It is not possible for the caterpillar and it is not possible for our flesh and blood.
The only way we can inherit the kingdom of God is through the gospel, the only way the perishable and the mortal can put on the imperishable and the immortal is through the gospel which comes from Christ and Christ alone. Jesus declares in the John 3:16,
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whom so ever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”
But how many times have we tried to live out the gospel according to our own flesh and blood? Whether by leaning on our own strength, by depending on our own love, or by serving with our own wisdom? When we are not changed, when we are not transformed, we simply add Christianity to the list of things we can do to be “good.” It is a surface level addition. It is only an accessory.
We often try to form Jesus to our lives rather than be transformed by Him. A Jesus that doesn’t mind a little materialism, who is fine with nominal devotion or half-hearted commitment. A Jesus who wouldn’t call us to give up anything and everything, even our lives, in order to follow after Him.
This isn’t the Jesus of the Bible. Nor is this the gospel that transforms our lives. It’s so much more than just doing good things! We cannot save ourselves on our own. It is Jesus who changes the very core of who we are!
This past November, my groomsmen and I had an opportunity to walk the field at Ohio Stadium right before the Ohio State / Michigan football game. There we were, standing on the home field of the team that would end up demolishing the so called “best defense in the nation” that very Saturday. Give them a couple shoulder pads to stuff underneath their jerseys, a coaches headset over my head, and we perhaps would look quite the part, right?
But we all know that to be a part of the Ohio State football team means so much more than just the pads and the shirt, to be a head coach is so much more than just a headset and a branded windbreaker. Had we played that weekend, we would have been completely destroyed because we are not actual football players and football coaches! It would be crazy!
But this is how ridiculous we look when we try to put Jesus on without letting Him transform our lives! This is how absurd this type of false “Christianity” looks.
Which brings us to our next point. If the power of the gospel can have the perishable put on the imperishable, if the power of the gospel is to be truly realized in us, if it is to be lived out as a part of our every thought, our every word, and our every deed, then we must be changed from the inside out.
Point 2: We must be transformed by the Gospel.
We must be transformed by the gospel!
So what must a caterpillar do to transform into a butterfly? It doesn’t merely just grow wings! The whole body changes as well! A caterpillar will literally spend all of its time searching for and eating food in preparation for the change to come. When the time arrives, a caterpillar forms a cocoon around itself. Now within that cocoon, the caterpillar’s body digests itself from the inside out. The old body is broken down into cells and the tissue is completely destroyed. During this time, new legs, new antennae, new organs, and new wings are grown to form the new butterfly. It is a completely new creation.
If today, we’re still living for the same goals and dreams that we had before we met Jesus, then we have not been changed. If we are still thinking the exact same way we thought after we met Jesus, then we will not find the fulfillment that Jesus is offering, since we have not been changed.
Take my relationship with Sophie for example. Before I met Sophie, I’ve been more times than not living the single life out pretty darn well. Eating fast food late into the night, leaving my dirty laundry all over the floor, not vacuuming my apartment, not actually owning a vacuum in my apartment, not changing the water filter in my Britta pitcher, working long hours every weekday, and hanging out with friends all weekend.
Let me ask everyone here now, how many of you think I could have continued that life style after we got married?
No! My life had to change right? Change in response to the love that she had for me, and the love that I had for her! I want to eat more healthily and be more active so we can live and serve a long life together! I want to help do my part in tidying the house so we can both live in a sanitary home! I want to make sure I have enough time to spend with her so she understands that she is a priority and love of my life! This is not solely because of a marital obligation or checking off some list of what I believe a husband should do. But it is because I love Sophie! A labor of love! And like any change, as Sophie can attest to this, my change is not fast, but every day, I’m continuing to work on it!
So our life is to change when we are in relationship with Jesus! How much more does God love me? How much more should my life be transformed because of His love? We are called to grow in godliness until we are conformed to the image of Jesus!
Paul, in the first chapter of 1 Corinthians, wrote to remind us,
“And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness, and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Not only has Christ defeated the last enemy for us, assuring an eternal place with Him for those who believe, but what else does Paul say? Christ became wisdom to us! He is our righteousness. He is our sanctification. He is our redemption!
How much more confidently, then, can we join in with Paul, Isaiah and Hosea when they proclaim in verse 55,
“Death is swallowed up in victory! O Death where is your victory? O Death where is your sting?”
And even more so again, in verse 56 – 57, Paul once again declares that if the sting of death is sin, Christ bore the curse of sin for us on that cross. And if indeed the power of sin is the law, Christ has satisfied the demands of the law for us on that cross.
In this epic rallying Paul reminds us of the greatest victory in all of history! Perfect love came together with perfect justice. It gives resolve to stand our ground in the gospel and it gives us hope as we are now his redeemed, bearing the marks of God’s love. If we truly believe and have welcomed Christ to sit upon the throne of our hearts with open arms, then His wisdom, His righteousness, and His sanctification is alive in us!
Now it is important to note that this exciting news we received must be lived out! It cannot just knowledge in your head. And the more we see of Christ for who He really is in His Word and by His Spirit, the more we taste Him, the more we savor Him, the more we treasure Him.
Paul reminds us in verse 56 and 57 that we are not to sow into sin anymore! Because of the victory of Christ Jesus, the sting of death is no more! The power of sin has no hold on us! We are to flee our earthly temptations and pursue heavenly desires. This means saying no to whatever might provoke our sinful tendencies and saying no to whatever might strengthen our sinful desires.
Sow to the Spirit! This means saying yes to whatever might strengthen our new, Spirit-given desire for holiness. This means developing new appetites, new desires, new sources of joy. And I believe once we truly have a taste of Christ, there is no doubt our lives will begin to change.
So how can we foster this change within us? How then do we look forward towards the imperishable and the eternal?
We are to cling to the Word. Even if it is just for a few minutes a day to start off, be in the Word of God! Pick up a copy of the one year Bible reading plan, get a copy of My Utmost for His Highest, or any other devotional book! Psalm 34:8-9 says,
“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him. Fear the Lord, you His holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.”
Get to know our God! Get to know the heights of His love, the depths of His peace that stills our fears and ceases our strife.
We lay our burdens and worries at His feet in prayer. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says,
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
As we get to know how perfect and loving God is, we also realize how broken and weak we are. There is no greater comfort than in kneeling before him in prayer.
We must encourage and be encouraged within a godly community. As the body of Christ, we are redeemed together. Created anew together. Loved by God together. Acts 2:44-47 says,
“All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
This is the glorious unity that was created in Christ and for the glory of Christ.
Until we are changed by the gospel, until our thoughts change from the perishable to the imperishable, we will never fully live out the realized gospel, having only glimpses and tastes. We will continue to suffer between two worlds, longing for a fullness only the gospel can give.
C.S. Lewis writes,
“If you want to get warm, you must stand near the fire. If you want to be wet, you must get into the water. If you want joy, strength, peace and eternal life, you must get close to or even into, the thing that has them.”
So now we understand that 1. flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom and 2. in order for the perishable to put on the imperishable, our flesh and blood must draw near to Christ and be transformed by the gospel. And so we finally come to Paul’s rallying cry.
Point 3: We must labor for the kingdom of God.
He cries out for our labor to be for the kingdom!
We know we cannot serve two masters. Jesus said we will be devoted to one and despise the other. We will love one but hate the other. So we know we will always be abounding in some sort of work. Therefore Paul, in verse 58, rallies us to commit our lives to the good work of the Lord.
So if we say that the gospel is worth it, if we believe that the gospel is life changing, then why do we still so often find ourselves on the sidelines? Why are we looking at others to do what we as part of the body of Christ should be doing ourselves?
God intends that there be a practical effect for what He has said and done. He intends for the response to what He has said and done to be verse 58. The gospel is intended to push us towards verse 58! The gospel acknowledges that we are inherently sinful and deserve death. But Christ came to this earth. He has died in our place. He took all of our sins on Himself on that cross. He defeated death redeeming us to himself! And now for those who believe, there is no more condemnation. No more hell. No more fear. Though our bodies will be buried in the grave, Christ will come and the trumpet will sound. We will be raised and changed. Death, the last enemy, is swallowed up in the great victory. To die is now to gain. Verse 58 is God’s will for my life and for yours.
“Therefore my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
Paul challenges us to three things in his therefore statement.
We need to be steadfast. We need to be steady as we move forward. We need to keep going and not give up. Don’t stop and go, stop and go. “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” This doesn’t just refer to those God calls into full time vocational ministry! But to each and every one of us! Let’s put our hands on the plow and not take it off until our work here is done.
We need to be immovable. We shouldn’t get distracted or blown over by things of this world. We need to hold our ground. Know the gospel of Christ, take root in His word, be in love with His character so that we may stand firm against anything the world has to throw at us.
And lastly, we need to abound in the work of the Lord. Meaning we need to do lots of it! The work of the Lord should overflow from our lives! Let’s fill our days with things that count for Christ! Whether it is in our homes with our families, in our classrooms with our schoolmates, in our offices with our colleagues, or around town with our friends. Let every moment count for the gospel of Christ. Let every word have purpose in the gospel of Christ. Let every action point back to the gospel of Christ!
Now this may seem overwhelming, and in all honestly it is overwhelming. But like any relationship, we take it step by step. Day by day. Prayer by prayer. Now I believe Paul understood the weight of what this change would look like on our lives, for he finishes this chapter with an assurance. An assurance that our work in the Lord will never be in vain. So why worry? Why fret?
Do we not know that our job, that our work, is to sow? Our job is to water! But it is God who causes growth. It is God who instills change. Earlier in 1 Corinthians chapter 3, Paul writes,
“What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.”
It is God himself that does the heavy lifting! The emphasis falls on God! Not on any one of us! It’s verses like these that call us to be a gospel-centered church, a Christ-centered people. We want to be a church that spreads a passion for the supremacy of God in all that we do! Let us be reminded that it is God who is supreme in the ministry of the church! So be bold, be courageous, pray for hope and perseverance as we continue in His work together! We must continue to endure to the end, for His work is plentiful and we shall endure to the end for He grace is enough!
I’d imagine being the caterpillar inside the chrysalis would be very uncomfortable. It’s a small confined space. It seemingly gave up being able to do anything it wanted on the earth for small restrictive prison. Not only is it the worst nightmare for claustrophobics, but during this time the caterpillar is being broken down, dissolved, reassembled, transformed into something new. It cannot be an easy or painless process. But in the end it knows what the endgame is. It’s seen and understood that the dirt is but it’s temporal home. The caterpillar longs for the change, because it knows it’s destined for the sky!
Likewise, our time here on this earth, we are to do work. To be broken down, to be changed, to be transformed, to be steadfast, to be immovable, to be abounding in work, in preparation for the kingdom to come. In preparation of a life before the King of Kings! It is not an easy process. But do we understand that we are now meant for eternity?
If you are a student, as much as we value and prioritize our academic progress, how much do we value and prioritize our relationship with Christ? How many times have we skipped out on opportunities to learn of who God is, of what He has done for us, opportunities to encourage and be encouraged in fellowship with one another? How many times have we compromised our relationship with Christ because of the pressures of culture and society? If Christ were to come at this moment, would the first thing he ask of us be, “My dear child, tell me, what was your grade point average last semester?” All these things, our grades, our resumes, our achievements, they are all perishable, they will all one day fade away. Know that the work of the Lord, has eternal significance, it has eternal results. Make the Eternal One our priority!
If you are a young adult, how many times has the exhaustion of the day in and day out repetition of our jobs caused us to fall into relational and spiritual apathy? And as we take on more and more responsibilities within the church, whether in children’s, youth, fellowship, congregational or church-wide servanthood, how easy is it to cast aside our quiet times with the Lord in an effort to squeeze every last minute of the day for a few more seconds of production time? Do we really trust that God is the one who is at work here at this church? We need to carefully cultivate our own personal time in the Word and in prayer! If we neglect our own relationship with God, we cannot expect to help others to grow!
If you are an adult and parent, how easy is it to think that the family God has entrusted to us is simply the ones who live within our homes? If we truly are of one body, one faith, one God, one family, if when we look to our left and right we call out to our “brothers and sisters in Christ,” isn’t that bond even thicker than blood? How does that then move us to open up our homes, break bread, and testify of God’s work throughout our lives to those younger than us? The picture of Christ’s love breaks down names, walls and divisions, languages, cultures, and generations and unites us under name. And that name is Christ Jesus.
All of this is not to guilt or shame, but encourage us all in this awesome and amazing vision of life together in the gospel, a life together in Christ and because of Christ. And because this work we do is for the eternal, the gospel instills in us the endurance of hope.
In conclusion, this is Paul’s rallying cry, his epic speech to us the church! Do we tremble at the sight of all the wrong doing around us? Be steadfast! Do we find our footing uncertain in facing the complacencies and comforts of this world? Be immovable! Does the very thought of bolding evangelizing to the lost or sacrificially loving your neighbor cause us to lose heart and turn away? Be abounding in the good work of the Lord!
The work we do is for the eternal, it is for the imperishable, it is for the immortal! So hold the line! Stand firm! Take heart in the fact that God has already won the great victory! Let us all be continuously encouraged to live for the gospel of Christ and know that our labor in Christ will never be in vain!