1 Corinthians 15

Question:
How did you do on last week’s challenge?
    – Did you show love toward someone
      you like, dislike, a stranger, God, or all four?

1 CORINTHIANS 15

VERSES 1-19:
Read these scriptures.

VERSE 20:
Question:
In order for Jesus to be resurrected,
what must happen first?
    – His death (“risen from the dead”).

Question:
“firstfruits of them that slept” (meaning)?
    – Christ set the precedence for those who will be resurrected.

VERSE 21:
Question:
“by man came death”;
who is the scripture referring to?
    – Adam.

Question:
“by man came the resurrection” (meaning)?
    – Jesus became man and set the precedence for resurrection;
      He was the first to be resurrected.

Note:
    Death came through Adam,
    but life and resurrection came through Jesus,

VERSE 22:
Question:
What is the result when there is no resurrection?
    – Death.

Question:
What is the result of resurrection?
    – Life.

VERSE 23:
Question:
What is God’s order for resurrection?
    – Christ first.
    – Those who belong to Christ at His coming.
Question:
Who does this refer to?
    – Christians, right?
Question:
What coming?
    – His final return to Heaven
      with those who belong to Him.

VERSE 24:
Question:
What happens after all Christians have been resurrected?
    – The beginning of eternity.
      (forever joy for those who belong to the Lord;
       forever pain and agony for those
       who do not belong to the Lord)
    – God will rule and sin will no longer exist.
Question:
Have you ever imagined a world without sin?

Question:
What would be different in our lives if there is no sin?

VERSE 25:
– All enemies of God will be totally defeated.

VERSE 26:
– The last remaining enemy “death”, will be defeated.

Question:
How is death an enemy?
    – It delays our ultimate fellowship with Christ?

    – The fear of death hinders some from
      doing the work they would do for Christ?
      Note:
          We might not be threatened by death when we serve
          the Lord, but what other fears prevent us from
          using the gifts He has given us?
          God didn’t give us spiritual gifts for us to know
          our potential, he gave them to us so that we could
          be active in serving Him.

Question:
Are there any Christians who will not experience
a resurrection from death when Christ returns?
    – Yes.
      Why?
          – They are still alive when Christ returns.

VERSES 35-53:
Read these scriptures.

VERSE 54:
Question:
What are three results for those who are resurrected?
    1. They become totally unable to sin.
    2. They become immortal (they will live forever).
    3. They have won the victory over death.

VERSE 55:
Death is challenged to show any evidence of a victory.

VERSE 56:
Question:
What IS the “sting of death”?
    – Sin, right?

Question:
What is the strength of sin?
    – The law.

      Question:
      How?
          – It made people aware of their sin;
            it caused people to realize they stood condemned
            before God, which affected their work and witness.

VERSE 57:
Question:
Victory over what?
    – Sin and death.

VERSE 58:
Note:
    Even though Paul seems harsh at times, look at how
    his love shines through – he says, “my dear brothers”.

Question:
What is the message here for us?
    – Be strong.
    – Don’t give in to sin.
    – Be diligent about doing the Lord’s work
      (use what He has given us to use).
    – Remember our work is not in vain.

Question:
Is Paul implying we should earn our way into heaven?
If not, then what?
    – No, he is not saying we can earn our way into heaven;
      he is saying that as Christians,
      we are expected to participate in God’s work
      (it is not a “task”, but it is an honor, a blessing, and
       an opportunity for us to prove our love and faith).

Let’s look at the emotions experienced during
the time of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection:
    – Confusion (John 20:1-7, 9)
    – Belief (John 20:8)
    – Sadness (John 20:11)
    – Fear (John 20:19)
    – Peace (John 20:19)
    – Joy (John 20:20)
    – Power (John 20:22-23)
    – Doubt (John 20:24-27)
    – Faith (John 20:28-31)
    – Obedience (John 21:22)

Now, let’s look at some of the opposition’s theories:

THEORY:
Disciples stole the body from the tomb.
    – Why would the disciples want Jesus’ body?

    – How did they sneak past the guards?

    – Why would an angel “lie” about the reason
      for the tomb being empty?

    – Who was it that appeared to all those people later?

THEORY:
The authorities took the body.
    – Why didn’t they produce it order to disprove the
      claims of Peter and others just a few weeks later?

    – What inspired the disheartened disciples to become
      proponents of a new cause, if they had not seen Jesus again?

    – If they took His body, why would they spend time neatly
      folding the strips of linen that were covering Him?

THEORY:
Jesus’ friends went to the wrong tomb; they were
disoriented after all that had happened during the week.
    – Whose grave clothes did John and Peter find?

    – What was an angel doing at someone else’s gravesite?

    – Could they all have forgotten their directions at the same time?

THEORY:
Jesus only fainted
(He was revived by the cool, damp air of the tomb).
    – What caused the soldiers to make a mistake
      and certify that Jesus was dead?

    – Why didn’t Joseph notice that Jesus
      wasn’t dead when he wrapped Him in linen?

    – How did Jesus recover from being nearly dead
      just days before, unwrap Himself from the grave
      clothes, push away the stone, and walk about
      town in perfectly good health?

THEORY:
Jesus’ friends saw hallucinations.
    – Is there evidence that suggests that
      eleven people can hallucinate the same image?

    – Can people drag out hallucinations over many weeks,
      in many locations, and under various circumstances?

TRUTH:
    Christ DID die,
    He WAS resurrected, and,
    He WILL RETURN one day to resurrect His own.

SUMMARY:
– CHRIST’S resurrection assures us of OUR resurrection.

– Christ will ultimately subdue all opposing forces.

– The assurance of victory over death
   should help to remove our fear of death.

– Confidence in victory over death should
   enable us to serve Christ faithfully and effectively.

– We should praise God for
   the victory over death He has provided through Jesus.