Unless it Dies
“But someone will ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?’ How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies” 1 Cor 15:35-36. There are several things about these two verses that go contrary to current practices. Paul repeats questions that were important sticking points for the people in Corinth and then he slams them for asking them. “How foolish!” Today’s teachers say, “There are no stupid questions…” Every time my cynical mind hears an instructor repeat that line, my thoughts continue an unsaid part of the phrase that I’ve added, “...only stupid people.” Then I smile quietly to myself. Paul lived under a different set of cultural sensibilities.
The reason he is upset at those questions is because they carry more doubt about the resurrection, the topic he is emphasizing with them throughout this chapter. Jesus’ resurrection is real and the resurrection of believers will be too.
Resurrection is a picture of one of the principles God wove into the fabric of the universe - that life is brought on through death. Jesus said the same thing in John 12:24. “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” The death of a believer is transformation, not expiration. For a believer, death to self happens at conversion to Christ and continues through growth and maturity as believers regularly take up their cross and follow Jesus. Paul wants believers to be confident and not in doubt. A mature believer’s whole life is about dying to self. Death is familiar and not feared.
This idea is real even though it was the afterthought of creation or the result of sin. Death is a burden and privilege of this lifetime, but will not be that way in heaven. Which is stronger in your heart, fear of death or confidence in the resurrection? Take some time to process that question. Thank the Lord for overcoming death and giving us the opportunity to die every day so the day of death might be nothing new.
John Riley
Jr. High Pastor
Humanity 2.0
Series: 1st Corinthians - Anastasis | Text: 1 Corinthians 15:35-58
Speakers: Pastors Ryan Paulson & Esteban Tapia
November 13, 2022: Pastors Ryan Paulson and Esteban Tapia continued our 6th teaching season from our 1 Corinthians series on Sunday. We're taking a closer look at the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus, and how that impacts us and the world.
Here I am. Send me.
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: “Who should I send? Who will go for Us?” I said: “Here I am. Send me.” Isaiah 6:8
It was November 1900. A group of five missionaries were looking over the rail of their banana boat that had just arrived in Cuba. As they leaned over the rail watching the ship cargo being unloaded, one of them heard and understood his first Spanish words in Cuba, “Poco a poco.” The group had been on an intensive Spanish course in the last few months as they got ready to leave for Cuba. Mr. Jones understood that it meant “little by little” in other words, “take it easy.” He took these words as a sign from the Lord. Ministry was going to take a while, and he was not to try to rush it. Their first convert was the carpenter that built a few benches for their meetings. Ministry in Cuba did take a while, but by 1927, there was an independent, thriving church in Cuba.
Why am I telling this story? Those five missionaries answered God’s call and joined Him on mission. When God asked “Who should I send,” they answered, “Send us.” They could never have imagined the impact that their answer would have on thousands of Cubans. They impacted the lives of thousands of people they never met. I am one of them. I came to know Jesus in one of those churches founded by that group of missionaries, and those who followed them. It is interesting that I am writing this in November because every November we celebrated the lives of those five missionaries. I remember how we had to learn their names in Sunday School. By the time I was old enough to understand salvation, there were no missionaries left in Cuba. The Communist regime revoked all of their visas and they had to leave, but their work and the Holy Spirit remain in Cuba. Generations continue to worship the Lord and study the Bible in spite of all the hardships.
Those five missionaries were not super-Christians, but ordinary people like you and me. They just heard a call from God and answered it. If you hear His call and answer it, the Lord will send you on an amazing journey, and you will never know until you get to Heaven the impact that you had on many lives.
Isabel Hines
Global Outreach Council
The Death of Death
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
1 Corinthians 15:25,26
According to this scripture, our Lord Jesus must reign and will be a conqueror during his second coming. We know him as the sacrificial lamb in his first coming, but this is Jesus as the warrior putting everything under his feet, stomping out evil everywhere. And we will be here to witness it!
To be honest, I thought the whole world would be subjected to his authority in a relatively short battle called Armageddon and then we would enjoy 1,000 years of perfection. But it seems we will instead be watching Jesus lead a long and drawn out epic campaign against the various evils of the world, until he finally defeats death itself!
We will see our Jesus undo all these evils, unmake them and expose deep-seated lies we never knew before. We will get to witness the deconstruction of sin and death. Revelation 20:14 says, at the great white throne of judgment, Jesus will cast death into the lake of fire. What a fitting end to such an ever-present plight. Praise the Lord forever more!
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing
with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18
Jonathan Duncan
The Fear of Death
In 2019, according to some published statistics, 31% of people were somewhat afraid of death, 11% very afraid and only 25% not at all afraid. I’m usually skeptical of statistics, but even if these are only partially true, about 42% of people surveyed are afraid of dying. During the worst of Covid in 2020 I would venture to guess that even more people were afraid, even believers who put their faith and trust in God the Creator.
Charles Spurgeon said, “beloved sisters and brothers in Christ, there is no need that you should be afraid to die! It Is even possible for you to look upon death as your best friend! You may come to be familiar with the shroud, the mattock, the grave–and find the cemetery to be no place of gloom and may even rejoice in the prospect of death . . .”
This quote confirms that believers can and do have that fear. Here comes the good news in Hebrews 2:14-15. Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise shared in their humanity, so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil), and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death.
Notice we are called “the children.” We are God’s children and he cares for us–tenderly but firmly, he protects us and frees us. “God’s voice thunders, and the earth melts! The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress” (Psalm 46:6-7).
Jesus shared in our flesh and blood humanity so that through his death, the devil’s power over us and our fear of death would be defeated. Paul reminded the Corinthians, "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ, all will be made alive." (1 Cor.15: 22)
The devil no longer has a death grip on us, we now have the sure hope of eternal life. We have eternal joy in heaven to look forward to and we have a best friend in Jesus who knows exactly what we are going through right here and right now. No matter what the fear is, he wants to help you overcome it and he will when you ask. If you need to talk it out with someone though or ask questions, we are here to help. Please reach out. You can reply to this email with total confidentiality and be put in touch with someone who will listen to you. I’m praying you will.
Deb Hill
The New Adam’s Family Tree
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. - 1 Corinthians 15:22
In October of 1964 (59 years ago), the fifth episode of “The Addams Family” aired on CBS, and the title of the episode was called, “The Addams Family Tree.” In this episode, the quirky Addams’ find out that their family tree is filled with all sorts of devious people and characters of disrepute. However, instead of being embarrassed by these facts, they take ghoulish pride in them, reveling in the misdeeds of their predecessors. Of course, the brilliance of this old television series was how this odd family turned our normal conventions on their heads in order to force the viewer to look at them with a new light. Clearly, no one takes pride in the misdeeds in their family history, but at the same time, no one has a family history without any misdeeds. Whether we like it or not, we all have liars, murders, theives, and hate filled people in our bloodline. None of us have a perfect heritage. I can say this with certainty because ultimately all of our genealogical lines converge on a single man and woman, Adam and Eve. Therefore, we all have grown up in the original Adam’s Family Tree (notice only one “n” in Adam).
Later in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul describes Jesus as a new type of “Adam,” or literally, “the last Adam.” However, while the old Adam started a group of people through biological means, the new “Adam,” Jesus, started a new type of people through spiritual means, offered by faith. This is the great news that while you can’t change your earthly family tree, you can change your spiritual family tree by joining God’s family by faith. When you do that, you are adopted into Jesus’ family, he will make you come alive, and you take your place in the new Adam’s family tree.
So today, maybe we should actually try to be more like the TV Addams ... not having pride about our past sins of our heritage, but being honest about them, knowing that those sins have been wiped out by the blood of Jesus. He is the new name at the top of our family tree.
Josh Rose
Firstfruits
One of my favorite childhood memories is picking blueberries with my uncle in Indiana near the shores of Lake Michigan. The goal was to bring them back to my aunt and make blueberry pancakes for the family. Yet, for every early July, plump, juicy blueberry that ended up in our buckets, there were at least two more that my brother and I consumed right there on the farm. As Southern California kids, who rarely had this experience, we couldn’t get enough of those delicious first fruits of the season.
Today, in 2022, most of us have spent far more time in a grocery store than on a farm, but those few opportunities to experience a ripe harvest is one we will never forget. Even more so, agrarian illustrations were ones that resonated deeply in the souls of Jews and Gentiles alike, both before and after Christ walked this earth. They understood the firstfruits were the finest; a promise of what was to come.
In Leviticus 23, God commanded Moses to tell the Israelites to bring the firstfruits of their harvest, the first and best that they had, as an offering to the priest that he may present it to the Lord for his acceptance. This harvest was a perfect picture of what was yet to come. In 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 we see Paul referring to Jesus as the firstfruit; the best of humanity, fully acceptable as the perfect sacrifice for mankind. God did not hold back, he gave his very best, a spotless, unblemished sacrifice; his one and only Son.
In 1 Corinthian 15:20 Paul says, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Jesus was the prototype, the firstfruit, a perfect portrayal of what humanity was created to be. This was God’s guarantee that we would share in Christ’s resurrection with the anticipation of eternity with him. Jesus’ resurrection is not the end of the story. It is a vision for the future, the firstfruit, the longing of all mankind. It is the beginning of the hope that is yet to come!
Lynette Fuson
Care & Counseling Director
Gospel Multiplied
Paul begins 1 Corinthians 15 by calling the believers in Corinth to remember the Gospel they received and ends with the reminder that it was preached so others would believe. Since the Gospel is of first importance and something that is so important, so special, we should put the focus on the story of what Jesus has done instead of what we want or have. As Paul explains the story, I understand it as an encouragement to pass it on to someone else and multiply believers in the people God has put in your life.
Think about your faith journey and who shared it with you. They probably lived in a way that you admired and so listened when they shared why their faith was important. In Corinth, Paul shared about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Two things that stood out were the forgiveness of sins and how important the verified resurrection is. Both those aspects are truly good news! Atonement allows us to be with God; Jesus made that possible for you and me. His resurrection was proof that he defeated sin and death and was the fulfillment of his promise of eternal life. It is truly amazing when we can slow down to think about what was given to us. Paul was reminding the people why their words, actions, and worship need to be corrected. It reflects who Jesus is and what he has done so his story can show in the lives of his followers.
Verses one through eleven of 1 Corinthians 15 are a beautiful reminder of how the truth needs to be preached and shared. Gospel truth needs to be lived out in the normal aspects of ordinary life. That is multiplication. I believe God will use his church to multiply followers of Jesus as long as we hold onto what we believe and then live it out. This might be checking on a friend or co-worker. Maybe it is bringing dinner to a neighbor in need. Maybe it is being open to offer prayer to the person making your coffee or at the store you shop at. It might even be sharing Jesus’ story with someone God brings across your path. Here is my encouragement for you, remember what you believe so you can be ready to multiply. God wants to use you, will you let him? Praying for you all and if you need any help please let us know.
Jeremy Johnson
Family Pastor
Popeye Theology
Consider the story of Al. Al loves cars, especially old, broken-down ones. And Al loves going to auctions and buying beaters. You know the ones, right? These are the ones that are rusted out, are missing tires, and need a new engine. They are useless, but not lifeless just yet.
And so Al buys one and fixes her up. But he doesn’t just get it back to its original condition. Oh no, that isn’t Al’s way of doing things. He takes that car and makes it a thousand times better, and a whole lot faster. He re-does the interior, rebuilds the engine, and puts expensive wheels and rims on her. In fact, he does so much that two things happen - first, in some inexplicable way that a dead car comes to have a life of its own; and second, he decides to enter her into a race.
Fast forward to the day of the race. As his precious car is in place and ready to go, she knows she has a lot of work in front of her. If she doesn’t work harder than all the others, she won’t win. But she also knows she can’t win without all of the work and gas and oil that Al has poured into her. And so as the checkered flag is raised and they take off, Al’s car is in this dance of working as hard as she can but also being fully dependent on everything Al has done and is doing to ensure she does the best she can. If she doesn’t run hard and well, she won’t win, but without Al, being right there doing his part, she also won’t win.
As it is with Al and his precious car, so it is with God and His precious people. By His grace, we are what we are and by His grace, we are enabled to work harder than all the rest for His glory. These verses today remind us to do our part in full dependence on what He is doing and to also do so in full recognition that it is only because of Him that we are what we are.
Today, by His grace and for His glory, go and do your best!
Scott Smith
Care Pastor
You Are There
“…Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and He was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then the Twelve. After that,
He was seen by more than 500 of His followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.” I Corinthians 15:4-6
A wonderful educational television series called, You Are There began in 1953. Some of you may remember them if you are as old as I am. These telecasts were presented as re-enactments of key events in world and American history, such as the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Battle of Hastings, the Hindenburg disaster, the Gettysburg Address, etc. The telecast would begin with broadcast anchor Walter Cronkite giving a short explanation about what was to happen, the date, and the event. Then in his sonorous voice, he would loudly say, “You are there.” And it felt as if we were experiencing it as it occurred.
Today’s devotional is going to be a bit different than usual as we imagine what it would have been like to be one of those ‘more than 500 followers’ who saw Jesus after He had been resurrected. Please allow me to set the scene. It is around 55 AD and you are having a meal with family members and guests. Some of them are believers, but many are not. The conversation turns to the gospel. You hear one of them say, “I just can’t believe that someone can be dead and come alive again. It just can’t be.” The speaker was a Sadducee who did not believe in resurrection, but others nodded in agreement. And “You are there.”
You find yourself saying, “But it is true, I saw Jesus after he was resurrected.”
Dear reader, then this becomes your imaginative prayer exercise as you tell what it was like to see the resurrected Jesus. Perhaps these questions could spark your thinking. What was the day like? Where were you? (Scripture does not tell us the location.) Who was there with you? Was Jesus already there or did you see Him walking to where He could speak to you? How did it feel to hear that He was alive again and now to actually see Him? How close could you get? I imagine Him reaching out and touching many people, do you? You saw Him, did He look at you? Was there joyous weeping, awed silence, or what? What did He say to all of you?
Some scholars suggest that Jesus may have given the Great Commission Matthew 28-18-20 at this time. Perhaps you hear words of great purpose and encouragement for the future. What assurance did you come away with to share with your hearers? How do your hearers respond to what you tell them?
Please take time to prayerfully imagine being there knowing we are not adding to Scripture, but praying the Holy Spirit will use this to help us share our hope in Christ, the Resurrected One.
Francie Overstreet
