The Resurrection

Before Jesus Christ and His awesome resurrection from the dead to eternal life, the Bible records seven resurrections, seven individual ones. Now, before and after. Two after, five before. Resurrection of the dead is a pretty significant event.

It's a grand event. It's a spectacular event when someone comes alive after being dead. I have a little bit of experience being around people who were close to that, and to see them come back after being flatlined on the screen to living again was pretty exciting. Spectacular, magnificent, whatever you want to say. And again, I've seen my dad when he went to the hospital after he had had what looked like a fatal heart attack at home, said he was going cold.

Help me. They brought two paramedics, came in, put all this stuff on him, took him to us, and we thought it was right on our anniversary. We thought for sure he was dead. And we went to the hospital waiting for them to tell us. So I asked if I could go in and see him.

I was in there, and they were trying to put all this in. He was trying to, no, resist it. And he came back. He came back. Wasn't dead, but very close to death. But when a dead man rises, that's a pretty spectacular event. Elijah, 1 Kings 17, healed the generous woman's son, the woman who had provided for him a meal. He healed her. Elisha, there were two under Elisha, one when he was alive and one when he was dead. Elisha with the Shunammites son that she had been blessed with. And now he dies, and now he's resurrected. He's resurrected as a result of Elijah's ministry. And then after Elisha's death, Elisha is buried in a tomb.

And there's battle going on, and this one guy dies, there's dead. So they just, what do we do? We wanted to bury this man. I guess he was a friend of theirs. So what do we do with it? Well, the other army is coming upon us. Oh, just throw him into the grave. So they threw him into Elisha's tomb. And when he went in there, he touched the bones of Elisha, and he came out alive.

So that's three. And then Jesus Christ, in his ministry, resurrected three. Actually, we're talking about three in the Old Testament, three with Christ Himself. So one with Elijah, two with Elisha, and three with Jesus Christ, and then two more. So that's eight, actually, eight in the New Testament and Old Testament. In Jesus Christ's day, He healed the widow's son. I can give you the chapters. That's in Luke 7. And then He healed the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue, and that's Luke 8.

And then He healed Lazarus, His best friend, raised them from the dead. All three were resurrections from the dead. And then you have Peter, of course, and the famous resurrection of Tabitha, or Darkus, when she was there and all the people were watching, coming and visiting and weeping and crying and showing their sweaters and their Afghans and their doilies or whatever else she knitted for them and all moaning and crying over her.

And He resurrected her with the power of God, of course, not His own. And then the Apostle Paul kind of stimulated this one. The guy was, Paul was speaking long into the day, long into the night, and the guy was sitting up in the third balcony and fell over in Acts 20, fell over the edge, fell down from the loft, and they took Him up dead through the power of God. The Apostle Paul raised them from the dead. Physical resurrections. And then one other one, at Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, Jesus Christ's death, there were how many people?

We don't know. Enumerable multitude of saints, a number of them, more than we could count, came out of the graves and went into town. And then there's another scripture in Hebrews, chapter 11, that talks about the dead. When He's talking about heroes of faith and He said the dead, that the women had their, had their dead, raised to life again. I don't know if that's referring to the events of Elijah and Elisha, or if it's re or of Christ's resurrecting them, or if it's others in the Old Testament.

All of these resurrections were physical. Now, spectacular, to be sure, because when a dead man stands and rises, that's pretty spectacular. That's awesome, in fact, that they were all physical resurrections. The Apostle Paul said to the church at Corinth, 1 Corinthians 15, if you'll go with me there, 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 19.

1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 19, we read this in this resurrection chapter. If in this life only we have hope in Christ. We are of all men most miserable. If the only resurrections there are, are physical resurrections. This life only. You see, because a person could be resurrected by God physically and still end up in the lake of fire.

Couldn't they? As long as you're in this life, as long as you're alive, you can either be accounted worthy of salvation or you could lose it. You can either endure to the end or you could quit. So there could be some of those saints who were resurrected, went back in the town after Christ's death, who then defected from Christianity and from godliness, who may end up in the third resurrection, because the Bible teaches three. We'll see that as we proceed through this. I should also remind us that the doctrine of the resurrections is one of the basic foundational doctrines of the church.

So why are we going over this? It's not because you need to lay that foundation again. It's so that we can understand it and be inspired by what the future holds for not just us, but for all of humankind, because everybody in the grave is going to be resurrected. Every human being is going to be changed if they are spirit, if they're converted, they'll be changed. So some of them might be still alive when Christ comes back. They still have to undergo an instantaneous death and resurrection. The Apostle Paul said in Hebrews 9.27, it's appointed to all men once to die. So all human beings will die or be changed in that moment.

So again, the doctrine of the resurrections in Hebrews chapter 6, verses 1 and 2, you can read that. He talks about its foundational doctrine, but he calls it the doctrine of the resurrection. That the dead should rise was the theme that the apostles spoke about when they first began in the ministry. I just did a quick survey of the first nine chapters, first 10 chapters you'll find almost 10 times. In those 10 chapters, there'll be references of raised from the dead. Christ was raised from the dead. Christ was exalted. You'll find several places throughout where the resurrection was prominent because this was an awesome thing for the disciples who thought it was all over and said, let's go fishing. And then all of a sudden somebody's on the shore with a with a barbecue pit waiting for them. Come on, children, what are you doing out there? I've got the coals nice and hot. Bring in the fish. And Peter said, son's like Jesus. He couldn't, was that Jesus? Well, we thought he's dead. He's gone. We were fishing. He jumps overboard and swims.

It was Jesus Christ resurrected. When they saw him walk through walls, they were astounded.

The resurrection was something that was very powerful for Christians and is today very powerful. But it's packed with meaning, and it was a magnificent event for the dead, for a dead person to live. But what does this doctrine mean to you and for you? I have four meanings I'm going to share with you. Four meanings that I think will help us appreciate this basic doctrine of the resurrection from the dead. And there's a reason why I'm speaking on it today, because in two days we're going to talk about the Feast of Trumpets. So while this is not a Feast of Trumpets sermon, this sermon is intended to, let's say, prepare you for the Feast of Trumpets.

So let's see from the Scriptures the awesome meanings of these, the feet of the resurrection from the dead. First of all, the resurrection means hope. Hope. Without hope, people give up and quit. Many in Siberian camps and sent off to Siberia in the days of the persecution from the government to the peoples, especially to those who were anti-government. They languished in prison camps, and they said there were only certain ones who lived, and those are the ones who had hope.

The ones who had no more hope took their own lives, chose to do something, try to get out, become electrocuted or shot. They couldn't handle it anymore without hope. But those who had hope, even though they're miserable circumstances, those who had hope for something better, and that was only in this life, those who had hope lived. Hope is powerful. What is your hope? What is my hope? It's hope for life. It's hope to live forever, and it is a promise that God gives to us that we must have hope so that we can either undergo a spontaneous change if we're still alive when Christ returns, or be resurrected in a moment in the twinkling of an eye.

Come out of the grave alive. Titus 1 and verse 2 talks about a hope, the hope of eternal life.

Titus chapter 1 and verse 2. Very simple, short scripture. Paul writes to Titus, the young evangelist, and he says, in hope of eternal life which God who cannot lie promised before the time began. Promised before time began, God has in store for us from the time of creation, from the time mankind entered the earth, God had in store for us the hope of eternal life. Now how do you have eternal life as a human being? You have eternal life abiding in you a little bit through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does not die. That's what's in you. That forms a uniting with your mind.

That helps you form your character. That helps you save up and store your knowledge.

And when a Christian dies, he no longer functions. But that spirit doesn't die, goes back to God who gave it. God's spirit is life, but you only have that little bit. It's a down payment. It's not full yet. So Titus 1.2, he says, in hope of eternal life. John 5, there is a time coming when everybody is going to hear the call from God. Everybody's going to hear the trumpet, and everybody's going to hear his voice. John 5, they're going to be called forth out of the grave, and each one in his or her time. John 5 and verse 28. That's actually verse 25. Let's go John 5.25, and we'll end at verse 29. John 5.25. He says, most assuredly I say to you, the hour is coming and now is when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. Dead will live? That's a resurrection. Verse 26. For as the Father has life in himself, so has he granted the Son to have life in himself, and has given him authority to execute judgment also because he is the Son of Man. He already went through what we go through as human beings. Do not marvel at this, for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice. But not all of them will be in the first resurrection. And come forth those who have done good to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation or judgment. There is judgment coming for those who continue to do evil in their lives, who lived a life of evil. But I've never knew the truth, though. I have a chance to learn. That's the second resurrection. If they knew better and still did evil, they will come up in a third. I'm not going to dwell on this the other two resurrections. I'm just going to talk about the resurrection of the life. But everybody is going to be in a resurrection, everyone. Notice 1 Corinthians 15 verse 12. We started with that verse 19 before. Let's go to that resurrection chapter. I'll go there a couple of times in this sermon. 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 12. He says, "...thou, if Christ is preached, that he has been raised from the dead..." Raised from the dead is a resurrection, right? "...how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?" So one of the groups, I think it was the Sadducees, did not believe in the resurrection. "...but if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen." Because Christ was a human being. God in the flesh. He was God in the flesh.

So he says, "...if Christ wasn't raised, then how can you be raised either?

And if Christ is not risen..." verse 14 "...then our preaching is vain." What are we telling people about? What are we giving them hope for? If there's no such thing as a resurrection, how can they be in the kingdom of God, which was the message of Jesus Christ? God has a kingdom for you that you have to become a part of, and you can't enter it by flesh and blood. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God because we testified of God that He raised up Christ. So what are we doing running around here teaching this? We saw Him after His death. We know there's a resurrection. That's why they were impelled to do anything to get the gospel out against all odds and against all persecution because they saw a dead man live and because they saw a dead man changed from physical to spirit.

They had that hope in themselves and they kept on going. He said yes, and we are found false witnesses because we've testified that God raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up if, in fact, the dead do not rise. So He wasn't raised up. It was just illusion. And of course, the Jews did say they stole His body away, right? So that's why there was some question. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. He's the one that opened the door to being resurrected to eternal life, not physical resurrection, to eternal life. And He said, and if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. They're not just asleep. They have disintegrated and they will not ever come back.

And He said, if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we will have all men most miserable.

If that's our only hope, is living now. I think as Mr. Rangel was bringing out in his sermonette, better keep your eyes on God's kingdom too. You can't just live for now. There's a better world coming. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Not just seek first the kingdom, or seek good life now. And verse 20, I'll stop with this verse, but now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. So Christ is the firstborn among many brethren. Christ is the first fruits to be resurrected from the dead to eternal life.

In Philippians 3 verses 8 to 11, I'm not going to go there, but you could just jot it down if you choose to. Paul's great hope, he said, if I could only make it to the resurrection of the dead.

He didn't say, oh, if I can only make it to heaven. He said, if I can only make it to the resurrection of the dead. That's what he yearned for, Philippians 3 verses 8 to 11. But I do want to go to Peter's comment about the resurrection in 1 Peter 1 verses 3 and 4. 1 Peter 1 verses 3 and 4.

Because we can understand the resurrection from the dead, we can have a living, lively hope of the future. 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 3. Blessed be God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living or lively hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. That's how we have it to an inheritance, incorruptible, undefiled, does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.

That's not where you're going to heaven. That's where the reservations are.

I make a holiday inn reservation. I may make it through Toronto or India or some other place.

I'm not going there. That's where they hold my reservations. I might be going to Hawaii for a holiday inn, but they have the reservations. Because it says your reservations are in heaven, reserved in heaven, doesn't mean that's where you're going. But God has them reserved for you. He's counting on you to be there. How do you do it? Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And it is a lively hope. It's a hope that helps us stay alive. It's a hope that generates enthusiasm from us about God's way of life and living God's way of life.

So what does the resurrection mean to us? It means hope. It means hope to live, and not just in a physical way, but hope to live eternally.

Secondly, next, the resurrection means a change. A change from physical to spirit. I don't know what that'll feel like, and I don't think you do either.

What will it be like when you're transformed from being a physical human being to a spirit being?

You won't have to go into some closet and whirl around and take off your clothes and come out with a cape and long johns or blue long johns and an S on your front.

You won't have to find a telephone booth in which to change, and you won't have to kind of jump up.

You can go, and you can even see through lead, which Superman can't if you're... I'm a Superman star person enthusiast. Superman couldn't see through lead, and kryptonite could weaken him.

You'll have none of those characteristics, those negative characteristics. You'll be changed.

Superman knew who he was, didn't he? At times he knew he could do things, but when he'd kick a football, he'd not only kick it hard, he'd puncture it. He kicked it so hard, kicked it so far, and he could run so fast. You will have superhuman strength. You'll have the strength of God.

Remember, he said all power is given to me. There's a change that's coming. 1 Corinthians 15, verse 50.

1 Corinthians 15 and verse 50 again, the resurrection chapter, which we go back to.

1 Corinthians 15, verse 50, because flesh and blood won't cut it in the kingdom of God. In fact, if you're flesh and blood, you can't be in the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 50. We read this.

Now, this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. You can't be in God's kingdom if you're a fleshly resurrection. You're not going to be in God's kingdom unless you finally are changed to spirit. Nor does corruption inherit incorruption.

Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.

We have to be changed from physical to spirit. What is it like? I don't know. You don't know. Sometimes in an airplane, I look out and say, what would it be like to just be soaring out here with no plane? I don't know. What would it be like to go up above the clouds? What would it be like to go to the like for the speed of light to travel as the speed of light? That's pretty fast, faster than that, undoubtedly. Where is the third heaven? I don't know, except in the northern skies it's all likelihood, in all likelihood. But the northern sky is beyond our sky, beyond our atmosphere, above the clouds, as where Satan the Devil wanted to go, not below the clouds, not in the clouds. But think about how supernatural and how special that's going to be.

He said in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, when is the last trumpet? There are seven of them they're going to sound at the end. Part of the seventh seal of revelation. The seventh trumpet is when Jesus Christ has proclaimed that that seventh Trump is when we rise in the air and meet him, those if we make it. And I'm hoping I will. I have a lively hope.

I'm hoping. But I don't have it guaranteed yet. Nobody does in this life yet.

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. And of course, in 1 Thessalonians, we also find what will happen in 1 Thessalonians. He talks about at the voice of the shadow of the archangels, at the voice of God coming through to by the angel. Verse 53, for this corruptible must put on incorruptible. We've got to be changed. This mortal must put on immortality. It's not something we have already. You don't have an immortal soul. You have to put it on. You have to become that. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory.

That's when you'll be resurrected, and that's what it means to us. We will be changed.

We will be changed. Hebrews 2.10 said it's God's plan to bring many sons to glory.

How do you take a human being and elevate him to the glory status of God? How do you do that?

Resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3 and verse 20. Let's go to that scripture. Philippians 3 and verse 20 and 21. Here's the Apostle Paul who understood. The Apostle Paul was headed this direction. The Apostle Paul said, you know, I'm ready. I'm ready to go whenever God wants to take me.

Philippians 3 and verse 20. He says, our citizenship is in heaven. Our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. My citizenship, I think, is in Washington, D.C. I think that's where they have me listed. That's not where I live. It's not where I go. Your citizenship, God knows who you are. God knows those who are his.

He said, we eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. What's going to happen when he comes back as you wait for him, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed a change to his glorious body according to the working by which he is able to even the subdue all things to himself. You will never have to fight sin again. Your fighting will be over.

Your character will be set for the kingdom of God. Your fighting's over. This life is a life of trials and difficulties and happiness and joys, too. But this life is not the only thing.

But as we struggle and as we go through various trials that happen to all of us, there's a kingdom to come. And God wants you to be there. And God wants you no longer to have to battle those. No more tears. No more sorrow. No more struggling. What a joy that's going to be. And then, not just to sit there. You'll see when I talk about that in my next point that I'll come to after this. But that change from physical to spiritual is what we need to have.

We'll be glorified. Remember what Job said? Job said, if a man dies, will he live again?

Job 14, 14, and 15. He answered his own question. All the days of my appointed life will I wait until my change come. I have to be changed.

The resurrection means a change. In 1st John 3 verses 1 and 2, the Apostle John, one of my favorites, 1st John 3 verses 1 and 2, behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called? The children of God is not ashamed to call us his children. Jesus Christ is not ashamed to call us brethren even now. I used to call Jan, my daughter Jan, Little Joe in my wife's womb.

I thought, hey, Little Joe, how are you doing? I called the wrong...well, we didn't take any pictures. So we didn't know. So I was hoping for a boy who was a little girl. But we didn't know that. We thought, Little Joe. We would tap her on the belly and say, hey, how are you doing, Little Joe?

I called him by name before she was ever born. You could tell I'm not a prophet.

It was Little Jan. Now I'm delighted with my daughters. I'm delighted with them. Thank God for making the choice for me. But verse 2, he says, we're the beloved Word. We are the children of God.

Verse 1 still, he says, therefore the world does not know us because it does not know him.

What's the world? The carnal mind is enmity against God, not subject to the law of God. Neither indeed can be. It doesn't want to be subject to it. And if you're trying to be subject to it, it doesn't know you. It doesn't know who you are. He says, verse 2, beloved, now are we the children of God. God's not ashamed to call us his children even now. It has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when he is revealed, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure. And if I know that God wants me to be a part of his kingdom and God is pure, what does God want me to be doing now? Getting the impurities out, like zero water. Getting the impurities out. I had a man come, had a person come to check our faucet or whatever, and he said, do you want me to check your water for you? I said, okay, go ahead and check. I had one filter there coming from reverse osmosis comes in. That's what we usually drink and use. But I also have zero water. So he tested the one that was reverse osmosis. Whoa, that's really good. So you ought to try this one. So he said, I've never seen water so pure in all the houses he goes to to test it. I've never seen water so pure. We need to get the impurities out of our lives. And that's what God wants us to do. It's not that you'll have everything out. It's not that you'll be perfect already when Christ comes back. He has to make you that way. But because he sees us, and if we have that hope in us, I want to be a part of God's kingdom, and God is pure, and God is perfect. I want to be pure, and I want to be perfect. And so I'm trying hard. Are you trying hard? If you have this hope, you're going to be in God's kingdom. You better try hard. So again, change. Another vital meaning, so that's the second one, the third one, is an inherited kingdom. A resurrection, the resurrection from the dead means an inherited kingdom. We get to be in the kingdom of God. We get to have the kingdom of God. We get to possess the kingdom of God. Because isn't that what the gospel is all about, the kingdom of God? And what do you think Jesus meant for all those people who walked the earth?

He said, there's a kingdom coming. Don't worry. I know you Jews are in slavery right now. I know you're dominated and domineered by the Roman government. I know that you have squabbles all among yourselves. There's a better world coming. There were like 60 million, 60, 60, million slaves in the Roman Empire. And when a message came to them saying you can be free, you have a future in the kingdom of God. God can make you free. Boy, was that a powerful message. It was Jesus Christ came preaching the kingdom of God. And we get a chance to inherit it. In Luke 12 and verse 32, Christ made this very short, simple statement. Luke chapter 12, verse 32.

Luke 12 and verse 32. He said, do not fear, little flock. He told about seeking the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. But he said in verse 32, do not fear, little flock, for it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. What does the resurrection mean? We already read flesh and blood can't enter it. So we can't get it as physical human beings. But he's promised it to us. How do we get it? Through the resurrection of the dead. When we're resurrected, another meaning of the resurrection is we will inherit the kingdom of God. Daniel spoke of this in Daniel chapter 7 and verse 22. Daniel spoke of this in Daniel 7 and verse 22.

Here's what he said.

Daniel 7 22. He said, until the ancient of days came, and I'm just breaking into a thought. You can read it all. It's a vision of the ancient of days and how he's going to come back and how he's going to take over. He said, until the ancient of days came and judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High. Same ones we're talking about in the New Testament. Same general people, godly folk. And the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom. And it skipped down to verse 27. Then the kingdom and dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, under the whole heaven, what's still left on the earth, who's going to be ruling over it, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and all dominions shall serve and obey him. So God says, I'm going to give you an everlasting kingdom to the saints of God, to the people that are special, to the people that will walk with him.

Daniel prophesied that, that the kingdom of God would be given to the saints.

2nd Peter 1. I love this scripture too. 2nd Peter 1. Will you just barely make it? Will you just kind of squeeze through the door? I saw these Syrians, my family peoples, I guess, trying to get out, get on a train. I don't know if you saw them. They showed them trying to get on a train to get out of town fast because of the bombs that are falling off. And they had this train there, and people were trying to crawl through the windows, trying to cram into this train, squeezing through. Some of them, their butts still hanging out as the train was getting ready to take off. Because there were so many people waiting to get out, to get out of town. How are you going to get into the kingdom of God? Do you have to squeeze in? Is it going to be hard? Now we know now when you enter in a straight gate, it's not an easy way. Not now. But what about when it comes time for the kingdom? 2nd Peter 1 verses 10 and 11. He said, therefore brethren, be even more diligent to make your calling and election sure. We're working on purifying ourselves. We're working on solidifying ourselves, understanding God's Word, praying, studying, keeping our focus. For if you do these things, he talks about what you add to your faith and ultimately is growing in godly love.

For if you do these things, you will never stumble. You'll never fall away. For so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly. You're not going to squeak in. You're going to be welcomed abundantly.

The entrance is wide and the entrance is gracious. And the entrance into the kingdom will be wonderful for you and me. He says, an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly to the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So we, God has promised us a kingdom. And remember the account where Jesus called the nations and he called, separated them according to the sheep and the goats. And he said to the sheep, you can enter into my kingdom. Come on. It's prepared for you from the foundation of the world. They said, well why? He said, well don't you remember when I was hungry, you gave me food. Don't you remember when I was cold, you gave me clothing. Don't you remember when I was in trouble, you came and visited me? And they said, when did we do that? When did we do that for you? He said, when you did it from one of the least to my brethren, you did it for me. Come on, and join. He said, look at Matthew chapter 25 and verse 33. Matthew 25, this last part of the story, because I think it's too touching and too powerful not to touch on right now. Matthew 25 and verse 33. Matthew 25 verse 33. He will set the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left, and he will say to those on his right hand, come you blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Then he goes on to say, I was hungry, you fed me, I was, I needed clothing, you clothed me, I was a stranger, you took me in. He said, and I was sick, and you visited me in prison, and you came to me. And I write, she said, when? I said, when you did it to one of my people, you did it for me. Remember what he told Paul? Paul, why are you persecuting me?

Paul said, I wasn't persecuting you, Jesus, I was just hitting your people.

Not you, I wouldn't hit you, I'm just hitting your people.

Jesus takes it a personal offense when his body is picked on. He also takes it as a personal joy and satisfaction when his body is taken care of. And what is the body of Christ, but the church?

The church. So we will inherit a kingdom. That's the third meaning of the resurrection. And the final one, the last meaning of the resurrection for us that I have, you might add more, is loving leadership. Loving leadership. We don't get into the kingdom and say, where's my heavenly hammock? Give me my heavenly hammock. I've made it now. Let me just lie down and sway back and forth and have angels come and feed me and put grapes in my mouth and bring me drinks, whatever it is.

Let me just lie down in my heavenly hammock because I made it. That sure is good.

That isn't what God has in store for us. That isn't at all what God has in store. In fact, we have a world that's crying out for you and me. Romans chapter 8 and verse 18. Romans 8 and verse 18.

We read this, for I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be paired with the glory which shall be revealed in us, for the earnest expectation of the creation.

They're expecting something. Eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

The world is waiting for you and me when we're placed as sons of God, daughters of God, children of God. And in verse 20, for the creation was subjected to vanity, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in hope. God wants them also to be a part of that kingdom, and you will have a great part in leading them there. The people you worked with, the classmates you had at school, the relatives that condemned you and shunned you, you will have the opportunity to teach them, show them the way, those who are left. And in the second resurrection, those who come up, you'll have a chance to teach them and lead them to eternal life. Verse 21, because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. The world today groans, and we have an ever-groaning world.

We have babies. They're finding mass graves. We have babies that are being bombed. We have mass graves that they're finding. They just killed people because they were Christians, killed people because they didn't go along with them, and just threw them into a grave in an undignified way of burying them, just putting them in under, plowing them over and burying them.

Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and thousands of people, and I don't know how many of my relatives, I don't have relatives over, I have no idea who they are. I had. They were Christians.

I have no idea where they are. They fled. What is it? Two million some fled, and it was a 300 or 600,000 that had been killed. 300,000, I think, have been killed in this battle to try to see who can win in Syria. Now it's U.S. and Russia and Kurds and Iraqis and ISIS and ISIL and whoever else. We live in a world of trouble, and it's groaning while it waits for you. God wants loving leadership, not a heavenly hammock.

He wants you to lead the world to Him. Christ promised leadership, didn't He? Isn't that what He gave two parables, one on the parable of the talents and one on the parable of the pounds, in Luke 19 and Matthew 25? Is that what He wanted? He wants you and me to have rulership over this group or that group and help them through. But what kind of leadership will it be?

Revelation 2.26. God wants us to have rulership. What kind of leader will you be? Revelation 2.26. He who overcomes, God speaks to this church, to the church of Thyatara, even though it was a corrupt church, those who held on tightly, He said, He who overcomes and keeps my works to the end, to Him will I give power over the nations. God is going to give you leadership, part of the resurrection, to help bring people to Him and His way, to help teach them, to help work with Him. And what kind of a leader will we be? A loving leader. Why do I say that? Revelation 20.

I can also show you Revelation 3.21, which says you'll sit with Him on His throne. And if you're sitting, ruling with Christ, what kind of a leader do you think you're going to be?

A loving leader, because what is God? 1 John 4.8, God is love. How do you think He's going to administrate His kingdom? Oh yeah, there's tough love too. But there's love. It's always done because it's to benefit the other person. It's not incoming, it's outgoing. But over in Revelation chapter 20 and verse 4, I saw thrones and they that sat upon them and judgment was committed to them and I saw the souls along with them. I saw the people who were beheaded for their witness of Jesus, for the Word of God. And people went through all kinds of torture to hold on to the Word of God, who had worshiped, had not worshiped the beast in His image, even toward the end, nor received His mark on their foreheads or in their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. They lived and they reigned. But how? With Christ. If they're with Christ, they're going to be reigning in a loving way. And in verse 5, he says, but the rest of the dead didn't live again until the thousand years were finished, which tells you there's another resurrection, right? If the rest of the dead don't live until after... Yep, there's two resurrections, at least right now. He said, this is the first resurrection. Which one? Verse 4 is the first resurrection. The rest of the dead living after the thousand years is the second.

And in verse 6, he says, blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection of the label. There's the first one. There must be at least a second. And we know there's going to be two. One that people are judged according to their works, no Bible involved, and the others that are judged by their works according to the books. So they have to be judged according to the books first. Which means, if I'm going to judge you on how well you live according to the Bible, I have to teach you the Bible first. Because if you don't know it, how can you live according to it? But if you already lived it and knew it, and you still messed up, then you're being judged right away according to your works. So you can notice that difference in Revelation 20. And I'm not going to go there verses 11 through 15. But he says, they shall be priests of the blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection, which is called a better resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ. It shall reign with him a thousand years. And of course, beyond. You don't just stop after, okay, after a thousand years, give me my hammock. No heavenly hammocks. No heavenly hammocks. But a lot of glory and a lot of honor from God and to God will be given by you and me.

It's interesting the mercy with which God will reign. You can check Isaiah 54 verses 7 and 8 when he talks about how tender he will be toward Israel. He said, for a small moment I've forsaken you, but with great mercy I will gather you, and I will treat you with everlasting kindness.

God's rule will be a rule of kindness. If you think of one thing you want to be in life toward people, pick kind. Kindness. God's going to give everlasting kindness. In God's kingdom he's going to give that to. And of course in Isaiah 40 he says, comfort you.

Comfort you, my people. Is that a loving God? Yeah, it's a loving God. If you're his son and daughter, you're going to be loving too. So the fourth meaning is loving leadership.

In Hebrews chapter 11, as we conclude this sermon, Hebrews chapter 11 verses 13 and 15. What about all these heroes of faith? What about them? What's going to happen to them?

Verses 13 to 15 of Hebrews 11. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed. They were just strangers and pilgrims on the earth, which is part of the Feast of Tabernacles.

For those who say such things, declare that they seek, declare plainly that they seek a homeland.

I'm not putting my roots down here, they're saying. I'm looking forward to putting my roots in the kingdom of God. And truly, if they had called to mind the country from which they had come out of, they would have had opportunity to return. They said, whoa, we had cucumbers and leeks, and we've had someplace to go. I know it wasn't a very good dwelling, but at least it was a poem. Now we're wandering around in this wilderness. Maybe we should go back. Egypt does have government, and it's got a leader, it's got army, it's got all these things running water, maybe not running water, but it's got water wells or wells of water. And while it wasn't really so bad making those bricks, at least we had something to do. If they had thought about where they were, they may have wanted to return. But he said in verse 16, but now they desire a better, that is a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. And later on you find it's a city that has foundations, because it's whose builder and maker is God. But I want to close with verses 35 to 40 in this section, where he's talking about these various heroes of faith. And he says in verse 35, women receive their dead, raised to life again. That was a physical resurrection, whether it's talking about other ones, or whether it's talking about the widows in the Old Testament, whether it's talking about Jesus Christ's healings, whether it's talking about other people being healed, or whether it's the specific ones in the Bible. Women receive their dead, raised to life again, and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection. What's that better resurrection? It's the first one. It's the one that starts up. It's the one that's exciting. It's exciting to go into untapped territory.

I remember well going to Toronto, Canada, and I was the second minister in Canada.

I remember out of that whole country, there was Dean Wilson on the west, and Richard Pinelli assisted him, and me in the east. That was it. The whole east, six provinces, was my territory, in addition to Buffalo, New York.

And that's where I dwell when I first went up there. But was it ever exciting to meet new people who are so enthusiastic for God's way of life, who waited on you, who hung on every word? I could come in and give a... I didn't have to prepare sermons well. Now I do. But I tried to prepare them well anyway. But sometimes you get busy. Something calling you, emergency Friday night, you're the only one there. I come in. Well, brethren, today we're going to do a study. We're going to go through the Book of Titus. Oh yeah, they were so excited. I'm reading the Book of Titus and expounding it to them. And they're excited. You think it won't be exciting to help start the kingdom of God on this earth with Jesus Christ and God the Father guiding and leading us?

What an exciting time that's going to be for you and me. And the smiles on the faces of people who say, I understand, I understand. That's so exciting. You and I have that to look forward to. In verse 36, he says, Still others had trials and mockings and scourgings, yes, and chains and imprisonment. And they were stoned, and they were caught a cudda-sunder, sawn in two, were tempted, slain with a sword, wandered about in goatskins and sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute and afflicted and tormented. God says this, of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise. They weren't resurrected. They didn't get to be in the kingdom yet. God, having provided some better thing for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. God, you get to be in a resurrection with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and David.

All these heroes of faith, Abel, righteous Abel, and all these individuals, Noah, Abraham, Daniel, all these famous people, Paul and Peter and all, you get to be there with them. Oh, maybe slightly after them if you're still alive, because the dead in Christ will rise first. But right there with them but right there with them in the kingdom of God. First Thessalonians 4.13 is my final scripture.

First Thessalonians 4 verses 13 to 16. The heroes of faith did not yet receive the promise of the kingdom through the resurrection. They did not. They weren't resurrected yet. But First Thessalonians 4.13, we read this, I do not want you to be ignorant brethren concerning those who have fallen asleep. See, God calls people who are faithful, die faithfully, people who fall asleep. Why? Because He's going to awaken them up. Awaken them. He says that you sorrow, that lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. We have hope. Hope in the resurrection of the dead. Hope that people are going to live again and have a chance if they aren't converted now. Hope for them. But if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, He has He's without His resurrection, He didn't He wasn't the first one, then we'd have no hope. Even so, God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

He's going to resurrect them. They're going to meet Him in the air. For this we say to you, by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who are asleep. Somebody's still alive? You get changed instantaneously. God brings them up out of their grave too. You're not going to go ahead of them. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, that's when they're going to hear, the voice of the Hark Angel, and with the trumpet of God. What trumpet is that? Number seven.

You can read it in Revelation 11. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with Him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. You're not going to be a helicopter.

For all eternity there you are, hanging around in the air. When we get to go to the earth, I have it now, we're just spinning in the air. You meet Him in the air and you come back as where His feet going to land when He comes back on the Mount of Olives, and where's the Mount of Olives? On the earth. So you're coming back with Him. Not going to be a helicopter. Verse 18, Therefore comfort one another with these words, the resurrection from the dead, the resurrection that brings hope, the resurrection that has meaning for you and me.

It means hope. It means change. It means the kingdom of God. And it means loving leadership.

These will all be fulfilled at the last Trump. I wish you all wonderful, meaningful Feast of Trumpets upcoming in a couple days. And also, I wish you a wonderful feast, Day of Atonement, what a great day. Wonderful day. It's not a feasting day, not physical feasting, but it's a wonderful day when the world becomes at one with God. And the Feast of Tabernacles, when God's kingdom will really be here. Thank God for that.