1 Corinthians 15:11-15 

¹¹Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed. ¹²But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. ¹⁵More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.

WW Veteran

Have your grandparents told you dramatic stories of how they survived the World War 2? A war veteran of the WWII was asked: “Sir, how did you survive the world war?” Jokingly, he said, “Strategy to survive war is no secret. To survive the war, you should better run. That is why, we became veterans, you know?”

The effect of war can be mentally devastating to war survivors, especially, the farmers. After the war, farmers planted what can be easily harvested: like rice, corn or veggies, but they did not plant fruit trees. It takes many years for fruit trees to yield a harvest. What if war breaks out again or they die, what happens?

Maybe, most of them didn’t expect to harvest from fruit trees, why? They lost hope of extended peace. They were confused and cannot think productively.

Skeptical people argue that: “If God is love, why does he allow suffering?” Truly, there are people who suffer poverty, and there are people who are rich. Yet in reality, there are different factors that cause people not to think productively like those war survivors. Well, we can admit that life on earth is just temporal.

God may allow poverty or prosperity but he promised great life in heaven.

Actually, being poor has advantage also. How do you interpret James 2:5? ⁵Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?

The term “Poor” is properly interpreted like beggars plead and cry for help, material or spiritual. We beg, plead, pray and cry for help from God. Rich people may think that they don’t need any help from God. Well, we can enjoy material wealth on earth, but worldly things will be left behind when death overtakes us.

What is your idea of the resurrection of the dead? Will you enter heaven or go somewhere else when we die? Let’s reflect on what happened to the rich man and the beggar when they both died in Luke 16:22-26. ²²When the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. ²⁴So he called to him, “Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.” ²⁵But Abraham replied, “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. ²⁶And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.”

Abraham’s side represents heaven. Hades represents a place of eternal torture or torment. If you can visualize the wonderful heaven of God that awaits all who believe in Jesus Christ, you can imagine the eternal torment in hell.

The unbearable thirst of the rich man was agonizing; he begged just for a little drop of water. Suffering in hell is horrible. Can you imagine the agonizing torture in hell? How about the wonderful life we can explore in heaven? If you do not envy those rich people who ignore God, you are blessed more than you think.

God may allow anyone to enjoy materialism, but pray that you’ll seriously see your spiritual need and trust Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.

1.  Trust

¹¹Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

Did you trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Did you believe the gospel of Christ that Apostle Paul preached? The gospel of Christ is this: Christ died; he was buried, and resurrected on the third day according to the Scripture.

Intelligently, the Almighty God designed this blueprint of salvation for all believers. Certainly, God can plan various ways to save us from eternal torment but mysteriously, he preferred that his one and only Son Jesus Christ be crucified sacrificially for our salvation, why? Jesus Christ is most precious to God.

If God can sacrifice his most precious son, he can easily grant our prayer.

Christ was crucified, why? What was the purpose of his death? It had been prophesied in Isaiah 53:5-6, ⁵He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. ⁶We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

God had endured the agony of watching his one and only Son Jesus Christ suffered from the cruelty of his tormentors. Why? It practically proved beyond any doubt that he loved us so much. God wants anyone who believes in Jesus Christ to enter his eternal wonderful heaven. But like sheep, everyone had gone astray.

Sheep

Have you personally observed how sheep behave? When sheep are left in the field on their own, they look for green pasture and graze. While sheep are grazing, they don’t mind their surroundings. As long as there are green grasses before them, sheep keep on grazing forward, and they don’t mind their safety.

People assume that sheep are very senseless, careless and ridiculous animals because they just go astray wherever their feet lead them.

They just graze and not thinking of danger. They are vulnerable to attack of ferocious wild animals. Certainly, sheep need a good shepherd to care for them. Characteristically, sheep can clearly recognize the voice of their shepherd.

Sheep listen and respond only to their shepherd’s call. When they’re mixed with other sheep in the field, and shepherds simultaneously call their sheep, each sheep listens and responds only to a distinctive sound of its shepherd voice.

Jesus Christ is our shepherd. We listen to his voice; we respond to his call.

How do you internalize when Christ declares in John 10:14-18,¹⁴I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— ¹⁵just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. ¹⁷The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. ¹⁸No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.

Anyone may say “I am a Christian.” But Christ declared that his sheep listen to his voice. So, if Christ is our Shepherd, we listen to him; we obey him.

Jesus Christ voluntarily chose to be crucified and died on his own volition. Christ died and he was buried. According to the Scripture, he resurrected to life again on the third day. He’s given the authority to take his live back again. How could that be? How can anyone let himself die and take his life up again?

Events about Christ happened according to the Scripture. How is that? One factor is: The Lord in the Old Testament is the same Jesus Christ who died, buried and resurrected from the dead. The Lord designed the blueprint of events in his life that his prophets prophesied, so he knew exactly what happens to him.

Christ resurrected to heaven. He will return and take us into his heaven. What do you think? Are you sure you’ll enter heaven? Seriously think about that!

2.  Think

¹²But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 

Apostle Paul challenges logical mindset. The resurrection of the dead: Is it true or not? In the Corinthian church, deceptive personalities caused division and faction. They distorted the gospel of Christ that Apostle Paul preached to them. Apostle Paul challenged us also to think reasonably that the resurrection of the dead is real and not fake news. Christ’s resurrection should practically prove it.

Paul mentioned that more than 500 individuals have personally witnessed when Jesus Christ chose to appear to them before he returned to heaven. More than 500 witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ cannot be easily ignored.

And Apostle Paul emphasized in his second letter in 2 Corinthians 13:1.    

     ¹Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

Why did Apostle Paul use rhetorical question to persuade us and logically think? If attendees in Corinth were philosophers from the city of Athens, they may think logically that disciples who personally witnessed the resurrection of Christ have far greater testimony than someone who did not witness personally, right?

Apostle Paul may have in mind those deceptive pretenders who distorted the gospel of Christ in Corinth when he warned the church elders in Ephesus.

In Acts 22:28-30, ²⁸Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. ²⁹I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. ³⁰Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 

Church Membership Class

One requirement for anyone who applies to be a member of this church is: To attend the Church Membership Class. During Church Membership Classes, applicants for church membership have opportunities to agree or disagree with church doctrines, beliefs, practices and also the church Constitution and By-laws.

Church Membership Class may not necessarily deter or prevent bad actors, but we pray that whoever the Lord brings as church members will be saved eternally.

Well, was there any Church Membership Class in Corinth? It’s not known. Church Membership Class offers chance for everyone. Who knows if pretenders become genuine believers? God wants everyone to be spiritually productive. We should be more anxious of our behavior as we testify of our faith in Jesus Christ.

3.  Testify

¹⁵More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.

Apostle Paul challenged us to think logically about the resurrection of the dead. Some Corinthian leaders were former leaders in the Jewish synagogue. Synagogue high-priests were almost invariably or commonly chosen from among the Sadducees. Possibly, some Corinthian leaders were former Sadducees also.

Let’s learn what Christ said about the Sadducees in Mark 12:18-24, ¹⁸Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. ¹⁹“Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. ²⁰Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. ²¹The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. ²²In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. ²³At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?” ²⁴Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?”

Christ suggested that the Sadducees were mistaken about resurrection because they did not know the Scripture. Many church-goers are disillusioned. They assume that attending church once in a while is living by grace. Do they think God blesses inconsistency? God blesses faithfulness and consistency.

Wrong interpretation of the Scripture had been a root cause of division and faction in the church of Corinth and even confusion among churches worldwide.

So, how could we apply knowledge of the Scripture to private matters or personal problem? Truly, how can biblical knowledge solve problem of economy?

Personally, how do you interpret Psalm 19:7-8? ⁷The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. ⁸The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

Individually, how are you affected when prices of commodities go up? Are you restless and weary about your family grocery budget? Christ invites us to come and find rest in him; he encourages us to take his yoke and learn from him.

The yoke of Christ is the law of the Lord. His command refreshes the soul.

Yet, our human nature resists the idea of following his commands. We do not like anyone to tell us what we should do. Human nature is inclined to resist commands from God because our limited mindset cannot grasp godly wisdom.

But if we seek to be filled with his Holy Spirit by faith, we can comprehend that the law of the Lord favorably gives joy to our heart as believers of Christ.

By the grace of God, we obediently follow the precepts, statutes, decrees, laws and commands of God, and we sense joyful peace in our heart as we wait patiently for the return of Christ and resurrect us into heaven. Amen?

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