David Green's sermon, 'The Order of the Resurrection,' explores 1 Corinthians 15:20-28, emphasizing the significance of Christ's resurrection as the 'firstfruits,' signaling the eventual resurrection of believers. He warns against setting dates for Christ's return, affirming we live between Christ's resurrection and the future resurrection of the redeemed. The sermon addresses the Corinthian church's misunderstanding of bodily resurrection, influenced by external philosophies and internal teachings. Green stresses the importance of understanding Adam's role in sin and death and contrasts it with Christ's role in life and resurrection. He outlines the resurrection timeline, explaining the future events including the rapture, tribulation, and millennium, culminating in the end when Christ will defeat all enemies, including death, and hand over the kingdom to God. The sermon provides comfort, assuring believers of their and their loved ones' resurrection, and emphasizes living in anticipation of eternal life with God.

1st Corinthians chapter 15 and we'll read verses 20 through 28. 28. Verse 20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For Since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

But each in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, after that those who are Christ's at his coming. Then comes the end when he hands over the kingdom to the God and father, when he has abolished all rule and authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be abolished is death. For he has put all things in subjection under his feet, but when he says all things are put in subjection, it is evident that he is accepted who put all things in subjection to him.

And when all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself also will be subjected to the one who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all. My message today is on the subject of the order of the resurrection, the order of the resurrection. We think about life, we Think about time. The question could be asked, what time is it? What time is it?

And we could all look at our clocks and we could say, well, it's 11.15 on Sunday afternoon, and you'd be accurate with that. But let me tell you, God has a clock. And we're all on His schedule. And when we think about God's prophetic time, or God's timeline, there's all sorts of people out there who will try to figure things out and try to set times. And so they'll say, oh, well, this is happening here.

This is happening there. So, you know, start to say, well, Jesus must be coming on this date or that day. Beware of that sort of thing. We don't know when Jesus is coming back. We just know that He is, and when we think about what time is it, all sorts of answers could be given, but looking at this text that I've just read, I can say that we are between Christ's resurrection and the resurrection of the redeemed.

That's where we're at, somewhere in between those two things. And I know that Jesus has been risen from the dead. We've already looked at that. We've looked at that in our text in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. We've looked at other passages of scripture.

We know that it's a historically verifiable fact. And we also know that the bodily resurrection of our loved ones has not happened yet. We still go to the cemetery, we still go to funerals, We still know that people are dying. Bodies are still in the grave. And so we know that we're somewhere in between when Christ came up out of the grave and that time when the dead in Christ will rise.

We're somewhere in there. And I can say with every passing day we are closer, we're closer to the coming resurrection of the saved than what we were yesterday. In the context of this passage, we know that the saints at Corinth, they didn't have a problem with the resurrection of Christ. That wasn't their issue. In fact, Romans chapter 10, Romans chapter 10 and verses 9 and 10 Says very plainly that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God Raised him from the dead you will be saved For with the heart a person believes leading to righteousness and with the mouth he confesses leading to salvation.

And so a Christian, a person who's been saved, a person who's been born again, believes that Jesus rose from the grave. It's part of the gospel. Among God's people we may have a lot of differences on some other things, but this is something that we agree on. It's foundational. And the church at Corinth didn't have a problem with that, But the problem that was going on at Corinth was that some had been influenced into thinking, some were teaching even, that there was no resurrection of the body.

It was causing quite the problem. You see, on this side of the cross where we are, we have all 66 books of the Bible. And we don't have, we don't have as many problems as what they had in their day. With different doctrines. Someone comes into our church and starts teaching that.

We can go to 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and say, hey, we know that there's a bodily resurrection. Listen to what 1 Corinthians chapter 15 has, but the Church of Corinth didn't have that yet. In fact, not until they got the letter. And so there was doubts and fears that were coming in. Some of it was because of influences from the outside, philosophies that were kind of influencing people, but some of it was because of their backgrounds.

Some of them were Jews that maybe had grown up around the Sadducees who denied the resurrection. Others were Gentiles who maybe just had a problem with the idea, whatever the case might be. It's important for us to realize the context of why Paul is writing what he's writing here in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. And it's also important for us to realize that they weren't denying eternal life. They weren't denying spiritual life and glory forever.

They were denying the resurrection of the dead, their loved ones who were buried in the ground. They were denying that based on what they heard or what they were taught. And it was a big enough problem that Paul took ink to paper and or papyrus and began writing about this issue. And I'm glad he did. Because 1 Corinthians chapter 15 is perhaps the greatest document that's ever been penned on the subject of the coming bodily resurrection.

And if you've ever been to a funeral, if you've ever lost a loved one, I'm sure we all have, we live in a fallen world, 1 Corinthians chapter 15 is a great sort of encouragement. The hay, that body that's been put in the grave, that body that's laying there in the casket at the funeral home, that dead body, that's not, That's not the end of the road for the child of God. There's more to come, and we thank God for it. And as Paul writes this, he begins with positive proof to the of the resurrection of Christ. And I believe he started there on the common ground that they all held to, and thank God he did for the great material that we have.

But he went on from that as he talked about the evidences for the resurrection verses 1 through 11. But he went on from that into a negative look at this to talk about what would happen If there is no bodily resurrection you see There's There's sometimes people comes up with ideas I don't care whether it's a business idea or whether it's a idea at church or a spiritual idea whatever it is a doctrinal idea whatever it may be. It's always a good idea before you before you go on that road, before you get in the car and go with them for that ride of wherever they're going with their idea. To think about and consider, where is this thing going to end up? What's going to happen if I do this?

If I follow this fellow? If I join in with this guy on this business idea, or if I follow this doctrine, where's it going to take me? And that's kind of what Paul was bringing out. And we looked at that Psalm from last week, where he said that if Christ is not risen, hold on a second, let's think about this, if Christ is not risen, or rather that's not exactly what he said he said if if dead men don't rise bodily then Christ is not risen bodily You see, if Christ is not risen, then all gospel preaching is useless. Your faith is empty.

The apostles are all liars. You're yet in your sins, which would mean that all dead Christians are damned because they're in their sins and Christians are, of all the people of the world most to be pitied if dead men don't rise. He brings all these things out. He's using logic and reason as well as scripture to bring these things out in his arguments. But he transitions in our text in verse 20.

And here he says, but now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. You see the church at Corinth believed it. It was historically proven. He called all the witnesses that he that he could call in the first part of it. It's a fact.

So he states it matter-of-factly, but now Christ has been raised from the dead. He didn't say I hope. You imagine what kind of Christianity that would be? Well, I sure hope that Christ rose from the dead. No, he didn't say that.

He said, but now Christ has been raised from the dead. It happened. He is alive. He has been raised from the dead. It happened.

He is alive. He has been raised from the dead. Historical, verifiable fact. The first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. That phrase, fallen asleep, has caused some people to wonder.

At one time, I thought that it was an old English phrase and that's why it was in our Bible, but I've realized that that's not the case at all. In fact, you see here in our legacy standard Bible that the phrase is falling asleep here. Same thing in the New King James version, ESV, the CSB, and a whole handful of other translations I looked at. That's interesting. It's a translation from the Greek Paul when he wrote this he originally wrote in Greek and he used the phrase falling asleep The phrase falling asleep, is a common euphemism for death.

It's not to be taken as soul sleep, which some believe that the body dies and the spirit rests in unconsciousness. In fact, the term is used here in relation to the body and not the soul. He's talking about the body being raised. The translators of our Bible here said the phrase have fallen asleep better captures the perfect Greek participle. Since the perfect tense usually emphasizes a completed action with continuing effectual results in the present, readers can see That Paul puts the death of these believers in the past and treats them as the those currently asleep Though they have died This they should not be viewed as now non-existent, but rather simply as currently sleeping.

This thus contributes to the hope of the resurrection. In this context, Paul makes it clear that the risen Christ is a living preview of how their current state will be gloriously changed. 1st Corinthians 15 and verse 51 hit, he says, behold, I tell you a mystery, we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed. You see? And so, so it's, it's this picture that just as if I were to say, hey, I'm going to go, go back here and take a nap, you know that's not the end of me.

Some point is gonna come when I wake up either you're gonna go in there wake me up or I'm gonna wake up on my own but something's gonna happen and I'll come back in here. You see it's death is not the end, is the picture that's being brought here. Now, so that's sleep but But what does he mean by firstfruits? Firstfruits. Because in our text here, he says, but now Christ has been raised from the dead the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Jesus is the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. Jesus is the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. And to Paul's original audience, the folks there at Corinth, they would have been familiar with this language. And maybe you are too if you if you remember reading it in other passages of scripture. Leviticus chapter 23 and verse 10 over in the Old Testament, Leviticus chapter 23 and verse 10, you can turn there with me if you'd like.

But this is what it says. Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, When you enter the land which I am going to give you, And reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest." The first fruits was the first elements of the crop was to be harvested. When the first fruits came in, you knew the rest of the crop was on its way. From the text there in Leviticus, you see it as a sign of your harvest to come. In a sense, it kind of guaranteed the harvest.

And so it is with the resurrection of Christ. Guarantee of the full resurrection harvest. Over in John chapter 14, Jesus said it this way. Jesus said it this way. John 14 and verse 19.

After a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live, you will live also. You see? Because I live, you will live also. He is the first fruit. And so the argument is being laid down because Jesus rose from the grave you and I will also raise.

There is a bodily resurrection. So back there in our text in 1st Corinthians chapter 15 as we move on. Verse 21, for since By a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. Verse 22, For as in Adam all died, so also in Christ all will be made alive. Notice that as he's bringing this up.

The phone probably died. I tried to put the charger on there. It's not the best charger. So it's probably is it still on okay huh I don't know all right so Alright, so as he's given this argument he says that he goes back to Adam in the book of Genesis. And it's interesting that Paul affirmed a literal Genesis, a literal interpretation of Genesis.

And not only that, but as he brings up Adam in this passage, He doesn't go into some long drawn-out teaching about who Adam was or what was going on with Adam or in the Garden of Eden, apparently the church at Corinth had been taught from Genesis. They knew. They knew who Adam was. He didn't have to give the backstory. A proper interpretation of Genesis is not a gospel issue.

It's a biblical authority issue. However, we see as they're tied together here, it could become a gospel issue. Someone goes so far as to deny Adam, they may go so far as to deny Christ. You see, Science can't explain creation. Science can't explain Adam and Eve.

Well, If you follow it, again, get in the car and travel all the way, if you follow it consistently, science also cannot explain a virgin birth. Science also cannot explain the resurrection of Christ. And so it very well could become a gospel issue when we think about Genesis and the gospel. This isn't the only time that the scriptures tie Adam in with Christ. Over in Romans chapter 5, Romans chapter 5, Romans chapter 5, beginning of verse 12.

Beginning of verse 12. Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, death through sin, and so death spread to all men because of all sinned. For until the law, sin was in the world, but sin is not imposed when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the trespass of Adam, who was a type of him who was to come. But the gracious gift is not like the transgression.

For if by the transgression of the one, the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, Christ abound to the many. And so we see how that in this text, we find that there is a principle being laid out. For by one, one man's sin, death spread through that one man to all men. Every man, woman, and child, every nation, every culture, everyone is affected. But in Christ, there's life.

You see. And that's what we find in our text in verse 22. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. All who are in Adam are in Adam by nature. He is our great, great, great, great, however many greats back, grandfather.

We inherited from him this sin nature. You know, when a baby's born, everybody says, oh, that baby's so cute. And inevitably somebody's gonna say, oh, look, that baby's got her mama's eyes, and that baby's got her daddy's grin, and all these things that They inherit from the parents. But we inherited something terrible, something awful. And that is the sin nature and death.

And so we're in Adam by nature, but in Christ we're in him through spiritual regeneration. And so today everybody in this world is either in Adam or in Christ. You're in Adam or in Christ. Where are you at today? Have you been born again?

Are you saved? And if you are, you're in Christ. There's life. But if you're not in Christ, you're in Adam and there's death, you see. And because we live in a fallen world, There is death, physical death.

It's all part of it. But there's life through Christ. And he says, He says here in verse 23, But each in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, after that those who are Christ's at his coming. So everyone in this world is going to die physically. The lost, the saved, those who are in Christ, those who are in Adam, everybody's gonna die physically.

We live in this fallen world, but those who are in Christ, he's talking about, will be made alive. We're not going to be left dead forever. As a matter of fact, there's an order. He says, Christ the firstfruits, after that those who are Christ's at his coming. So each in his own order.

This is a military term in the Greek. It's like Soldiers marching. They don't take place at once, they go in an order. A lineup, a process. After Christ come those who are His.

If you're a believer, that's you and me. But when, When? The answer is at His coming. At His coming. Our hope, all of our hope is in Jesus and that includes the coming of Christ.

Right now we die, our bodies will die physically. We put in a grave somewhere and in our bodies, depending on how long they're there, they may even decay. Well, the decay process starts pretty quickly, I understand. But, that's not the end. Not the end at all.

Believers who die were absent from the body, but present with the Lord. In Hebrews chapter 12, you don't have to turn there, but They're called the spirits of just men made perfect. That's where we, that's where the deceased are right now. Those who are in the Lord. They're with the Lord, present with Him, but not in any physical form.

Their glorified physical bodies aren't even there yet. When we die, we immediately are taken to be with the Lord, but we have no physical bodies yet. But someday, someday there's going to be a resurrection. Over in First Thessalonians, Over in 1st Thessalonians, chapter 4, Chapter verses 13 through 18 says, but we do not want you to be uninformed brothers about those who are asleep. So that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trumpet of God, that the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we which are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." And so there's coming a day we call it the rapture the rapture But there's coming a day when The Saints will rise bodily This is the beginning of the resurrection I say beginning because Because You know you know so eschatology or the study of the last things is a complicated thing and sometimes sometimes people get all excited about something and they start talking about the rapture and they say well that's when the resurrection of the Saints will be.

But you know there's gonna be people who are saved after the rapture. During the Great Tribulation period, there'll be, Even though the Lord's churches will be taken on out of here and all that, there will be the gospel preached by the two witnesses and 144, 000 Jewish men lined out in Revelation. People will be saved during that time. The beast, the Antichrist, will wage war against the saints. So there's going to be saved people during the tribulation period.

Over in Daniel chapter 12, Daniel chapter 12 and verse 2. Verse 2. He says here, He says here, And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, Leads to everlasting life, but the others to reproach and everlasting contempt. So there's going to be others who will come up out of the grave later after the rapture. At the end of the tribulation period, there will be the thousand year reign of Christ There will be those who survived the tribulation period.

There will be people still alive in their normal bodies. There will be people saved during that time. But look at what it says here in Revelation, Chapter 20, verses 4 through 6. Then I saw thrones, they sat upon them, judgment was given to them, and I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their witness of Jesus and because of the Word of God, and who also had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand, and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead, notice this, did not come to life until the thousand years were finished.

This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has apart the first resurrection over these. The second death has no authority. They will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. And so there'll be this final phase of the resurrection of the saints, which will take place at the end of the millennial reign of Christ.

And we look at these things and we see them in different phases, but it's all coming at the end, you see. And in fact, in fact what we gather of all this is that no one, Not one of God's people will be lost or left behind. Not one is going to be left in the grave to rot or to be destroyed. In fact, In fact, all of God's people will be saved. They will be all taken all the way to the glorification part.

All will be resurrected all will be brought To this to this and in fact in first Corinthians chapter 15 verses 24 through 26. Then comes the end when he hands over the kingdom to the God and Father when he has abolished all rule and all authority and power for he must reign until he has put all all his enemies under his feet the last enemy to be abolished is death The end, the finale, the final part, when everything is destroyed, even death. All of his enemies, Satan, the false prophet, the beast, all of it gone, destroyed, death will be no more. When he that is Christ hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, But not until then. Verses 27 and 28.

For he has put all things in subjection under his feet. But when he says all things are put in subjection, it is evident that he is accepted who put all things in subjection to him. And when all things are subjected to him then the Son himself also who will be subjected to the one who subjected all things to him so that God may be all in all." As we bring this to a close and think about all this, he says he brings all things in subjection under his feet. But when he says that, all things are put in subjection, it's obvious that he is accepted who put all things in subjection to him. So when all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself also will be subjected to the one who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all.

Remember what he said in 1 Corinthians chapter 11. 1 Corinthians chapter 11 and verse 3. But I would have you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. You see? God is the head of Christ.

God is dead of Christ. Does this mean that he'll cease to be king of kings and lord of lords? No, not at all. For he is still God, is he not? And furthermore, when we look at all this and where we are right now between the resurrection of Christ and the bodily resurrection of the dead, and we know that we're somewhere in that time period.

We know that there is a coming kingdom when Christ will reign on this earth and all of those things. It is also very true that even now Christ is king. But oh what a glorious day it'll be when death is defeated forevermore. When there will be no more dying. There'll be no more need of a hospital, a funeral home, or a graveyard.

You know, and that's what's coming, because at the end of it all, Peter tells us that the elements will melt with fervent heat. The Bible tells us that there'll be a new heaven and a new earth. What is this place anyway? Nothing but one big Graveyard. But not for long.

Not for long. The people of God, we've got something to look forward to because the bodies of our loved ones and our bodies, they're not gonna be left there forever. There's more to life than what we have here. The end of the road is not a hearse. It's not a casket.

It's not a graveyard. We will change addresses someday, but it's not gonna be that old cemetery. It's gonna be heaven. It's gonna be with our Lord forevermore. Do you know Him?

Are you going there someday? Are you looking forward to that? Oh, Make sure that you're on this road to glory.