Christ's resurrection is presented as the foundational event that guarantees the resurrection of believers and the certainty of future judgment. The sermon expounds on 1 Corinthians 15:22-28, contrasting the universal death brought by Adam with the life in Christ for believers, emphasizing Christ as the "firstfruits" of the resurrection. It details the order of resurrections: Christ first, then believers at His coming, and finally the unsaved at the end, highlighting the significance of the resurrection as proof of God's promises and the necessity of being born again. The message concludes by underscoring that Christ's resurrection is the basis for both eternal life and future judgment, urging listeners to accept Christ to avoid condemnation.
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best of influence the fifth and verse twenty three I might read verse twenty two because there are eleven all or twelve rather all than a few verses we want to read if we want to undermine that little word all As we go down, beginning with verse twenty-two, but as in Adam, all die. Even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order, Christ the first fruit afterward, they that are Christ at his coming.
Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority and power. For he must reign till he has put all enemies under his feet, the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he has put all things. God the Father has put all things under his feet, the feet of his Son, he will. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he, that is, God the Father, is accepted, which did put all things under him, the Son.
And when all things shall be subdued unto under him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him, God the Father, that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. That's eternity. So you have these twelve alls in these few verses. Well, something in my Bible for quite a time, and I'm glad I ran across it in taking up the subject of the resurrection. And this chapter is a masterpiece. I don't think there's any pinnacle any higher than what you have in this remarkable chapter.
the fifteen chapter of first Corinthians. Paul begins with the gospel, and he seems to rise and rise like the nightingale until he reached the height of the glorious resurrection and the eternal state. I thought this was very impressive. If death ends off, a lot of people talk about death ending everything. We die like beasts. If it be for naught, for nothingness at last. Why does God make the world so fair? Why spill this golden splendor out across the western hills and light the silver lamp of ease?
Why give me eyes to see and so, to love so strong and deep? Then with a pang this brightness stabs me through and waits within rebellious voice to cry against all death. Why set this hunger for eternity so that all my heart springs through if death ends all? If death ends all, then evil must be good. Wrong must be right, and beauty, ugliness. God is a Judas who betrays his son and with a kiss dams all the world to hell if Christ rose not again.
Thank God Christ did rise again, and that all that God says is true, and death does not end all. Even noticing, and going over those alls that we mentioned, you have in those alls, you have the history of redemption from beginning to end, also the condemnation in Adam, and then the resurrection of all believers. That's what is included in those twelve all. In Adam involves every member of the human race. As in Adam, all die.
Then you have in Christ, and that involves only those who stand in living relationship with Christ. Now, you can't get away from those things. As in Adam, one man all die. So in Christ, shall all be made alive. Only two classes. You have the two generations given you in your Bible, and the generation simply means the process of producing, or all individuals of any one genealogical period, or a race, a line, a seed. And so you find in Genesis chapter five and one about the generations of Adam.
And in the generation of Adam, as he gives you in chapter five of Genesis, eight times over, the death now rings, and he dies. And he dies. And he dies. Methuselah lived nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and he dies. That's what it means to be in Adam. That's the end. Paul die. As in Adam, all die, and that includes the second death, which is the lake of fire. You read that in Revelation? What does death mean?
Adam died spiritually. When he sinned against God, there was separation. And the second death means eternal separation from God. How is that? How does that do? But not only do you read about the generation of Adam in Genesis chapter five and verse one, over in Matthew your New Testament opens with the generation of Jesus Christ. Now isn't that remark? The generation, the seed of Adam, the posterity of Adam. Then you have the generation of Jesus Christ, the seed, the posterity of Adam.
Christ himself. You know, there are some remarkable scriptures in your Bible, and I'm going to just read them. You don't have to turn to them. But you find over in Isaiah fifty-three, where you have the death of Christ, the sufferings of Christ referred to, he was taken from prison and from judgment. In other words, he is going to be put to death. This says, who shall declare his generation? Who's going to propagate this one? Who's going to be his posterity? If he's going to be put to death, who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people was he sicketh.
So the question is asked, who shall declare his generation? If he's going to die, I'm at the end. Psalm twenty-two puts it this way in verse thirty. A seed shall serve him, it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. And you find this in verse thirty-one of Psalm twenty-two. They shall come, the generation shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, future generations, that he has done this, he has finished the work. Now there are three lovely scriptures from the Old Testament.
The Lord Jesus Christ died. And at the end, according to what a lot of people say, there's no need for him to have a generation or a posterity or a seed. But the result of that death is, except the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die and abide at the Lord. You take a corn of wheat or a corn of seed. If you hold it in your hand, it's no good. It'll accomplish nothing. But you put that corn down in the soil, and it will die. A strange transformation of nature, it dies, but out of it comes a corn stalk with several ears up.
And you sow all those several ears of the corn on those ears, and you'll have many more. And if you keep multiplying, you're going to have enough corn to feed the United States. But that corn of wheat has to die. And says Christ, except the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it'll abide alone. I'll be alone for eternity. I want a mighty harvest. And so he fell into the ground and died at Calvary, but... He rose again. Now who's going to declare his generation?
They shall come. Those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ are his generation, his seed. And they shall come and declare his generation unto a people that shall be born, that he has finished the work. just like that one kernel of corn results in a few more and then a few more and a few more. The disciples were the few that went forth, and they declared to the first generation, their generation, and those who grew up in the second generation passed on the message, and here we are at the twentieth century. And all over the world today there are those who are complicating, spreading the news.
that Christ finished the work on the cross, and is going to be a great harvest of souls, one of these happy days. Now, verse twenty-three, the verse I want to emphasize, but every man in his own order. That word or order is an army term or a military term. It's found later on in this chapter. We'll refer to when we get to it about the last Trump. It denotes a corps, a detachment, a company, or a regiment, a battalion. God has an order. He says here, every man in his own order.
Now who is first in this order? It tells you right in that verse. Christ the first one. Christ is the first one who rose from the tent. testimony and his resurrection was unique. Oh, but you say there were others that were raised from the dead, right? There were six. Elijah raised a widow's son. The Lord Jesus raised the son of the widow of Maine. He raised Lazarus. He raised a little girl. And Peter raised Dorcas. And Paul raised a young man who fell out of the window. And he raised a woman. But all those six had to die again.
But the Lord Jesus goes again from the dead to die no more. Death had no more dominion over him. He satisfied the claims of death. Christ the first root. Afterward say that our Christ had his coming. Oh, how lovely that is. Christ is the first one to rise from the dead to die no more. But then you have the second root. afterwards they that are Christ and His Son. There are two resurrections in your Bible who have pointed out to you as they belong. And here you have very definitely scriptures that make this play.
In John five, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, I'll read them to you. Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the grave shall hear His voice. and shall come forth, they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation, or condemnation. There you have the true resurrection, the resurrection unto life, the resurrection unto condemnation. And Daniel even refers to this in Daniel twelve, too, and many of them shall sleep in the dust of the earth, shall await, some to everlasting life, and some the everlasting contempt. And so there are two resurrections.
There's a resurrection of the redeemed, the righteous. Then there's the resurrection of the wicked. Now this is very plain in your Bible. And two thousand years have already passed from the resurrection of Christ, Christ the firstborn. Afterward, they that are Christ at his coming. He's coming. Two thousand years of that since the first group rose. And from that time God's people have been dying down the century, passing away, going home to be with the Lord. And we're still waiting.
And that could happen any moment. The rapture of the dead. In a moment, we read at the close of chapter fifteen, in the moment at the sprinkling of an eye. at the last month. So here you have the second group, and how wonderful this is. Now this is all embraces. It's what the Lord refers to in John fourteen. In my father's house there were many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself. So it means that everyone who has fallen asleep in Christ, which you have in First Thessalonians chapter four, and he tells those Thessalonians, he says, don't worry about those who have fallen asleep.
He said, the Lord's coming. The dead in Christ arise first, and we which are alive in her name, so they caught up to meet them in the air, and so shall we be forever with the Lord. This is the second contingent. Christ rose the first verse. Afterward, say that our Christ at his coming, and we're waiting for his cross. Then you'll have all who are saved by sovereign grace, all the redeemed from Adam and Eve, on to the last Christian, for a child of God that will be put to death in the coming grace to be later. That includes them all.
The Old Testament saints are referred to over in Hebrews chapter eleven and thirty-nine and forty, and these all, the Old Testament saints, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise, so God, having provided some better thing for us, that day without us should not be made for us. Adam and Eve sinned, but God clothed them with coats of skin. Blood had to be shed before Adam and Eve could be reckoned in the family of God. And all through the Old Testament, those nobles you read about in the Eleventh of Hebrews, these Old Testament things, they evidently are going to be caught up at the same time the church is caught up.
Although the church is in close proximity to Christ and the Old Testament things, they are the friends of the bridegroom. The church is the bride. When you have a wedding, you have the bride here. Christ themselves. It's all in your Bible. And who's the bride? The bride is composed of those who accepted Christ after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And they're in the church. And the Bible says the church which is his body is bride until Christ comes again. And so in this era we're living in the age of grace, all who are saved are composed of pride of Christ.
His companion, his associate, would live and reign with Christ forever and ever. That's the bride. But when the bride is caught up, then there are going to be a long period, there will be a long period of one thousand years. on the face of this earth where the Lord Jesus is going to reign. I don't read of one Christian died during that period or one child of God. So there will be none of them to be raised at the end of the thousand years. But I do read of people being put to death during the tribulation period between this age and the millennial reign of Christ.
Approximately seven years. And that's what this world is hastening for. This world is rushing. toward the coming of the man of sin, that world dictator, when these vials or shields will be broken and the trumpet will blow and the vials of wrath be emptied upon the earth, this one world system, politically, militarily, and also, ecclesiastically, in other words, we're today just on the eve of the coming again of the Lord Jesus Christ. This will be the second convention, running right from Adam and Eve, on the face of the blood of the Gentiles and then to cover them right on through the Old Testament and during this day of grace, and then those who will lose their lives during the Great Tribulation period, and they'll be raised too before the millennium sets in.
You say, now, where is your Bible from now? Well, I'll give you a Bible, if you'd like it. It's over in Revelation. And I want to read these texts. The Bible means more than my words. And I saw an angel in verse chapter twenty of Revelation. And I saw an angel come down from heaven having the key of the bottomless pit and the great chain in his hands. And he laid hold on the dragon that old serpent which is the devil and Satan and bound him a thousand years. and cast them into the bottomless pit, and shut them up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years should be fulfilled.
And after that he must be loosed a little seal. And after the church is caught up, during the coming tribulation, I want you to notice, and I'll read chapter six and nine of Revelation before this is the next verses in chapter twenty. He said, And when he hath opened the fifth seal, that's in Revelation six, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain, for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and of his blood upon them that dwell upon the earth?
And white robes were given unto them, every one of them. And it was said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season until their fellow servants also, and their presence that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled. Now here are the ones in the great tribulation period. And he refers to them in chapter twenty and verse four. And I saw a throne, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them. And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded. Here they are. Beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast. This is related to the great tribulation.
Neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their forehead, or in their hands, and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. So the tribulations, martyrs, are going to reign with Christ for that thousand years. I hope I've got this across here. I know if you're not a Bible reader, it's going to be different. Christ the first verse. Then afterwards, that was nineteen hundred years ago, then afterwards, they that are Christ, they belong to him, he's purchased them, and he's coming. That's what we're reading for. And that's already two thousand years, almost.
All before the millennium. who has redeemed, been redeemed, who has put their faith in the living, God shall be caught up when Jesus comes. Then there will be a long thousand years reign when Jesus Christ shall reign upon this earth from sea to sea from pole to pole. At the end, God's going to do an amazing thing. He's going to let Satan out. He's been chained for a thousand years. The devil's getting a lot of blame today. They say, oh, the old devil. He did this. He did the other day. God says, I'm going to chain the devil up for a thousand years, and my son is going to reign over this earth.
And you'll find out you can't blame the devil. You'll blame your own evil wicked heart. Because in that day, people will live in a wonderful environment. They can't blame the devil. Yet at the end of that thousand-year reign of Christ, there's going to be a rebellion out of that. And you read that in your Bible, and I'm going to read it now. It's in verse five of Revelation chapter twenty. But the rest of the dead live not, this is the unconverted, live not again until the thousand years We're finished.
This is the first resurrection, that is, of the redeemed. Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection before the millennium. And such the second death hath no power that they shall be preached of God and of Christ and to reign within a thousand years. But now what about the end? In our text we read, that one text, all you gotta do is keep your eye on it. Verse twenty-three, but every man in his own order, God is very orderly. Christ, the first one, he rose two thousand years.
After it say that our Christ at his coming. That's the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. that all who have died, how may have faith in Jesus Christ, and covered by his blood, will be raised before the millennium. Then he says in verse twenty-four, there it is, then cometh the end. This is the third group. Then cometh the end. And who are going to be in it? All unsaved people. No Christians. will be in that last resurrection at the end of the millennium.
That's a solemn thought. Only unsaved people. Right from Cain, the first murderer, the first level, until at the end of the millennium you see a whole host of levels. They're repelling against God, they're repelling against Christ, they've had a perfect environment, but their hearts not changed, and they're repelling. and they come up against that big city, and fire shall come down from God out of heaven, and shall destroy it. Now, Romans, verse seven of Revelation twenty. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and to go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together, the battle, the number of whom is of the sand of the sea, And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and accomplished the camp of the saints about and the beloved city.
And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beasts and the false prophets are, and shall be tormented day and night, whatever and ever. he didn't have much difficulty when he was let loose for a little time to deceive all those people. Why, you say, they must be easily deceived. After Christ had been reigning for a thousand years and they said, everything is wonderful on earth. Under the reign of Christ, the devil is deceived. Why, you say, people must be simple.
For listen to the devil after the earth has enjoyed this wonderful reign of Christ. He's just as simple and subtle today. He's deceiving you. He's telling you you're all right to go to heaven. You live the good life to remember. The church has done the best they can. And that's all you need. He's a deceiver, and he's a liar. And these are red. Tame was a rebel. And these finals... sinners against God are rebels, rebels. And friend, in your heart this morning, there's rebellion.
You are rebelling against Christ's reigning in your heart and in your life. That's what these people didn't want. They didn't want Christ to reign. When they clamored for the death of Christ nineteen hundred years ago, it wasn't so much they were wanting to get rid of this man. As it was, we don't want this man to rain over us. Let him rain over someone else. We don't want him to rain over us. Isn't that what it is? Away with this man. We don't want him to rain over us. And if you're not a born-again Christian in the feeding this morning, you're saying the same thing. Let others accept it. We don't want this man to rain over me, or us.
I don't want him to rain over me. I want to reign myself. I want to do what I want to do. I don't want to be subject to Jesus. That's the whole thing. And now notice, did then come at the end. Chapter Revelation, twenty and eleven, and I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heavens led away, and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great stand before God in the books were open. And another book was open, which is the Book of Life. And verse thirteen, and as she gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them, and they were judged every man according to his work.
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, and whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. this is the second death, the second resurrection, then come at the end. Christ, the first fruit he rose nine hundred years ago, then the resurrection of the righteous. Those who are saved were waiting for that. It could be any moment. Then at the end, after Christ has raised the final revolt, fire comes down from God of the flesh.
Then the great white throne is set up, the books are open, all unsaved are going to be here. There will not be one Christian at this judgment. This is the judgment for the wicked. This is the judgment under condemnation. Do you get the order? God says, everyone in this old order, Christ was first. Those that are his and his God, they'll be all Christians. Then come at the end, and they'll be all sinners. There'll not be one sinner in the ones who are going up when Jesus comes, and there'll not be one Christian in that crowd that are going to be judged every day like this.
All this is simply in your Bible. How orderly the word of God is. Christ the first one. Afterwards, they that are Christ is coming, and then come at the end where the witness shall be done. Resurrection and judgment, not only is the resurrection, the foundation, the gold of Christianity, but the resurrection is the pages of judgment to come. You say, well, listen, I don't like to hear about judgment to come. The devil doesn't want me to hear about either. And very little of it is being preached today, but it doesn't do away with it.
It's there just to say. bases of judgment to come is the same as the basis they had I have for accepting Jesus Christ the resurrection the judgment is no harder to believe than the resurrection of Christ before it occurs even before Christ goes into the dead or those who doubted it those who didn't believe it but didn't prevent it people today say well I don't believe it's going to be a judgment day I don't believe it's going to be a punishment The basis for both is right here. It's already happened. Christ's promise, promise both.
The fulfillment of the promise concerning the one is the guarantee of the fulfillment of the other. You can't get away. When Paul spoke to the people at Athens about the judgment, they saw him a dreamer. Naturally, the expected opposition. did it do from such a skeptical audience, but he met their objections. Before they were even expressed, he met their objections. What is their objection? Listen to how he met their objections. And at times of this ignorance, God winked back. In other words, you haven't heard much of this, but you've heard it now.
But now commandeth all men everywhere to defend. Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised upon the dead. Doesn't that make it plain? He told them all that the proof of the certainty of judgment that come had already happened. The resurrection. of the body of Christ. The proof that you're going to meet God, the proof that all who die in their sins are going to be consigned to everlasting punishment, the proof of that is in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It's already happened. Lord Jesus makes it very clear. And Paul is making it clear. The resurrection made everything else the apostles preached believable. If the resurrection did not take place, nothing that he said or did or the apostles could do. Everything hinders on the resurrection. Why is there going to be a heaven? Jesus rose again. Why is there going to be a hell and an eternal punishment? Because Jesus rose again. He rose to be a savior for the sake and he rose to be a judge. Oh, no, this is just that way. How wonderful in reading this. in the continuation of this text in Acts seventeen.
And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, so mocked. Yes, they can expect that any time. Another said, we will hear the again of this matter. They progressed a little. But how be it certain men clave unto him and believed among the which was Dionysus, the hour of Haggai, and the woman named Onerus, and others with them. This Dionysus means a man divinely percussed by God. As you know, he was a member of the Supreme Court at Athens in Greece at that time. He was an intelligent man, and he listened to the Apostle Paul preach the resurrection, and he believed it.
Demaris was a lady of distinction. She could have been the wife of this man. She believed it, too. She was an intelligent woman. And he says, others also. So there were others. But how amazing that the Apostle Paul, led by the Spirit, could give the two names of the people who were the first to say, I believe Paul's message and others all. And to think that the Christians have been reading the names of these two intelligent people to this day, they're in gospel. Friend, if you believe the gospel message, concerning the resurrection of Christ. God will write your name down, not in this book, but in the Lamb's Book of Life.
And I want to just conclude with this. There are four musts in your Bible, and they're important. He must reign. The word must means absolute necessity, and you see that he must reign until he has put all enemies under his feet. He read that in the Bible. His death is a must. He must die. Tells you that over in John three, fourteen, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. Even so must. It's an absolute certain. It's essential. The Son of God must be lifted up. That whosoever believeth in him does not perish but hath everlasting life.
Then his resurrection is a must. You read that old verse. in John twenty-nine, for as much as death they knew not the Scriptures, that he must rise again from the dead. So Jesus Christ had to rise from the dead. It's an absolute essential. It's absolutely necessary for God's plan and purpose for the ages to be fulfilled. Christ must rise from the dead. Then there's the other one. is must of exaltation. Acts G. Twenty-one. Whom the heavens, and they've already received them, whom the heavens must receive until the restitution of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
The heavens must receive it. Say that? He must die, and he did. He must rise again, he did. must be taken up at God's right hand. He is there. He must raise. And the other much applies to you. And the Lord said this to a very religious man, a preacher in fact, the noted expositor and likely the greatest expositor of Old Testament scriptures of this day, Nicodemus, in John three seven. He says you must be born again. If Christ must die, If Christ must rise, if Christ must live until the day when he must rage, then you must be born again.
It's just as he sent you. If you be born again as it was for Jesus Christ to die and Jesus Christ to rise again and ascend to heaven, come again. That word must means absolutely nothing. You're not going to get into heaven without the new birth. And that's not joining the church. That's not doing the best he says. That's not living a good life. That means you acknowledge you're a sinner before God. You're in Adam. You're dying spiritually before God. You're dying your sins. And the second death is the lake of fire. Unless you receive the person of Jesus Christ and what he did upon the cross for you, if you receive him, you'll be saved, born anew, born again.
Are you saved this morning? Can you say, thank God, I'm ready for all this. Only if you're born again, only if you're saved by sovereign grace, I can save this morning. In chapter four, I'm saved. I know. The Bible says it, I believe. He that heareth my word and believeth on him that set me past everlasting life and shall not come into judgment. Why am I not going to get into that judgment we've been talking about? Jesus took my judgment on the cross. He faced God with my sins. I'll not face God with my sins. I won't even be at that judgment. Jesus took my judgment and faced God with my sins.
I'm saved. I'm free. Shall not commit a death. How wonderful God's salvation is. Here's God's order. First verse. the rapture, afterwards they that are frightened of them. Then again all the uncivilized, all who have fallen, have died without Christ, all who without the Savior, they haven't been born again, judged. And there be a lot of good, clean, moral, respectable people at that judgment, a lot of preachers too, who've never been saved by the grace of God. And you could be among them. You must be born again and never enter heaven with only blood washed ones or theirs, the ransom and the dead.
Coming forth. Our Father in heaven, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we come before thee. We ask thy blessing on thy word. Our solemn it is, nevertheless. Thou hast given up just thy word to preach. We share not through otherwise. Although there's the bright and the shining glory for all that it is, that we would rather have reached on, for there is a dark, dreadful, awful, low search, judgment on the law. Father, we pray that hearts today will open to the Savior that we might be delivered from that judgment that is to come.