Updated: 5/3/2026

Sermon Prep

Like the previous post, the prep for this message was very thorough because I had weeks to get those sermons ready. With that, I approached both as one message in two halves and this second half focused on the hope we as Christians have in the resurrection. I was also researching and writing my book, so I knew I wanted to tie 1st Clement into this duology somehow deciding it’d be best here. I couldn’t find a good picture from this timeframe, so I added a picture of Part of my first Father’s Day which was a couple weeks later in June.

Another new thing I began doing with this message moving forward was including an opening prayer and I actually quoted 1st Clement in that prayer below. I think it’s a good practice to pray into a sermon and sets the tone that God is using me to speak to someone today. I am the tool that God uses to speak through and to others during the sermon, so I shouldn’t think of my role as anything other than that.

Sadly, most people who preach like me are self-centered and make the message about them. By praying first, it sets my heart and the hearts I believe of the congregation right to hear the word of God. On that note, here’s the YouTube recording and my sermon notes below:

Sermon Notes

Opening Prayer

• God your name alone “is the source of all creation.” Would you speak through me, in spite of me, and beyond me. Make your dwelling within us as you teach us today. Amen. – 1st Clement 59:1

Intro

• What if you knew what would be said about you in the future? -> Mrs Lyons prediction

Main Point

• Last week we learned there’s many things to hope for, but we have a resurrection hope.
• That theme continues in Part 2, along with what we do here on Earth impacts eternity.

A Resurrection Hope Part 2 | 1 Corinthians 15:34-58 (NRSVue)

“[34] Sober up, as you rightly ought to, and sin no more, for some people have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. [35] But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” [36] Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. [37] And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. [38] But God gives it a body as he has chosen and to each kind of seed its own body. [39] Not all flesh is alike, but there is one flesh for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. [40] There are both heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one thing, and that of the earthly is another. [41] There is one glory of the sun and another glory of the moon and another glory of the stars; indeed, star differs from star in glory. [42] So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. [43] It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. [44] It is sown a physical body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. [45] Thus it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. [46] But it is not the spiritual that is first but the physical and then the spiritual. [47] The first man was from the earth, made of dust; the second man is from heaven. [48] As one of dust, so are those who are of the dust, and as one of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. [49] Just as we have borne the image of the one of dust, we will also bear the image of the one of heaven. [50] What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. [51] Look, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, [52] in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. [53] For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. [54] When this perishable body puts on imperishability and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” [55] “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” [56] The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. [57] But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. [58] Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

• The Corinthians, as we’ve mentioned in previous messages in this series, had a very low view of their bodies and didn’t think about the eternal consequences of earthly choices.
• Allusions to creation (i.e. seeds, animals, birds, fish, stars; dust) | 1 Corinthians 15:36-49
• The image of God is a title and to “be human is to image God.” (Michael Heiser, Unseen Realm) | 1 Corinthians 15:49
  • As imagers of God, that title has been distorted in sin and will be restored too.
• Like 1 Corinthians chapters 1-3, Paul returns to the theme of comparing the natural (Greek: psychikos) and the spiritual (Greek: pneumatikos). | 1 Corinthians 15:44, 51-52
  • Like a cup casting a shadow, so the natural body is a shadow of the spiritual body.
  • To understand the resurrection, we need to understand creation and its restoration. Our bodies have a continuous purpose and yet change in eternity.

• “We are born mortal; we then become sinful. Thus does death “sting” us before we die. Being a Christian is more than having one’s sins forgiven or being good; it is being alive. The law is not sinful, but it exposes sin. And, since it does not provide the power to obey it, it increases sinfulness in unchanged humans.” (Orthodox Study Bible) | 1 Corinthians 15:56
• Christ’s resurrection is our motivation to do “the work of the Lord.” | 1 Corinthians 15:58

Why It Matters

• “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” – C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
• Life isn’t meaningless since you were made for the earthly and the eternal.
  • Have an ancient faith, not an 1800s one (i.e. Christian Science, JWs, LDS, rapture).

Power Text

• What happened after Paul’s letters to Corinth? Did they do “the work of the Lord?”

“Take up the letter of the blessed Paul the apostle. What first did he write to you at the beginning of his gospel? Truthfully, he wrote to you in the Spirit about himself and Cephas and Apollos, because even then you had engaged in partisan strife. But that partisanship brought less sin to you, for you joined with reputable apostles and with a man approved by them. But now consider who has perverted you, and has lessened the respect due to your well-known love for fellow believers. It is shameful, beloved, extremely shameful and unworthy of your conduct in Christ, that it should be reported that the well-established and ancient church of the Corinthians, because of one or two people, is rebelling against the presbyters. And this report has reached not only to us, but even to those who have different allegiances from us, so that even blasphemies are brought upon the name of the Lord because of your foolishness, and you cause danger for yourselves.” – 1st Clement 47:1-7

• The Apostolic Fathers were the 2nd generation of Christians taught by the apostles.
  • EX: George Lucas (Star Wars) and Dave Filoni (Clone Wars)
• High probability (80-90%) that 1st Clement was written by Clement of Rome.
• Don’t stop doing “the work of the Lord,” but continue to obey the Great Commission.

Outro

• The disciples didn’t die for a lie, so why do you live as if the resurrection isn’t true?
  • Jesus believed you were worth dying for on the cross, but do you believe that your life is worth living for Jesus? Do you believe that all of this will be restored?
• If you love Jesus, you will obey him. He created all things and he will restore all things.

Final Thoughts

Watching this one again just reminds me of the headache that this recording gave me when I saw how bad the video contrast was edited in post. At the time, we had someone who was eager and willing to help with our video but they lacked that editors eye for video. Because of that they were too eager to try to balance the color and messing with the lighting in post so much so that I look like an unholy ghost in this one.

It’s not a big deal, but at the time I was incredibly frustrated and tried not to say anything because they’re just a volunteer. Someone new to video editing doesn’t know that less is more or how to weigh how much time should be invested in a project. Knowing that and if this extra effort is worth it matters way more than trying to perfect a sermon video that will only get maybe 50 views online. Again, rookie mistakes and totally forgivable.

The feedback and Table Talks that followed for this teaching though were great. Lots of questions about the rapture, what resources did the Corinthians have, and other related topics from my message. In fact, I included the rapture in a list of wacky beliefs and was taken aback by how many people didn’t know that the rapture isn’t a Christian concept. They just had no idea and thought that was something all Christians believed, which was crazy for me to learn after the message was over.

My in-laws were so that’s always nice to have them there, especially since my wife wasn’t because she was sick. It’s always weird for me to go to church when she’s not feeling well, so having some family there was a welcome surprise. I think she stayed home with our daughter, while I went and preached this Sunday.

On the Tuesday after this message, the family I mentioned that eventually left our church permanently made their exit and attended for the last time that Sunday. Some weren’t surprised and honestly a little happy that the stick-in-the-mud husband was gone, but even with the constant disagreements over the years I never want anyone to leave when we’re not united. Leaving on bad terms is bad for everyone involved and isn’t what Christians should be doing.

In spite of how much they sometimes annoyed me with their complaints and incessant issues, I still love them and wanted them to at the least talk with us before they left for good. But instead the wife texted our lead pastor’s wife and that was it. We never got a chance to say goodbye and end on good terms.

Another open wound on a broken heart for me. So for me, it was a mixed reaction reflecting on this because that Sunday went fantastic and yet that Tuesday was infuriating. I hate when we break up the Body of Christ over stupid stuff. With that, Godspeed and Jesus bless.