Resurrection & Reward 復活與獎賞 Dr. Joseph Chang 1/19/2014 BOLGPC

58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1Cor 15:58) 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. (Eccl 1:14)

Our work in Christ, in simplicity: (1). Bear Spiritual Fruit (Gal 5:22, 23), (2). Increase the kingdom fruits (Rom 16:5).

I. Resurrected Body Shines Differently Every resurrected body is of its own kind 35 But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, 36 and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection. (Luke 20:35-36)

35 But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?" 36 How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38 But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. 39 All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. (1Cor 15:35-39)

40 There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. 41 The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. 42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised 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 natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. (1Cor 15:40-44)

1. perishable  imperishable 2. dishonor  glory 3. weakness  power 4. natural  spiritual

II. The seed is the inner man of our current body. If the seed is current body, then: 1. No cremation. 2. Burial will entangle with others. 3. Glorified imperfection. The seed is the soul enshrined in this body.

Phantom Limb

II. The seed is the inner man of our current body. 1 Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. (2Cor 5:1-5)

II. The seed is the inner man of our current body. 6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 We live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2Cor 5:6-10)

II. The seed is the inner man of our current body. 28 那殺身體，不能殺靈魂的，不要怕他們； 惟有能把身體和靈魂都滅在地獄裡的，正 要怕他。 ( 太 10:28) 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matt 10:28)

5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1Pet 2:5) A. is elevating the quality of kingdom building material. B. is increasing the amount of kingdom building material.

III. How to add to the glory of the glorified body? A. Bear Spiritual Fruit. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Gal 5:22-23) B. Bear Fruit in God’s Kingdom. 5 Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia. (Rom 16:5)

Conclusion 1. Resurrected body varies in glory, reflects the different degree of reward. 2. The seed is our soul which is tried and disciplined to grow in maturity. 3. The way to help our soul in maturity is by increasing my own quality and the quantity for God’s kingdom.