The Consequences of Resurrection | Lesson 140

What happens to our faith, our hope, and even our view of God if there is no resurrection from the dead? In this sermon from 1 Corinthians 15:12–28, we explore Paul’s forceful correction of the false teaching at Corinth that denied the resurrection. The message unfolds the devastating implications if Christ is not raised: preaching is empty, faith is vain, the apostles are false witnesses, believers remain in their sins, the dead in Christ have perished, and those who suffer for Christ are of all people most miserable. Along the way, the sermon challenges “sleeping Christians” who may affirm the resurrection doctrinally but live as if this life is all there is.

From that dark backdrop, the passage then bursts into the glorious “But now is Christ risen from the dead.” The sermon traces Christ as the firstfruits of them that slept, the new Adam whose resurrection guarantees life for all who are in Him. It highlights the order of resurrection, Christ’s present reign, His ultimate subduing of every enemy (including death itself), and His delivering up of the kingdom to the Father so that “God may be all in all.” Listeners are called to see how resurrection truth demands a newness of life now, fuels endurance in suffering, reshapes our priorities, and anchors our hope in the coming day when every enemy is destroyed and the glory of God fills all in all.