2 Corinthians 5:6-10: Home and Away Series

Presented to each the Nipawin and Tisdale Corps 19 October 2008
by Captain Michael Ramsay

To view a version shared with Alberni Valley Ministries on 25 August 2019, click here: https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2019/08/2-corinthians-56-10-home-and-away.html

Hockey season has started here again. It is neat hearing all the excitement of some of the kids in town around the Hawks (Trojans) games and the team. As a kid, I remember going out to the arena to watch junior hockey games (The Victoria Cougars) with my dad - it was a big deal. As a kid the excitement is intense. The excitement is amazing when you go out to cheer for the home team.

Years later, when I was working for the College (CPCI), I can remember the excitement of taking a number of our Japanese students to a couple of play-off games for the Mann Cup final of box lacrosse. I don’t know if anyone here knows anything about box lacrosse – but the Mann Cup is pretty important. It is the Grey Cup of lacrosse.

I can remember that at first I didn’t really realize what a big deal the final series was – I thought that I could just get someone to swing by and get tickets for the final home and away series so I asked Susan to just go down and pick us up some tickets on her way to wherever she was going. Well there must have been five to six thousand people lined up (at least!) to try and get one of the remaining tickets. Susan crowded in the line-up there for hours as the line moved slowly forward until, I think, she had to go to her job or something; so I traded off and went down to the arena myself.

Shortly afterwards my cell phone rang. It was Susan; she just heard on the radio that you could buy the tickets over the phone now and praise the Lord this was in the days before everyone had cell phones; so, now not only was I waiting in line but I was calling from my phone and I had my whole staff at the office and Susan trying to get through on the phone, all the time I am moving closer and closer to those last remaining tickets with less and less of them available all the time. It got down to there being very few tickets left and I wasn’t even near enough the ticket spot to see it yet when my phone rang – it was Susan, we got the tickets! I cheered as I took the victory tour, and embarked on the challenge of moving through the crowd like a Salmon swimming against the current.

This victory of just getting the tickets was almost as exciting as when our guys won the cup. Play-offs: They are exciting when you hear your team win on the radio when they are away. They are exciting to see your team win on TV but there is nothing like seeing the victory of home team live or in my case even the victory of being able to get the tickets to watch the home team play live. Our text today is talking about that a little bit too. 1 Corinthians 5:6-10:

6Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7We live by faith, not by sight. 8We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10For 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.

Paul is talking about a home and away series of sorts (cf. Eph. 218-20; Phil 3:20). He says that though we are in the body right now and playing an away game as it were (because we are away from the Lord), the final game will be a home game (cf. 1 Thess. 4:17; Philippians 1:23). In the end we will be playing before the Lord. Paul is saying very much that it is like a championship series and right now we are playing in an away game. Right now in this away game of the home-and-away series, in this game of our life, we may be dying but the home game is coming. The home game is to be played in heaven (or on the new earth as the case may be) and that is when our performance will be judged and we’ll receive whatever is due us (2 Cor. 5:10).

Look at verse 10. Paul is writing to Christians and he says that we all must appear before that judgement seat at the next game when the trophy is to be awarded. We don’t get a bypass on judgement just because we are Christians as some people suggest (cf. 1Cor 3:10-15 and Rom 14:10-12). Just because we are on Christ’s team doesn’t mean we get to sit out the rest of this game on the bench either. We can’t stop playing if we want to get that trophy, even if it seems like we might be losing, even if it seems that we aren’t playing our best, even if all the fans seem to be cheering against us. Even if we are a little injured, we have to keep playing and sometimes it’s difficult.

Sometimes our opponent seems to be winning. Sometimes it seems that no matter what we do, sometimes, to use a baseball analogy, sometimes it seems every time we swing, we miss. Sometimes it seems that we just strike out. Sometimes it seems that events or the devil get the upper hand.

The devil is pitching for the other team. Sometimes he throws some curve balls. He even threw some at Jesus during the away game. We know that Jesus suffered the temptations known to man and that Jesus prevailed (Cf. Matt. 4, Mk 1, Lk. 4, 1 Cor. 10:12-14, James 1:1-3) but do you remember the story of the devil’s attempt to tempt Jesus in the desert (Matt. 4, Mk 1, Lk. 4)? As part of this, the devil says to Jesus, Luke 4:5-6, I will give you all of the power, all countries (kingdoms) in the world. I will give you all this authority, he says, “it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I please. If you then worship me it will be yours.” The devil says all of this as he is trying to knock Jesus out of the away game. The devil doesn’t want Jesus to play in the game. He doesn’t want Him to make it home. He is trying to throw Him off or maybe – for an even better analogy - he is even trying to offer Him a buy-out or an early retirement package of sorts.
Satan offers Jesus everything and it seems to be a pretty good offer because in a sense the devil is right. He has been given authority on earth (John 12:30-32, 14:29-31, 16:11)– you don’t have to look so far with all the wars, violence, and starving people around (even though God has given us more than enough to solve all of these problems), You don’t have to look too far to see the trouble that we people are causing here because as the scriptures say the devil is the ‘prince of this age,’” (John 12:30-32, 14:29-31, 16:11) and because we fall victim to his pitches.

The devil tried to knock Jesus out of the away game with temptations; are there times when even though we know Jesus has already won the series between the cross and the empty tomb, are there ways that we can be knocked off our game with a temptation not to play anymore? Are there are times when, even though we know Jesus has already won the series, we just don’t want to get in and play anymore? Are their times when we are tempted to take the devil’s early retirement package rather than to stay and play the final game?

What are some of the pitches that he throws that might make us want to retire in this, the away game? Do you ever just get tired? Do you ever wonder why should I be so good? Why should I be honest if everyone else is cheating? Why should I read the Word? Why should I go to church? Why should I have to everything that I do? – Even, why should I even bother getting up in the morning because nothing changes anyway? The devil throws some tough pitches.

These past couple of weeks I have walked with people in real crises. As I was ministering on Galveston Island after Hurricane Ike struck. People lost their homes, their jobs, and their families… Do you ever feel like giving up? Do you ever feel like giving in? The temptation to not read your Bible; the temptation to not pray; the temptation to hide, the temptations not to get up in the morning, the temptation not to bother, the temptation to turn to self-indulgences and addictions and fear…the temptation to give up. These are all pitches that the devil throws our way in the away game and it gets stressful and the thing about the away game is that at times – it feels as if we are all alone – it feels as if no one is on our side – it can be almost like everyone is cheering against us.

We need to persevere though - There is good news and that good news is that the final game is coming. Those of us that keep playing, those of us that keep pressing on towards the goal (Phil 3:14; 1 Cor. 9:24; Cf. Col 2:18); those of us who don’t give up; those of us who – like it says in verse nine – those of us who make it our goal to please Jesus (who is both our coach and our star player, btw); those of us who make it our aim to please Christ who has already won the victory; we are going to play in the home game when the trophy is awarded. We are going to stand before the judge. We are going to be given the prize for playing on the winning team – provided we keep playing – provided we don’t give up – provided we don’t take the devil’s early retirement package, as good as it may seem. If we stay with Christ we will claim the victory.

Jesus has already won the series. Remember that. Remember that even though Satan is the ‘prince of this age’ as it says in John, and even though he does have some power given to him from above and even though his offers are real, and even though they can sound pretty good - remember that he is just the prince of this age, He is not the king of the age to come.

God is. Jesus is. Therefore, we should remember that when the devil throws these pitches, as Jesus states in Luke 4:8, we should respond and ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only’. Satan, with as much power as he seems to have on this continent and in this world, Satan is just like a bad manager while the boss is away. And you know what happens to a bad manager when the boss comes back? He gets fired and Jesus is coming back and when he does the devil and his angles, will be fired in the eternal lake of fire.

Jesus has already won the victory. Even though the away game may be a tough haul that the home game is still ahead and even then that Jesus has already won the victory so we should not give up. This away game is almost over and the series has been won already. Don’t give in to temptation to quit. Stay the course. Don’t take the buy-out. Like it says in Verse 9, “whether we are home or away we make it our aim to please Him.” We should make it our aim to please the LORD.

So when the devil tosses you balls of self-doubt, when the devil tosses you balls of blame and temptation, hit them out of the park. Remember that Christ has already won the victory. We are just waiting for the cup to be awarded. When you are tempted to give up, when we are tempted to sin. Stand firm, the prize has been won and it is waiting for us. Let’s have a strong finish to our game.

In this away game of our lives, we don’t need to give in to sin. We do need to be holy (1 Peter 1:15, Lev 11:44,45; 19:2; 20:7). We can be perfect (2 Cor. 13; Col. 1:28; Hebrews 11,12;) not by ourselves but with the Lord’s help. He will do it (1 Thess 5:23-24). He has won the victory. We just need to rely on God and on His scriptures. The Spirit will let us endure any temptation as we stand firm we will indeed enjoy the victory!

Like it says in James 1:12, ‘Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.’ Don’t give up, remain in the spirit, even if you slip up, remain in the spirit and as you do you will find that you read the scriptures, trust in God, endure the temptations, persevere, hit the devil’s pitches out of the park and claim the victory!

Let us pray. This prayer for us from 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, ‘May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you (us) through and through. May your (our) whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.’

More Daily Blogs at

https://salvogesis.blogspot.ca/

More articles, sermons, and papers at 

www.sheepspeak.com 

2 Corinthians 9:12-15: Thanks be to God for His indescribable Gift! (Hurricane Ike relief)

Presented to each the Nipawin and Tisdale Corps 12 October 2008
and Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army 28 April 2013

plus Alberni Valley Ministries 10 August 2025
by Captain Michael Ramsay

This is the 2008 / 2013 version, to view the 2025 version, click here: 

https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2025/08/2-corinthians-9-12-15-thanks-be-to-god.html

Hurricane Ike struck Galveston TX a few weeks ago. More than 1 million people were evacuated from Texas and to date more than 72 people have been found dead as a result of Hurricane Ike. Bodies were still being found when I left a couple of days ago.

Homes are destroyed. Businesses are destroyed. The sewers, the water, and the phones are still not working. People are housed in shelters both on and away from Galveston Island. Many still have no place to go. Power is still out in some of the parts where we were posted. The power outage means that even for families that did not lose their stoves and refrigerators – and most did; there were many refrigerators destroyed and lying on the side of the road for pick up – they were unable to keep or cook any food. They don’t have food and they don’t have water.

Food and water: this is a big part of The Salvation Army mission down there. We have around 30 food trucks (called canteens) from which we help to serve around 75 000 hot meals every day and give the people water and ice. Ice is very important. It was around 900 F during our time there. And the food: many people told me that without The Salvation Army they wouldn’t have eaten at all. They wouldn’t have survived. We thank the Lord for the service that the volunteers are providing to God and this community. We pray for them that as they continue to serve down there, the Lord will continue to bless greatly the volunteers and the populace alike.

2 Corinthians 9:12-15: This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Thanks be to God indeed on this Canadian Thanksgiving Day. I would like to share with you some of the testimonies and miracles that we have to be thankful for from our time on Galveston Island.

I was part of the mobile Emotional and Spiritual Care team for most of my time down there. For my first four or five days I served on a canteen as an ESC Officers. I thank the Lord for all that he did through our crew. There were four of us on our canteen: myself Boss, John, and Jose.[1]

The Lord used Boss (Wilfred) greatly; he was our site supervisor.

John left his family back in Illinois to join us. There were some struggles at home when he was with us. (The devil attacks when we are serving the Lord.) When John heard some of the stories about the problems at home he was grieved but he prayed and experienced the Lord’s grace. He shared some of the testimonies from back home with us. The Lord protected John’s family. The Lord blessed me and so many people on the Island through John. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

Jose was also on our canteen. He came from Virginia but he was born in Mexico. When he first came to the US, he spoke no English: now he is bilingual, speaking both English and Spanish. This is a real blessing because in this part of Texas there are many people who don’t speak any English at all and they were hit very hard by Ike. In the first few days he translated prayers for me. By the time I left, he was leading prayers for people in need in the community. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

There are many stories from our time down there. I can’t possibly share them all with you today. We don’t have enough time. I want to share a couple of very significant stories however.

I heard more than one account of a contemporary miracle paralleling that of the fish and the loaves.[2] Our canteens were instructed to make sure that they gave away all of their food before they came in for the night. They did not want food returned when people were going without. One canteen had some food left. It was getting late so they were seeking out someone to give their last Cambro (container) of food to. They prayed. One person then saw a line of about 12-18 tired and hungry looking construction workers so they headed over to offer them their food. They were really appreciative.

As they were feeding these men, a number of school busses filled with people pulled up. It is my understanding that they served over 800 meals at that location – no one went away hungry. Feeling blessed by what the Lord had done they started to clean up. (Now there was a non-believer, a Red Cross worker on their canteen with them today). Someone picked up the Cambro from which they fed the 800 meals and read from the side of it, ‘serves 90 meals’. The Lord fed more than eight times that number and no one went hungry. The Red Cross worker who was helping them on the truck that day began to cry. He said that he had never believed in God – until now. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

This same canteen was used by the Lord to lead many more people to Christ. There were also some very exciting open airs that led to many more accepting Jesus’ gift of eternal life. There were many miracles in the midst of suffering. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

We met families who lost everything: their homes, their businesses, their possessions. I met one man who cried as he watched the machines scoop up all his destroyed possessions that he had to throw out. He praised the Lord that he just lost his things but it still hurt to see all the tokens of his memories scooped up into the back of a dump truck.

Parts of the city of Galveston were under more than 10 feet of water. I spoke with one Lady who lost everything on the first floor of her house but praised the Lord because all her children’s things were unharmed on the second floor – so at least they were comforted and had something to do well their parents worked to clean up the mess and fix the house.

Many people relayed how they had lost all their possessions but praised God that they had escaped with their lives. This is really quite something because in 1900, a similar hurricane hit this same Island and claimed 8000 lives. Many people praised the Lord for the contemporary early warning systems. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! There was plenty of warning. No one needed to die. Everyone was saved who chose to leave the Island. Some, however, rejected their salvation.

There is a story of one 19 or 20 year-old who stood on the waterfront, intentionally defying the storm. He was swept away to his death. I met a man who lost his home and his business and praised the Lord for his insurance but he wondered why his brother chose to stay behind and die. How does he deal with the fact that his brother rejected salvation?

This is really the same for us today here. We thank God for His indescribable gift! We praise Him that the early warning for the end of times hurricane was sounded 2 millennia ago. We praise the Lord, that he gave his life so that everyone can be saved - but the sad thing is that some will reject this salvation.

Jesus died on the cross and rose again so that we need not perish in that eschatological hurricane. The sad thing is that some refuse to call on the name of the Lord. Some ignore the early warning system. Some defy God. Some refuse to be saved. Some friends and family are like that man’s brother. Some friends and family are like that 19 or 20 year old – defying God and awaiting death. It is sad. It is tragic.

But there is good news. It is my understanding that though 75 may have lost their lives needlessly, over 200 have been saved eternally through this event. I have heard story upon story of people who have heeded the early warning system, who have accepted Christ and who have been saved. Praise the Lord. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

I want to share the story of Scott and the story of Paul. Scott was a canteen worker from central Texas who had accepted the Lord not too long before coming to Galveston and Paul is a twelve year-old boy.

Scott was working on of one of our canteens. Paul lives in an apartment with 10 other people and is familiar with the neighbourhood activities of gangs and drugs. This boy saw our canteen near his home and wanted to help. He approached Scott and volunteered to help. Scott welcomed him with open arms and very quickly made an impression on Paul - he kept coming back. Scott even gave him T-shirt and hat. The look on Paul’s face was worth a million dollars or more.

The evening before Scott was to return home from his deployment, I had the opportunity to give him his exit interview. During this interview we began speaking about Paul, whom I had met a couple of days previous. Scott told me that he had prayed with Paul on a number of occasions and that Paul was asking about Jesus. I asked if Paul had asked the Lord into his heart. Scott said ‘not yet’ and asked me to help him do that.

The next day, Sunday, Scott, Paul, and a number of other volunteers working on the canteen eagerly awaited our arrival – Paul was ready to ask the Lord into his heart. We arrived and I encouraged Scott to lead Paul in the ‘sinners’ prayer’. After a simple confession of sin and profession of faith, Paul was welcomed into the family of God. We then sang a verse of Amazing Grace and Scott presented Paul with a Bible.

While we were celebrating Paul’s proclamation of salvation, two apparent ‘good-ole boys’ rolled up in a pick-up truck with their radio blaring Hank William’s “I Saw the Light.” They were angels. They were messengers of God who had come to celebrate with us, then they were gone.

In the midst of all the turmoil and all the suffering God was there. In the midst of all our troubles and all our sufferings, God is here. He offers this same salvation to us in Nipawin that he offers to them in Texas.

So today we all here have the same choice that faced the people of Galveston Island. We can either defy the eschatological hurricane and perish like the nineteen year-old boy or we can heed the warning; we can see the light, choose to be saved, turn our eyes upon Jesus and celebrate with the Angles sent from God in Heaven. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

---
[1] Our Team – the Marshall’s team – consisted of Wilfred Leslie Jr., John Manley, Jose Lara, and myself.
[2] This is a second hand account. I don’t remember the exact numbers involved but I do remember the testimony of the miracle.

1 Corinthians 15:1-34: Vote for Jesus

Presented to each the Nipawin and Tisdale Corps 14 September 2008
by Captain Michael Ramsay

*The italicised portions of this sermon were omitted from either one or both presentations*

So we have an election coming up again – the third in four years or the fourth in five years, something like that – all the ‘experts’ admit without a doubt that this one will be a waste of taxpayer money - even our PM who wants it, admits that it won’t change the working dynamics of parliament. But it’s a contest, a game like any other and he wants to win it.

Now I have gotten to know the former MP for our area, Brian Fitzpatrick a little bit – our paths naturally cross a fair amount. We don’t agree on everything by a long shot but he is certainly a nice enough fellow. Not too long ago I was present for a speech by Fred Bradshaw, our local MLA. It struck me. It reminded me of part of our text today - 1 Corinthians 15: 20ff. Let me paraphrase his speech and many other political speeches that I have heard based on that passage:

Our party’s leader has indeed been raised high. He is first of a new breed of premier. You see devastation came to this province from the previous government, but the resurrection of the economy comes through our new government. For as with the old premier all of us were as good as dead, so with our new premier all will be made alive.

But each in his own turn: first the premier, then his party members and supporters; then, by the time the next election, the whole province which belongs to him. Then the time will come for the next election when, of course, his majority will be so big that it is like he will be handing over the kingdom (I mean province) of Saskatchewan to God himself.

Continuing on…For our premier will by that time have destroyed all dominion, authority, power, of the former regime: indeed there will be no more problems in this province at all. And we’ll re-elect our premier and our party again and again, for he will reign forever in order to put all our troubles and crush all our enemies under his feet. Then the last enemy will be destroyed as we realise that the premier really “has put everything under his feet.”

It is amazing how political speeches have started to sound like scripture or sermons these days. This is a tongue-in cheek paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 15: 20ff, of course but I think it makes a point. You see, the more I listen to political speeches and the more I watch the news the more I realise that the world really is crying out for a Messiah. The USA every 4 years like clockwork parades out at least one possible new Messiah. Look at how people talk about Obama – particularly before McCain announced his running mate - there is no mention of his past failures only an almost messianic hope for a bright new future as if he is the one.

For all its strengths, my friends, this is one of the main downfalls of western democracies. Every election people (albeit fewer and fewer people) are mistakenly looking to parties, politicians, ideologies, platitudes, and other such nonsense to solve our problems - as if that is where our salvation comes from.

You know what? If Obama or McCain wins the next US election, the US is not going to cease to be the world’s Superpower. He is not going to withdraw their troops from the more than 100 countries they are in. He is not going to beat their swords in the ploughshares (Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3). He will not be a ‘prince of peace’ (Isa 9:6). He will not end poverty (Matt 26:11; Mark 14:7). None of the presidential candidates can walk on water (Matt 14, Mark 6, John 6). Not one of them has been raised from the dead…

Likewise in Canada: unemployment is not going to go down because of a change or a majority government; regardless of who is elected services will not improve so much that the blind will see and the lame will walk; a majority government by the Conservatives, Liberals, NDP, or even the Greens, is not going to solve all our problems (Matt 15:31; Lk 7:22). Not one of our federal leaders – no matter what their ads tell us – not one of them can walk on water; not one of them has been raised from the dead.

There is a leader though who has – and he’s not running in the election – there is a leader who has done all that - and he lived 2000 years ago. This leader who lived 2000 years ago, he did all these things and more. He even preached good news to the poor and then like all great leaders - he died. Jesus died but – it didn’t end there and this is important…listen to what Paul says:

1 Corinthians 15: 1-4: “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the good news (gospel) I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this good news (gospel) you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…”

This is actually one of the most important parts of the Christian faith – Paul says that it is because of the good news (gospel) that Christ died for our sins…was buried…and raised from the dead - because of his death for our sins and his resurrection, we can be saved.

It is only because of the resurrection that we have any hope at all actually because – if Christ wasn’t raised from the dead then what is the point of meeting here once a week? If he just died and moved on to whatever is next, well, what’s the big deal? Why then would he be different from Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, Tommy Douglas, Mother Theresa, name your person… Why would he be so special? He wouldn’t; he would just be another person, would he not?[1]

Now I considered starting to preach from 2 Corinthians this week but the resurrection really is the central part of the Christian message of hope for the future, and as such I can tell you that we would most certainly be remiss if we read Paul’s letter to the Corinthians and did not even discuss, this most important event. It would be like reading ‘Anna Karenina’ without the train episode or being in the washroom during the revealing scene in the ‘Crying Game’ or missing the final play in last year’s Grey Cup game after waiting for 18 years… we just can’t pass up this opportunity to discuss the resurrection. It is the most important event in Christianity. Christ was dead and he came back – just like the Grey Cup. We were dead in our sins and we will come back, we will be resurrected too and as we come to Christ, we will be saved!

But how do we know that Christ was raised from the dead? It says in vv. 20-23 that Christ was the first fruits of the resurrection (1 Cor 15:20-23). He was raised from the dead. His body was gone from the tomb (Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20) – How do we know?

Paul points as evidence to this all of the witnesses, of whom he was one. He says as we read in 15:5-8: “…[Jesus] appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also…” There were also the women at the tomb (Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20). There were all those recorded in the Gospels and Acts and so many in fact, in both number and account – believe it or not – that historically there is more evidence for the resurrection of Jesus, than there is for the very existence of Socrates or even of Julius Caesar’s historic crossing of the Rubicon which led to his entire reign[2] but, even so, some will always be stubborn. Some will always be ignorant to what is before them and some will -sadly – choose to reject Christ. There is lots of evidence that Christ was resurrected. We know that he was dead and he came back and we wait for his return again because we were dead in our sins and we will come back, we will be resurrected too and as we come to Christ, even we will be saved!

Still – with all the assuredness, with all those witnesses and the preponderance of evidence – some people argue that Christ did not actually rise from the dead. Some say that the person that people saw after he was raised wasn’t Jesus. Some say it was someone else. The fact that Jesus was not recognised at first by a couple of people on the road – the fact that people did not recognize him has been a bit of a stumbling block for some but I must confess that I don’t know why. On the road to Emmaus (Luke 24) you will remember the story, two of the disciples are talking and Jesus comes up beside them and joins in the conversation but they do not recognise him. Some say this is because Jesus mysteriously hid himself from them. While this is possible, I find it much more likely that they just simply did not recognise him.

The people Jesus was walking with were probably not some of his closest twelve: they were other followers of his. And I don’t know about you, but I’ll confess to you that I don’t always recognise people right away. I don’t always recognise people that I should recognise too – if you catch me out of context. If you appear before me in the wrong setting, I might not know who you are. I can tell you that once, I spoke with a very good friend of mine for a solid block of time before the light bulb went off in my brain as to who they actually were…now they had changed somewhat in the time since I last saw them and I certainly wasn’t expecting to see them then but when who they were was revealed to me, we had an exciting conversation. I imagine that it might have been similar here – they weren’t expecting to see Jesus and he had changed somewhat.

He later appeared in the locked room to his disciples and to Thomas, the disciple who longed for concrete proof of the resurrection, Jesus even held out his physically resurrected body’s hand for him to feel the nail holes (John 20). We all – when we stop to think about it – we all know that he was resurrected; we all know that he was dead and he came back. We were dead in our sins and we will come back, we will be resurrected too and as we come to Christ, even we will be saved!

Or will we? Will we be raised from the dead? Will we really? This is supposedly what our hope is in – the future resurrection – when we join Christ in His Kingdom (on the new earth). Is it real? Will we too be resurrected?

There were a number of theories about what happened to the dead in Jesus’ day just like there are a number of theories that our float about in ours. Paganism outright rejected it then just like paganism outright rejects it today. Then it concentrated on a shadowy underworld from which no one would return[3] or in Plato’s thinking there was even a place from which maybe no one would want to return.[4] Judaism wasn’t convinced of it. The Sadducees denied the resurrection before the Pharisees. You may remember the fight scene we discussed last summer, in Acts 23, where Paul is even punched in the mouth by Ananias the High Priest.[5] There are a number of theories about life after death but that Jesus really did rise from the dead on Easter morning, leaving an empty tomb behind him and the hope ahead is not be in doubt. That we were dead in our sins but that we can be saved and that we will be resurrected too should not be in doubt! Look at what Paul says in our text before us today:

Verse 20-23, which we paraphrased earlier: “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.” We will all be resurrected so we can all be saved if we turn to, if we vote – as it were from our earlier analogy – if we vote for Christ.

Now this is interesting too. Being born and raised on the west coast. I can remember watching the election returns come on election night and it is always exciting but you know what – I can never remember a time when the election wasn’t over before the polls were even closed on Vancouver Island. The PM’s party had already won before we even finished voting. This is the same as with Christ. We have until the polls close; we have until we breath our last breath to cast our vote but Christ has indeed already won the election

Continuing on from verses 29 – the resurrection is important: “Now if there is no resurrection, (Paul says) what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? I die every day—I mean that, brothers—just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained?”

This is important. This resurrection is real for all of us. I quote Justin Martyr, the great second century Christian apologist – not too long after the apostle, making the same argument as Paul, he says: There are “some who are called Christians…who say there is no resurrection of the dead, and that their souls, when they die, are taken to heaven…godless, impious heretics [Justin says]… do not imagine that they are Christians.”[6] Justin, like Paul, is speaking about the resurrection of the dead. We are not simply ghosts as some suppose. We aren’t simply some spirit wandering around after we die. Rather, like Christ, we will be resurrected. Now I don’t want to get too deep or controversial here at all but it is really interesting there is a phrase in academia that is being – I think, quite rightly – circulated these days – that is “life after, life after death.”[7] This is to remind us that there will be an end to this age and that Jesus, who has already been raised from the dead, is coming back. This, though the phrase is new, has been the common understanding throughout most of Christendom, thanks to Paul and Justin and others.

In the Reformation, it is interesting that people believed so much in the resurrection – but some of the average people actually thought that God was limited in that he needed all our actual parts to resurrect our physical body; they ignored the fact that it all decays anyway – so you would find that some people would even crush and burn their enemies’ bones so that they wouldn’t be resurrected at the end of the day: this fate caught up – among others - the great reformers Wycliffe and Ulrich Zwingli.[8] As if somehow that acts of man could stop the Lord and the resurrection of the dead. This resurrection that the scriptures speak about is important but we can’t stop it and, Paul says, later on in this chapter that the perishable (out earthly bodies) will be clothed with the imperishable: our actual physical bodies be resurrected like Christ who is the first fruits of the resurrection and we will be changed. Some of us will be saved.

You see in the last 75-100 or so years, much of pop culture has just used the resurrection as a euphemism for ‘going to heaven’ – well the NT doesn’t use it this way. Church history, Paul and the NT realise that there is still a time in the future when we will all be raised and at that point - some of us will be raised to eternal salvation and some of us – well – some don’t want that gift – some of us are still refusing that gift but it is there for all who want it and this is important: there is the resurrection, there is judgement at the end of the day and any of us who call on the name of the Lord at anytime before our life here ends can be saved! Jesus died and rose again so that whosoever may, will be saved.

You see Christ is our salvation. He was born and he died because of our sins 2000 years ago but then something miraculous happened. He did not just pass into the next life. He rose from the dead. He rose from the dead and as such he is the leader who we should follow. In Christ there should be no division!

He is raised and he is coming back. He is our salvation. We should remember this as we cast our votes very soon that there is no other name by which we may be saved. Christ is the leader who deserves our support. He is both liberal in His love and conservative in His consistency. He is neither a small ‘d’ democrat nor a small ‘r’ republican. He is a captital 'M' Monarchist – He is a King and He is the Son of the King. And unlike all those others who are trying to get us to turn to them for our salvation, He has actually run the race and won the election already – we are just waiting for the polls to close, so if you haven’t already gone out to vote for Him then go out and vote for Christ for there is no other name through which we may be saved. The Lord raises up mere earthly governments and he topples them but when the eternal polls close and he does come back, make sure that he has your vote so that we will all be a part of His victory party at the resurrection of the just.

All salvation comes from Christ alone.
----

[1] Now I don’t time here to go into a full discussion on the historical validity of the resurrection but I would point you briefly to NT (Tom) Wright, the Bishop of Durham; JD (Jimmy) Dunn and even the apologist Ravi Zacharias and others for more detailed arguments.
[2] Cf. The Titus Institute: http://www.titusinstitute.com/defendingfaith/jesusrose.php ; James Patrick Holding. On Comparing the Rubicon to the Resurrection: http://www.tektonics.org/qt/rubicon.html
[3]Cf. Bradley S. Billings. ‘“The Angles who Sinned…He Cast into Tartarus’ (2 Peter 2:4): Its Ancient Meaning and Present Relevance.” Expository Times, 119. no. 11, pp. 532-537.
[4] NT Wright. Jesus’ Resurrection and Christian Origins* (Originally published in Gregorianum, 2002, 83/4, 615–635. Available on-line at: http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_Jesus_Resurrection.htm
[5] Acts 23: 1-11: Punch in the Mouth ('The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day). Presented to each the Nipawin and Tisdale Corps 23 September 2007 by Captain Michael Ramsay - http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2007/09/acts-23-1-11-punch-in-mouth-or-terrible.html
[6] Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, 80. Cited From Richard B. Hays, Interpretation: 1 Corinthians, 259.
[7] NT Wright. 'Jesus' Ressurection and Christian Origins: http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_Jesus_Resurrection.htm
[8] Cf. Ulrich Gabler, Huldrych Zwingli: his Life and Work. Translated by Ruth C.L. Gritch. (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1986), 150-152.

1 Corinthians 7 21-24:Don’t Worry, Be Happy; It’s Just Adiaphoron

Presented to Nipawin and Tisdale Corps on August 31, 2008
By Captain Michael Ramsay

06 April 2014 version available here: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.ca/2014/04/1-corinthians-717-24-dont-worry-about.html

Today’s passage speaks about slavery. This is actually a big social justice issue in the Salvation Army. Coming up this 28 September, The Salvation Army is asking us all to pray for the victims of today's sex slave trade. Social Justice is something about which we are very concerned.

Now when I think of justice, I must confess the first thing that comes to my mind these days are my daughters (6&7), they are concerned about justice – particularly as it relates to themselves. I don’t know how many times from downstairs, I hear, “Daddy she hit me” or “Daddy she won’t stop touching me” or “Daddy it’s not fair; why does she get to do that?”

I remember this too from when I was a child – there is nothing new under the sun (Eccl. 1:9) - that justice is usually more about justice for ourselves than for anyone else. I can remember when I was a child whenever I felt hard done by; whenever I felt that the world was ganging up on me; whenever I would get a detention for something that I didn’t do at school or whenever I got in trouble for something that my little sister did at home – all of a sudden justice became important. It is funny how important justice is when we feel wronged. Now, when I got upset about this unjust world that was ganging up on me, I would do something. I would do something: I would complain.

I would go to my mom. I would rant on and on about how life is treating me so poorly and how my rights are being trampled and how I deserve so much more and when I inevitably finish my whining and complaining and making much of an ado about whatever, my mother would answer my complaints with these important words of comfort.

“Michael, suck it up – stop your whining – deal with it.”

In the 80’s there was a song that would sum it up in a more positive phraseology – it was Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry. Be Happy”[1]

This is actually part of what our text today, 1 Corinthians 7:21-24, is talking about– and I’ll come back to that in a minute. First we should address a real social justice issue here because if we don’t it may bug some of us a little bit – after all how can we sing “Don’t Worry. Be Happy” when we are talking about slavery.[2]

One thing that we should make clear in this passage is that Paul is not saying that slavery is good (cf. re slavery.1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:28, 4; Eph. 6; Col. 3-4; 1 Tim 1:10, 6:1; Titus 2:9; Phil 1:16).[3] Paul is not endorsing slavery here[4] – but neither is he condemning it - and many of today when we think of slavery will immediately get images in our minds of Amistad[5] and the other slave slips bringing kidnapped people, bound and subdued to be tortured and abused when they are sold on the US slave market. This – like the illegal sex slave trade of today - was slavery at its worst for sure and be convinced that Paul is not explicitly addressing the 17th - 19th century American slave nor the 21st century's sex slave with his “don’t worry, be happy” as it were – these events are too far in the future for Paul to even consider.

Slavery was very different in the world of Paul’s day and, as Richard B. Hays cautions us, what is known about ancient slavery and how Paul is using this illustration are important. Hays:
“Slavery in the ancient Greco-Roman world was a pervasive institution but was not invariably perceived as oppressive… Dale Martin’s book ‘Slavery as Salvation’ has shown that slavery provided for many people not only economic security but also upward social mobility. To be the slave of a powerful master could be an honourable station, and slaves were sometimes highly educated and entrusted with major administrative responsibilities…many of the early Christian converts came from these lower ranks in society, being either slaves or former slaves.”[6]

The institution that we refer to with the word ‘slavery’ then wasn’t inherently bad like we would say it is today. It was just a different economic system and as that was the case Paul did not outright condemn it (but cf. 1 Tim 1:10) – nor did he exalt it. It was simply a common way to express one employer-employee relationship of his day. Paul actually isn’t speaking about the institution at all he is speaking about the people involved in it (and some of them – like some employees of today- were certainly abused.)

But how does this apply to us? None of us are here are directly involved in the slave trade and not all of us are involved in employer-employee relationships. How does this passage of scripture affect us? There are a number of ways. One is as it relates to the prosperity heresy that is prevalent in parts of the US and Korea today – this heresy says that God – like a Genie or an employee at your command - God only wants you to be happy and rich; so if things are going well and you are getting rich then God is blessing you but if your selfish desires aren’t being met, if things are going poorly for you or if you can’t make ends meet or if you even get ill (or go bald – like the prophet Elisha) then that must be because you have sin in your life. Now we all know this is wrong from the Law and the prophets (cf. Elisha and Amos) and we all know this is wrong from the story of Job and also know this is wrong from Luke’s account of the Beatitudes (Blessed be the poor…Blessed are the hungry; Luke 6:20ff…) and Paul intentionally strikes out against this heresy here in his verse (cf. also Ps 73; Acts 11:29; 20:35), as it were, of the song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.”[7]

Paul says here that whether you are a slave or whether you are free, it is not an indication of favour with God. He is saying rather that it doesn’t matter. The Greek word that Paul uses here is significant; it is ‘adiaphoron’ and this literally means ‘an indifferent matter.’ He is saying, as he does elsewhere, that whether you are free or a slave, Paul is saying it is ‘adiaphoron’. It is an indifferent matter; so don’t worry, be happy because all believers can experience that we really have been bought new by our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 7:23, 6:20. cf. also Gal. 3:28).[8]

This is neat actually, if we look at this pericope (1 Cor. 7 21-24) in the context of all of Chapter Seven[9]. In verses 1-16, Paul is talking about marriage and how one should not get divorced –but if one’s spouse dies then they are certainly free to re-marry (cf. Romans 7:1,2). And then he talks about circumcision and slavery, (vv.17-20; 21-24) and then continues (v. 25 ff.) talking about marriage and virgins and marriage again and how one is bound to one’s husband or wife until death (7:39).

In the middle of this discourse about being married for life – Paul brings up the topic of slavery. So what is Paul saying? You've heard the expression, 'the old ball and chain'? Is he saying that being married is like being a slave? I think I’ve heard some people say that…He also brings up circumcision – that can hurt – so what is he saying? Is he saying that marriage is as pleasant getting circumcised? No, I don’t think so.

How this whole chapter ties together is actually quite interesting. There is an early refrain that Christians used to repeat when they were being baptised. It went along the lines of “for into one Spirit we were all baptised into one body – Jews or Greeks, slaves or free – and we were all made to drink one Spirit”[10] (1 Cor 12:13). Or, as in Galatians 3:28, “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male or female; for all of you are one in the body of Jesus Christ.” This is neat because in Chapter Seven, Paul talks about the slave and the free (vv. 21-24), the male and the female (vv 1-16, 25-39), the Jew and the Greek (vv.17-20). He brings it all together and why does he do it like this?

Why does he lump these things together? He does it to let his audience know that none of these things that mattered so much to people then and there – gender, nationalist (or racist) pride, and status issues – he does this to let them know that none of these things matter at all. It is important for us too today to know that the things that matter so much to us today – gender issues, nationalist (or racist) wars, wealth and status issues, our petty differences with one another - these things that matter to us today are just ‘adiaphoron’, a matter of indifference. They don’t matter. So we really shouldn’t worry (Matt 6:25ff; Luke 12:22ff; cf. Matt 10:19, 13:11; Luke 12:11, 21:14) about these things we should simply be happy in the Lord (Philippians 4:4; cf. Matt 5:12; Luke 6:23; John 16:22; Ro 5; Philippians 2:17-18, 3:1; 1 Pet 4:13)

The concerns of this world: our employment, our status, our wealth, our pride, whatever it is that is getting under our skin, this stuff means so much to people, they are all ‘an indifferent matter’...it reminds me of a fictional story.

At the end of the last century there was a revolution in one of the North Western African countries. As it became obvious that the government was going to fall, the wealthy North Americans had to flee. They really made it just by the skin of their teeth. Some boarded the last plane out and others just managed to get on an oil tanker that was leaving. Everyone got out just in time before the freedom fighters liberated the country.

A disappointing thing happened on the plane. You see it was a commercial airline that had a first class section that had so much more comfortable seating than the rest of the plane. Now on this plane were all rich, famous and important people. One of them first got it in their mind that because of who they were they deserved the good seats. Then someone else; then the next; soon everyone on the plane was fighting. They were so busy fighting that they did not notice that the plane was going down...in a sad irony while they were fighting about who was the most important in this life – the plane crashed and they all wound up faced with the next life – where none of the things of this world matter anymore.

As our lives are like this plane going down or like the Titanic after it hit the iceberg, worrying about our wealth or status or pride or the small selfish things that try to bother us in this life is like, as the expression says, 'rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic'. It is ‘adiaphoron’ - it doesn't matter! This is what Paul is saying in Ch 7. So then, if these don't matter, what does matter?

What matters is what will happen when Jesus returns. What matters is not our happiness in this short voyage on a sinking ship (or crashing aero plane), what matters is our AND OTHERS’ eternal salvation. Our life here is going to end – as such our position and our petty complaints and whining in it doesn't matter – what really matters is what happens afterwards and afterwards though all may be eligible for heaven, some will choose to crash and burn and experience the fires of hell but others - others will choose to be saved.

I am reminded of the 'Empress of Ireland'. It was a ship that sank in 1914. “When the 'Empress of Ireland' went down with a hundred and thirty Canadian Salvation Army officers on board [29th May 1914], one hundred and nine officers were drowned, and not one body that was picked up had on a life-belt. The few survivors told how the Salvationists, finding there were not enough life-preservers for all, took off their own belts and strapped them upon even strong men, saying, "I can die better than you can;" and from the deck of that sinking boat they flung their battle-cry around the world – Others!”[11]

The boat of our lives is sinking. No man knows the time or the hour when it will end (Matt 24:26, 25:13; Mark 13:32; Lk 12:39-40, 46). Are we more concerned with having a comfortable deck chair or we are serving God by handing others the life-preservers?

This is very much what the scripture here is saying: Nothing else matters but serving Christ and experiencing salvation. All else in this world is ‘adiaphoron’ – it is an indifferent matter.

So whatever it is that is getting in the way of us praying for the salvation of the world; whatever else it is that we are concerned about; whatever selfish thing that we have been worrying about; whatever it is that is stopping us from serving the Lord and giving our life-preservers to the lost, I invite us now to come and bring it to the Lord because like Paul says, when in our world, to live is Christ, then we are certain, that when we die, it will indeed be gain (Philippians 1:21).

Let us pray.

----------------

[1] The song reached number 1on the top 100 Billboard in September of 1988.
[2] JustSalvos: Men women and children are trafficked across borders at a rate of one per minute: http://www.justsalvos.com/userfiles/file/traffic_a4_LOWRES.pdf
[3] He speaks more than once in scriptures about how masters shouldn’t mistreat their slaves.
[4] This is important because there is still slavery of the worst kind going on today – Coming up this 28 September, The Salvation Army is asking us all to pray for the victims of the sex slave trade. We are presently fighting the sex slave trade and the Army has even appointed Canada’s previous leader, Commissioner Christine MacMillian (a great women you can read about her in the September edition of the Salvationist) as an ambassador to the UN on Social Justice issues. Danielle Strickland, (another great women) who was one of the Officers who sent Susan and I into training to be Officers holds The Salvation Army’s social justice portfolio in Australia. Social justice is important to The Salvation Army and slavery is one of the things we are currently fighting. Now, historically, you know of course too that Christians helped to end the legalized world slave trade (cf. 1 Tim. 1:10) and the person who wrote the great anthem of the Church, ‘Amazing Grace’, John Newton, himself, was a reformed slave trader who gave it up after accepting the Lord and he was one of the influential Christians who worked to end this world slave trade.

[5] There was a famous 1997 movie about the 1839 mutiny aboard this boat.
[6] Richard B. Hays. Interpretation: First Corinthians. P. 124.
[7] W. Harold Mare. The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:1 Corinthians/Exposition of 1 Corinthians/VII. Christian obligation to live according to God's call (7:17-24), Book Version: 4.0.2: Observe, however, that the Bible teaches that Christianity does not guarantee material or social betterment but makes it a matter of individual responsibility (cf. Ps 73; Acts 11:29; 20:35).
[8] J. Paul Sampley. NIB X. ‘1 Corinthians’, p.881.
[9] Michael Ramsay. Mark 3:20-35 The Family of God. (Feb. 17, 2008) available on-line at http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/02/mark-320-35-family-of-god.html: An “inclusio” is a story within a story and this is sort of like that here albeit in an expository letter form.
[10] J. Paul Sampley. NIB X. ‘1 Corinthians’, p.882.
[11] http://www1.salvationarmy.org/heritage.nsf/36c107e27b0ba7a98025692e0032abaa/df2ca83194d5599b802568cd00377023!OpenDocument