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00:00 all over again. And there's some things that I've learned and I would like to share with you. I hope you get it. Uh
00:06 got what I got because last night when I was preparing it and then I was going all over again through again, I was
00:11 weeping before God and I said, "Lord, thank you. Thank you for promising me that I will be physically resurrected
00:17 again." And I'll share that with you uh why I think this is so important. And of course, Paul thought it was so
00:22 important, right? But this issue of resurrection has been going on for a long long time. Egyptians mummify their
00:29 kings and all those kind of things hoping for resurrection one day isn't it right so resurrection is something we
00:35 look for we want life forever more and all those kind of things and in fact resurrection was also a Jewish topic so
00:42 among the Jewish leaders you would see there were two camps one that believe in resurrection and one that didn't believe
00:47 in the resurrection of the dead you know that right the Pharisees believe or don't believe
00:52 believe the Pharisees believe in resurrection and then there was another group that didn't believe in resurrection And what were they?
00:58 Sadducees. Sadducees. And the Sadducees even tried to test Jesus. Oh, if this guy after that married the brother, then whose
01:04 wife is when he resurrect? Right. Right. So, it become a point of contention because none of us uh really
01:13 understand it. How many of you have seen someone resurrected from the dead or something resurrected from the dead?
01:20 Don't doesn't come when you spray the croach. Okay. And then after that after that come back, you're like that's not resurrection. Okay. Okay. Nobody, none
01:27 of us has seen it, right? We want to see it. We've read it in the Bible. I've also heard sto stories about it. I've
01:33 seen physical healing. I've seen um u miracles, but I've not seen resurrection. So, it's it's something
01:40 that I've never experienced. And it's even preposterous to believe in if you try to think of it scientifically when
01:47 we you know the our early theologians try to hypothesize when we go back to the dust all our atoms and all of those
01:53 kind of things what will happen and how they will go in the end times how they will be joined again how is that
01:60 possible it's so ridiculous because we don't know it's a mystery right so even
02:08 the Jews uh don't believe it but The problem with resurrection today is that
02:14 somehow uh because we believe uh uh physical ree uh resurrection is so
02:21 absurd. I'm still talking too fast. That's why slow down. Because physical
02:26 resurrection is too absurd, right? Um it it it becomes something that is hard to
02:31 believe. And during the time that Paul was writing this, um there were gospels
02:36 that were coming out from these people who who are Gnostics. Do you have you heard of the Gnostics? The Gnostics are
02:42 the people that wrote the gospel of Thomas, the gospel of Judas, the one that you've heard about the Dainci code.
02:48 And then they say that oh the church is trying to hide the things. We have come to know the secret knowledge of those
02:55 that we know the true meaning of salvation. And they would teach that the human spirit is good but the body is
03:01 bad. Right? Um and so there's this dualistic belief, dualism that going on. And so
03:08 they would believe that uh it what is spiritual nourishes and then our body in the end is evil. You have to deny it or
03:16 or sometimes we see they feel entrapped imprisoned by their own body. Uh and
03:21 that that is a mere illusion. And in fact um what we've really seen is that
03:28 even though this was an ancient heresy it has began to pop out again. has
03:34 become to pop out again where people are starting to say yeah yeah yeah uh we are not going to be physically resurrected
03:40 we're going to be spiritually resurrected only because the body is evil is essentially flesh will will have
03:47 to pass away so there are cults that still believe that we only be
03:52 spiritually resurrected for example uh I think David Adams brought it up the Mormons don't believe in in in physical
03:58 resurrection um in in that sense so here we go um but this was the same thing. Um
04:05 we still don't understand how this is going to happen. Uh I teach um um
04:12 esquetology in Bible school which is the study of last things. And a lot of the times the students want to have an
04:17 answer how does this happen? What happens? What would that transformation
04:22 look like? And today we'll talk a bit of it because Paul talks a bit about it but his focus is not that and nobody can
04:30 tell you how it happens. Also it is clearly not stated in the
04:35 Bible what will happen now I'm male will I become female nobody knows right there
04:42 is some kind of understanding from this scripture but that's not the point uh
04:48 Paul was trying to answer Paul was trying to make clear that as sure as Christ is risen physical resurrection is
04:55 certain for believers that's the main point of this whole 15
05:00 uh this whole chapter Chapter 15. As sure as uh Christ is risen, we are
05:07 resurrected. And of course, I'm emphasizing on physical resurrection because we've come to the part where he
05:12 talks about it. Before that, he just talks about Christ resurrection. It has to be real. Um and we have to be
05:20 physically resurrected. If not, it's not real because why why is our physical resurrection so important? Anyone can
05:26 ask answer that Christ is resurrected.
05:32 So if Christ is resurrected, our physical resurrection is important because
05:38 physical not just resurrection.
05:43 Yeah, these are the questions that I had to ask myself again. Um I went for a seminar two a month ago and he was
05:51 talking and he and this professor was talking about the absence and presence of Jesus. Um and he talks about how
05:57 important it is to talk about the presence of Jesus. For example, he was really basically studying one question
06:03 that we asked in Sunday school. Where is Jesus now? And I was like a simple but actually we
06:10 don't really understand that. Is Jesus here now? Yes. Is he physically present now? No.
06:18 And that's the problem. The Catholic Church believe he's physically present through the
06:24 Eucharist. All right. And we don't. And who's right?
06:29 Who's wrong? Is he physically present with us? Some of us have experience God
06:34 especially in a worship service like this where when we are there, we feel something almost physical. I don't know.
06:43 I've been to altar calls where I I remember where I went up there. I I was
06:48 saying, "God, I need you to do this. Touch me." me and I remember the hug of the pastor that that was given to me
06:55 felt like Christ hugging me. Are we not the presence of Christ to someone else
07:01 physically? Right? So those are questions they ask. But the more important point that is
07:07 important is this Christ is a what? Fully man. That means un when he was
07:15 resurrected he did not give up his body.
07:20 And that was uh uh uh so we were we were studying can Christ billocate himself or
07:26 trilocate himself like that's what we study. I mean it's crazy right? But we have to ask those kind of questions.
07:33 Where is Christ now? Where is his body now? When people claim to see visions of
07:40 Christ is he physically present with them? And the point is if we deny that
07:45 he's physically resurrected which some of the early church um cults
07:51 and heresies did which they said that he he's just a spiritual the facade the
07:57 physical was just a facade. He was actually just spiritual. That's why do we have to came up come up with a creed
08:03 that say he's fully God. He's fully man. Because if we take the physicality out
08:10 of Christ's resurrection, we are actually denying who Christ is. The
08:16 first level issue that means the real issue Paul is talking about from the
08:22 weeks before until now is that the incarnational presence of Christ is
08:29 real. It's real. And to deny resurrection
08:35 is dangerous because we are denying Christ himself. Okay, you can understand
08:42 that. So there are two aspects to the incarnation to simplify the incarnation of Jesus in the two aspects. One, God
08:48 with us. We know that Christmas, right? Right. Christmas is God with us. We always talk about that. Emmanuel and uh
08:55 some of you have been waiting uh I I I uh for me because the last sermon I preached that I said I were going to
09:01 tell you about my son and how that he came into our lives. Uh I'm going to tell you on Christmas, okay? Uh on my
09:07 Christmas sermon uh how he came to be with us and how that parallels Christ's
09:13 work in in our lives. But that is one point of it. The second part of the incarnation is about this. God became
09:21 like us so we could be like him. He did not need to take a physical form
09:28 to save us, did he? Why did he take a physical form?
09:35 Because it was an indication that his presence are is with us. And so when he
09:42 left, he still kept that physical form to signify his presence with us. That is
09:49 remarkable because when he goes to heaven, does he need to take that physical form? He chose and he
09:55 intentionally chose the physical form. So to deny that we also will have a physical form is denying that Christ has
10:02 a physical form today. Do you understand what I mean? So let's go into presence versus absence. How is Christ presence
10:08 with us? We need to ask where is his presence now? His absence in body. Is he absent in body? Now deny of Christ's
10:16 physical presence. is denying. I've said this, sorry. Uh the very essence of who he is, the premise of our salvation
10:22 through his incarnational presence lies in our faith and belief that he rose from the dead.
10:28 He rose physically from the dead, right? Have you seen this show? Anyone?
10:36 One, two, yay. First service, nobody. It shows that we Hey, Christian movies are
10:42 getting better nowadays. This is one of the better ones. Okay. Uh anyway, this is a story about Lee Stroel. Anyone know
10:47 who Lee Strobel is? Yeah, he's one of our best apologist. Uh he wrote many
10:52 apologetic books. Uh basically, he was a award-winning journalist and based uh
10:59 his wife became a believer and oh boy did he not like that. He was like, "How
11:05 can you have faith in things on all these whims and fancy or what the pastor says and all those kind of things? There
11:11 is no evidence." And so he was out on a quest as a journalist to prove that the
11:16 Bible is false, right? And so he went to his mentors, he went to different uh um
11:24 people and people said this basically if you can prove the resurrection is wrong
11:29 or the resurrection didn't happen. You basically prove that Christianity is not
11:35 true. And he went. So you go see the movie and see what happened. Okay.
11:41 But but what I'm trying to make a point is yes if we are not physically
11:47 resurrected our entire basis of our gospel is false and that's what Paul was
11:55 trying to say. So let me just give you an overview of how I see it. First one it's foolish to deny resurrection. Two
12:01 Christ is our glory unto resurrection. Three all will be changed. All will be restored. Finally keep pressing on. We
12:09 will be with him soon. All right. Okay. Let's start with the first one. Paul's worldview obviously is
12:16 not like our worldview. We are questioning from a point of oh give us evidence about resurrection. Paul was on
12:24 the other extreme. He was saying for him Paul life after death is foolish is unthinkable without some kind of bodily
12:32 existence. For him his assumptions that he has always based it on is that yes we
12:38 are going to be res physically resurrected. You got to prove me wrong.
12:43 Right? We are on the other side. You got to show me evidence that is possible then only I will believe. So you would
12:50 see his if you understand this starting. So for him his assumption is that if you
12:55 want to believe in Christ you have to believe that you are going to be physically resurrected. It is only
13:00 natural. And all he was trying to do to explain to the Corinthian church now is
13:07 that you are being foolish by assuming the the the the beliefs that the Greek
13:12 philosophers had around. See Greek philosophy around that time would tell you that um the soul is immortal
13:23 and then the body is not immortal. So therefore what would remain after life
13:29 after death is the soul and all Greek phil philosophers will argue about that.
13:35 Uh and so the church in Corinth was influenced by that. They started to be in the church and started to argue
13:42 against resurrection physical resurrection. Right? And Paul was saying
13:48 that doesn't even cross my mind. It can't cross my mind. It's like saying
13:55 I don't know how to say I don't have a one but some things for us is just foolishness right to to to to like for
14:03 Malaysian to say that Nasi Lama is from Singapore you feel it isn't it that's foolishness
14:10 that's unthinkable but for them is real they will argue
14:16 with all the evidence of when the nasi lama come from when I first went to Singapore I look at the nasa it's green
14:22 color how can Please be that's not nas. Anyway, the point is
14:28 it's unthinkable for Paul because for him it is only natural.
14:34 Next, I'm sorry my eyes are getting blur. I can't see what I every I can't see that. I can't see here. I don't know
14:40 why I'm not seeing now. Maybe I'm too excited. My blood pressure is too high now. Okay, let's try this. We are united
14:46 in Christ in life and death. know that the symbol of baptism supposed to show that our we we're not reunited life and
14:54 death just spiritually. Our now physical body will pass away and it will be
14:59 raised with him again. I'm sorry I'm not going to go through all the verses because there are 23
15:06 verses, right? I'm not going to go with them all systematically one by one. One minute one already. I got 23 minutes. I
15:11 got no time. I got a nice video for to show you. So, all right. So uh I'm just going to explain and uh ex uh exposite
15:19 it for you out. The Corinthians because they could not imagine resurrection as a possibility abandoned that any trust it
15:26 was possible. Why? The idea of the foolishness that Paul implies has a
15:32 deeper biblical root. For the denial of resurrection is the denial of God
15:37 himself. They were not just denying resurrection inside their hearts. The
15:43 fools say there is no God. And slowly foolishness was coming into the church.
15:49 It was creeping into the church that we started to believe hey
15:55 can't be it can't be true. And and I see that happening in our church today.
16:00 Foolishness over things and matters. And one of the area that of course Paul felt
16:06 strongly about was resurrection. Because without resurrection there is no hope.
16:15 Just to just as to deny the resurrection resurrection of Christ is to deny the
16:20 very essence of Christ itself. To deny our physical resurrection is to deny the
16:25 very work of God to redeem us as his creation. It's like God created our
16:30 physicality by chance for fun or as an accident. Then he
16:37 changed his mind. He just wants us to be spiritual beings. Then why did he take a physical form,
16:44 right? So, so for Paul, he can't can't understand because he says this, we be
16:49 can believe in resurrection because God transformed from seed to plant. It is the work of God. Creation is the work of
16:56 God. Then he talks about how the different fleshes are the the different splenders, right, of the stars. We are
17:02 all created by God. See, he says, "How foolish. What you sow does not come to
17:08 life unless it dies." And the word come to life in Greek actually has a passive voice which indicates we don't come to
17:15 life by ourselves. A seed goes into a ground. You water, you nurture, but can you make it grow? None of us make it
17:22 grow. It is God that causes the tree to grow. Right? Can you cause a plant to
17:30 germinate or not? Can we? No. We can only nurture the conditions. We can't make life happen cuz if we can then
17:37 surely we don't have any of this haste problem. Isn't it
17:42 right? Second, God created us and in the and is
17:48 the swer of life and he can transform our earthly bodies into heavenly bodies. This is not a foolish notion because he
17:54 determines all things such as the flesh of all people. I I I thought about it when he was talking about this. I know
18:00 we say oh he created the animal flesh and all those kind of things. Have you I mean scientists look under a microscope
18:06 and they can tell the flesh is from which animal or whatever. We can't tell the difference. We can only taste the difference
18:13 like but but but we don't know what that difference looks like. In fact when I look at myself when I cut myself or I
18:19 look at my flesh and I look at piece of beef look the same but God is so amazing that it is
18:25 different. You know that my wife like my sorry my wife likes pork. I like
18:31 chicken. Aren't they just both meat? No. The
18:36 flesh that God created the lifegiving source that we all have that all flesh comes from. Even to that form from dust
18:45 he makes flesh different. If he can make life from dust why can't we believe in
18:51 physical resurrection? is because we think resurrection is the is us. We need to do something or we
18:59 have to live our lives right or the idea that God is not as great as he say it
19:05 was. That's that's that's the problem with the denial of resurrection. And Paul says that's foolish. My God is
19:12 greater. My God is stronger. My God is higher than any other. If you say he cannot do that, then why do I want to
19:19 believe in him? Okay. Next, God will give us the
19:25 substance of glory, the substance of his heavenly beings, the weight of his presence. In fact, if you see um um the
19:32 verse there, it says the sun and moon has one kind of splendor, the moon and another, and the stars another and the
19:39 word splendor there actually is the word glory. It is not splendor. Uh um the
19:46 other uh versions like the NR NRSV use glory and I think they're more accurate
19:51 in that sense. And this glory simply says this, all things were created in
19:57 its substance by God for his glory. So therefore, our physicality, the body
20:05 that we are made, these flesh and bones were created for his glory. So certainly
20:11 if it's created for a purpose, it will not just suddenly be gone. All right.
20:18 Okay. And also it assures us of a future glory which we'll talk about later. Okay. Paul has no intention of
20:26 explaining how the resurrection happens but only to make a case that it happens.
20:34 He was not going to give you all but he uh the reasons why it it it happens but
20:42 he he was just making a case it happens and that's the only sense uh that's the
20:48 only common sense or that's the only thing that makes sense yes that's how I would say it but our earthly bodies will
20:55 not be identical to our heavenly bodies right so how will it look like so it
21:01 will with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable. It will
21:07 be raised imperishable. It is sown in dishonor. It is raised in glory. It is
21:13 sown in weakness. It is raised in power. It is sown in a natural body. It is raised a spiritual body.
21:22 So Christ is the glory until our resurrection. What I want to try to say is this. Seowing is a a anthropogenic
21:29 metaphor describing creation, God's activity among us. The state of humanity
21:36 upon his creation in the person of Adam because of his sin is in a state of
21:43 corruptability, in dishonor, in weakness, and it is a natural body.
21:49 But the state of humanity upon his creation in the second person of Christ
21:54 is in a state of incorruptability, in glory, in power and a spiritual body.
22:02 Now let me ask you, how many feel that you are in a because you are you are
22:08 redeemed by Christ already. It says you are a new creation already, right? The old has come, the new has gone. How many
22:14 of you feel like you're in a state of incorruptibility now?
22:19 uh uh the haze right yesterday my wife was so sick then after that I was taking
22:25 care of my son a little bit not too much and then after that by the end of the day I also feel sick right I definitely
22:31 don't feel incorruptible then I was like oh this morning Lord give me strength and and on top of it I definitely don't
22:38 feel glorious because I'm losing the glory of my head okay and definitely no
22:43 power I wish I got power the part that I probably have in terms of the
22:50 description of this state is what a spiritual body right we were 100% dead
22:55 in Christ now we're 100% alive right in spirit so so this seems to talk about
23:01 something that is yet to happen isn't it when now but not yet right and the state that he talks about
23:10 definitely talks about something that happens in the future something that we long to see Um this happens most
23:19 importantly we must understand that this happens because of the second Adam or
23:24 the heavenly man. The first made was made from dust must be put away and then we have to put on the second Adam which
23:31 is Jesus Christ. So Christ becomes later we say we clothe oursel in
23:38 correctly Christ becomes what makes us or or what glorifies us. So we talk
23:46 about this glorified state that will become. So I want to ask you what does
23:51 this glorified state look like? That's what all my students want to know. So if this is me,
23:60 what will my glorified state look like?
24:06 Irish, right? You see one look like gangster, look
24:12 like fun master. Next one. Hot trop. Hot trop. All right. Yeah. That's what we wish
24:18 heaven would be like, isn't it? When we when we were changed, when Christ becomes our glory. Wow. I become like
24:25 that. Or what do you think Doc Arnold will look like after he's glorified?
24:30 Wow. Got similarities now, right?
24:37 You all laugh until like that. Come on. How about Dr. Peter?
24:42 What do you think his incorruptible, powerful, glorious look will look like?
24:53 See, that's how we want to understand resurrection. We all look that we'll be made whole. We'll be made perfect. Uh
24:59 we're not sure whether we become black or white, right? Who knows which is the better color now? We all like fair.
25:04 Maybe in heaven we like dark. Okay, who knows? But I think this question is more complicated than that.
25:11 Because what would a child like this be changed like?
25:19 Will he change to be normal? Is that what the Bible is talking about?
25:26 I'm going to ask you to watch this video. It's about 10 minutes long, but I think it's very I I was thinking of not showing it so I can nag a bit longer.
25:33 But yesterday when I was preparing again, I saw it again and I started weeping and I said, "Lord, I hope they
25:38 get it. I hope they get it. I want you to see this video. Okay. All right. So, just spend this time listening to it
25:44 carefully and then after that we'll continue this conversation. Lights off. Thank you.
25:59 When I think of uh a disabling condition in heaven, I see the disability on earth
26:05 as being part of the fall. that sickness and illness are things
26:11 that won't be part of what's in heaven. And that when Jesus was here on earth, he did a lot of healing. And that's part
26:18 of why I think I feel that way. And after living with my son with his disability, we did talk we talked about
26:24 heaven every day. Not in the sense that he would no longer be in a wheelchair,
26:29 but that he would be whole in the sense that we all would be whole. So, I guess
26:35 I'm just curious to know more about um what form of disability could possibly
26:42 be in heaven if it's part of the fall. I think the question of whether or not there's going to be disabilities in
26:48 heaven is really complicated. It's a pretty common assumption both historically and in terms of views today
26:54 that disabilities are the kinds of things that would have to be eradicated in order for people to come to union
27:00 with God in heaven. And part of what I want to do is to challenge that assumption to suggest that there might
27:06 be some kinds of disabilities whose presence in our lives individually and corporately are perfectly compatible
27:13 with the perfection of community we have with God and we have with each other in the beatotific vision in heaven.
27:20 [Music]
27:26 So, I have a very strong opinion on this because I've been told on more than one occasion by well-meaning Christian
27:33 friends that, oh, you know, you're going to be 6 feet tall and 210 lbs and all
27:41 this business. And I'm saying, no way. No way. I am who I am is the way I am
27:48 now. And for me to think that somehow or other the reason I want to believe in
27:54 Jesus Christ as my savior and go to heaven is because that way I'll be better. I just think that's just wrong
28:02 thinking because it undervalues your life. It does. It's very I you know I know
28:09 they're well meaning but that's the wrong answer. One of the central lessons
28:15 of the disability rights movement is the idea of nothing about us without us. The
28:21 idea that it shouldn't just be able-bodied lives that get to reflect on what it means to have a disability. And
28:27 so part of what I want to do is take seriously the testimony of people like my friend Cassandra who have a
28:32 disability and to see how they think about that disability as part of not only who they are now, but the kind of
28:40 person they might become in the afterlife.
28:45 I remember the very first time that someone said to me, they were well-meaning and they we were in high
28:50 school. It was my best friend and I don't know if we were like we were probably in musical practice and I was
28:55 having a difficult time because of my cerebral pausy with maneuvering the dance moves or whatever. And he he said
29:02 to me, "I can't wait until we're in heaven together and you can move freely
29:07 and perfectly." And I I remember being so shocked by that because at that point
29:13 I had never thought about like why would my life be why would my
29:18 physical body be any different because my disability having cerebal palsy and
29:23 and being legally blind is so impactful in my daily life and just who I am. It's
29:29 very kind of intrinsic. So a lot of people have this sort of default that the the right response to have to
29:36 disabilities in this life is we need to heal them. We need to cure them. Uh because there's something sort of
29:42 problematic about what it means to have a life with a disability. When you think about your own experiences with your
29:48 disabilities, how do you how does that shape sort of how you think about sort of the hope for heaven as you see it?
29:56 There's a comfort sometimes on days when my body is so physically in pain that I
30:02 can't leave my bed without the assistance of my husband because my muscles are so tight and so in such
30:09 pain. I kind of go to that place of non-existent disabilities in heaven. But
30:14 then I think well you know these disabilities have also given me the
30:20 platform with which I can share the gospel to the best of my ability. So, I I often wonder, well, maybe I'll still
30:27 have them, but maybe they won't impact me as negatively. Maybe the pain won't be there.
30:33 Um, maybe the lack of vision won't be there. But I can be known as a woman who is
30:40 blind and as a woman who has cereable pausy in heaven, but also what God had
30:46 done with that while I was here on earth. and how how that can be cause for
30:52 greater worship in heaven. I think is kind of where I those are the two places that I kind of hold
30:57 as to how I think about it. But it's still a very big question that I want to kind of delve into more.
31:04 Many people that have a disability see it as part of their identity, their their self-standing. And some of the
31:10 philosophers and theologians that push back against having disabilities in heaven want to say that these are just
31:15 sort of accidental features of them. and they're not part of who they are most fundamentally. But it seems to me there
31:21 are lots of things that aren't essential to us that aren't part of who we are most fundamentally. And that doesn't
31:26 mean that we won't have those sorts of relationships or those sorts of features in heaven. I don't know that I have to
31:32 be able to speak French in order to be perfectly united with French believers in heaven. There's going to be some way
31:38 that the difference in language is going to be mitigated. We'll all be able to
31:43 hear in our own tongue as an axe, but maybe hearing in my own tongue is I'm
31:48 hearing the visual linguistic use of somebody who's using ASL. And so that's
31:55 the kind of disability that I think might actually be present. If we get to
32:02 a point where we have perfection all around and we can even understand our
32:07 spouses when they say something to us and we they and they can understand us and it's all perfect then get
32:15 oops a little bit old. I think the idea of all of us having the vision to see
32:21 each other for who we are with certain things that on earth might be looked at
32:26 as flaws. In heaven to see us surpass and understand and move to um the side
32:34 of one another would be one of the great joys of heaven. And it seems that would be an enactment of the gospel right
32:40 there in front of our eyes. The first thing that comes to my mind is 1 Corinthians 12. The body is made up of
32:46 many different parts that all have their role to play and they're all important.
32:52 And uh so in order to really be the kind of church we ought to be, it has to be
32:58 inclusive. You know, I I can only offer uh as a special ed teacher, not a theologian uh
33:05 or a philosopher. My friend Sandra, who happens to have autism, and she sensory wise uh doesn't recognize people by
33:11 sight, but recognizes them by smell. One of the things under said is, "I know all of you are looking forward to seeing
33:18 Jesus in heaven, but I can't wait to smell him." And that was such a beautiful teaching
33:26 to me. I had all these assumptions. I never imagined what Jesus smelled like. And yet, God wired Sandra very
33:32 specifically. Why wouldn't he be preparing that feast for her nose and my eyes? Each part of the body needs the other
33:39 parts, right? And so I think often we think about sort of ministry to people
33:44 with disabilities and not ministering with them or sort of receiving from them. And the things I like about the
33:51 kinds of work that both of you do is that it's equipping the entire church to benefit from the inclusion of of sort of
33:58 all people including people with disabilities. And that gives us I think a different vision of maybe what the
34:04 coming kingdom will look like than we sometimes have. Yeah, I think prepositions are important and so often
34:11 we will say to churches, do you really want to have a ministry to people with disabilities because it looks as though
34:17 you are the giver and that person is the receiver and that doesn't set up the opportunity to be what first Corinthians
34:23 12 clearly states that we need to be ready to learn from to receive the gifts
34:28 that each one brings. There's a quilt that sometimes hangs in the congregation of our church that I
34:34 think is absolutely wonderful. It's a top- down picture of a number of people around a table and they're sharing a
34:41 meal together. They're partaking in sort of one of the common practices of the church. You can see that there are
34:48 children, elderly individuals, and there's also a person that's clearly in a wheelchair, clearly has a disability,
34:54 but the image strikes me as a radically inclusive and welcoming and valuing.
35:00 Everybody is at the table. Everybody is part of the life of the congregation. Everybody has an active role to play in
35:07 the church, whether or not they have a disability. [Music]
35:14 My wife and I have three children. the oldest of which was diagnosed with a number of disabilities when he was about
35:20 6 months old. This research has led me to consider the question whether or not our son will have disabilities in
35:27 heaven. And quite frankly, it's that's a question I don't know the answer to. But what I want to do is carve out space
35:33 that no matter what the answer is, I can see him. I can recognize him. I can
35:38 value him. [Music]
35:56 Now, isn't that powerful? Heaven is not what we picture it to be.
36:02 Heaven is how God means it to be. And this physical part of our body, our physical part of our being is very
36:09 clearly important to Christ himself that he took the time to be with us, be like
36:15 us. The light is not on yet, but the ning thing that I want to he they use this passage a lot of the um they use
36:23 this passage. You know, Christ was resurrected from the dead, right? And he's physically he's he went into his
36:28 glorified state already, right? Notice one thing. He was He still has his scars.
36:35 We consider scars disabilities. Yeah. Yeah. I'm just cuz it's easier to point
36:41 there where more accurately. But the point is
36:47 he still be his scars. He still bore his scars. Why? For us woman scarsight
36:54 height makeup makeup thicker as as thick as possible so that we won't show our
36:59 disability or our flaws. In fact, now all the Instagram filters and all those kind of things can make a fat woman look
37:06 thin, right? But what is wrong with that? I think we
37:12 are essentially denying who we are made in Christ, who God redeems us. Because as much as I
37:21 want to look like Brad Pit in heaven, my wife would not want me to look like
37:26 Bradpit in heaven. Isn't it? I think so. I hope so.
37:36 But the point is our physicality is important to Christ. It will it is
37:42 something that will be transformed. And Paul is making this point. It will change. All will change. All will Oops,
37:48 I pressed the wrong button. Sorry. Paul was making a point that we cannot remain the same and inherit our heavenly
37:56 status. You must understand that because even Moses when he asked to see the
38:01 presence of God right see God for himself Jesus God said cannot you can only see me from the back and then when
38:07 he see from the back he was so transformed physically that people were afraid and people couldn't look at him
38:14 now what more does what more do we need the transformation in glory so that we
38:20 can be in the presence of God I believe this change is necessary I just believe
38:26 this change is going to be beyond what we imagine even for four for a
38:33 philosopher uh like individual to come and think about it. Yeah. I don't want
38:39 my my brother who has ADHD to change just because he go to heaven. He's no longer the same. I mean, he's better,
38:47 right? But I don't want him to change. I I I'll talk about that a bit more when
38:54 I I give my final illustration. But but here it is. The point is although there
38:59 will be a change, there must be a change. There will be a change, it we it is not one that we can imagine it to be.
39:06 That's why I can't give you a firm answer. What will we be like? A lot that's what a lot of students want. Will I no longer have these sufferings? Will
39:14 I you know what I mean? I don't know. I know some things like the Bible says
39:20 there will be no more pain, no more sorrow. That's for sure. We will worship
39:25 together those kind of things. But we obviously John could see every tongue,
39:31 every tribe going on. But I don't know if all our problems as we label it today
39:39 or we think it to be in terms of our physical body will go away. That means you go up, you will get your Korean
39:45 complexion. I don't know. But I know one thing. We must be changed
39:50 to be more like him. If humans take the shape of the first Adam sewn with a body made from dust, uh, no, sorry, I got to
39:56 read this again. If humans take the shape of the first Adam sewn with a body made from dust that goes back to dust,
40:02 then Christians take will take the shape of Christ in their heavenly existence who is from
40:09 heaven and has a spiritual body. We will become like Christ. God became like us.
40:15 So we that we can become like him. There will be a change and it must change. It
40:22 says that right you must change. None of us can say that we don't change and this
40:28 change takes place through Christ's lifegiving spirit. That's what is important. God can do it. Christ will
40:35 work that change in us. Romans 8. You however are not in the realm of the
40:41 flesh but you are in the realm of the spirit. If indeed the spirit of God lives in you and if anyone does not have
40:48 the spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. And many have used this to say that only
40:54 the realm of the spirit matters. No, no, please don't use this scripture to understand that. I think the flesh that
41:01 we are talking about is something else. So let's come to it. This change has yet
41:06 to occur. We talked about it just now, right? It will happen when when when will happen? When Jesus comes again. So
41:12 easy, right? A seed cannot remain a seed. It must fulfill its purpose and become a tree. If not, what would a seed
41:19 become? We eat the kachang. No, but the tree
41:27 bearing fruit is better than a seed, right? But anyway, the analogy has is not perfect. But the energy is to tell
41:33 us this that we God always purposed for
41:38 us to be glorified. When he created us to be physical
41:44 beings, he always saw the outcome that we will be glorified.
41:49 And then we chose the glory of man instead of the glory of God. And Christ
41:55 had to die so that we would receive the glory of God once again. Now that is the gospel.
42:03 It is not just oh I feel good he saved me oh I'm a feeling our physical body is
42:11 something he is redeeming and one day I I go to heaven I don't know what I'll be
42:16 like I don't know which age I'll be like whether it will be my younger age or my older age I will go back to my prime you
42:23 know weight or something like that um I don't know but what I do know is that
42:30 when I'm changed. I will be more like him. See, even Christ when he came back the
42:37 when in his glorified form that the the disciples the the two that walked with him on the road to Emmas couldn't
42:43 recognize him, right? Until he said those things and they felt his presence.
42:48 And that's what I'm coming to. The presence of God is tied in with his physicality. You cannot say you want the
42:55 presence of God and you do not long for his physical presence. uh Christ is
43:01 physically present. Paul's clothing imagery conveys the idea that transformation from an immortal body is
43:08 accomplished by adding a new government. Sorry, not government. I know we are
43:13 looking for a new government, but no, no, no, no, no. That's not a point. New garment. Okay, new government to the
43:19 mortal body. This change takes place through Christ to become like Christ. So
43:28 it says here for the perishable must be must clothe itself with imperishable and
43:34 the mortal with immortality and who is the source of this God. We ourselves
43:40 will never all the quest for the fountain of youth will never amount to nothing because only God can ensure life
43:49 uh through his lifegiving spirit. So the realization of the gospel happens when we are resurrected. Our bodies raised
43:56 from the dead as being complete spiritfilled and spirit governed. We
44:02 have not arrived yet. Although we are already uh we have the kingdom of God is
44:08 here and now, we have not experienced it in completion. And so there's something
44:15 to look forward to. There's something to look forward to. There's a hope that we
44:21 have. There's something that is important in our lives. And sometimes
44:27 that's what it takes to recognize that he is with us.
44:33 Um, anyone knows who's this? If you've been reading the news over this past week, it's all about him. This pastor
44:40 Jared Wilson that just committed suicide. um very young 30s
44:48 and it's been it's been really sad um um to to the the the news that surrounds
44:56 it. And I think one of the the the biggest lies that the devil has warned and put
45:02 in our hearts is that there's no hope that we we we we are physically
45:09 he is absent from our lives. that Christ is absent from our circumstances, absent from our
45:16 situations. I had a friend that I'm counseling for the past month. I've been trying to say this and he said this. I
45:22 think God doesn't love me. And this, mind you, is a person who's in full-time ministry.
45:29 I don't think God cares enough because he had a fallout with another
45:35 full-time worker. And I don't think he's actually totally at fault, but because
45:40 the other person was more favored, the other person was propped up and he got fired
45:46 and then he couldn't do full-time ministry anymore. Did in fact the church wanted to discipline him because of what
45:51 the other pastor said. So I've been talking to him and and it's been really
45:56 sad because he's saying, "Why would a God that loves me so much cause me to go
46:02 through this thing?" I think it's been hard to c help him to have the perception that God does not want these
46:11 things to happen. He wants us to reach the place where we know that he is
46:17 present with us. He came as a man to show us that. But but statistics shows
46:23 that we as human beings need need each other. this this physicality
46:31 it do you have you read research about when you have a child and you don't give
46:38 physical touch to your child at all as you raise them the problems have you re seen the research and all those kind of
46:43 things on that you'll be interested to find out how a child actually shrinks into this fetal position
46:51 right and and it's bad I I've been to
46:56 orphanages I've been to ministry which because we do my mom has a has a school
47:03 for children with learning disabilities and we deal with a lot of these problematic children
47:10 and and one of the biggest problem they have is the lack of physical touch.
47:16 People are afraid to touch them. People think they stink
47:24 and because of that lack of physical touch, the lack of presence, they
47:31 retreat into this position and most of them can't survive. Even a child if you
47:37 do not give physical touch, you can feed it and all those kind of things will die. That's the that's a scientific
47:43 fact. And God knew this. God was intentional
47:48 when he came to us earth and become a child. He created us physical and he knew that
47:56 we needed God can say ah I am God I save all of
48:02 your listen to me from up there but he said no I I I I want to be one of you I
48:08 want to be I want to feel that children come to me sit on my lap
48:13 that is the kind of relationship I want to have with you what you experience as
48:19 physicality and and and if we and understand that physical resurrection
48:24 signifies the the the the presence of God with us. Jesus took physical form
48:31 and will raise us in physical form. We will understand that there is hope. And
48:36 let me when I come to my last illustration, I hope that will give a better picture why I have come to
48:42 believe that physical re resurrection is a big deal. But in his last address in
48:48 the last two verses he says I think this is is to encourage the church especially
48:53 in Corinth to keep pressing on. We will be with him soon because he says therefore my dear brothers stand firm.
48:59 Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor is not
49:05 in vain. It is hard. It is hard to live on this earth. It's hard to be absent. I mean
49:12 feeling Christ is absent in our our lives. Uh some of us I I know some of
49:18 you have never felt God close to you. You know I I grow up um feeling God very
49:25 close to me all the time. In fact when I was young I would had conversations with God and I literally felt I could hear
49:30 him answering me all the time. Like I wanted to buy this. I say God should I buy this? And I can hear him answer me
49:36 one. Yeah. Literally. And that stopped when the puberty hit because I became
49:41 rebellious because I didn't want to listen to that voice anymore. But I I want to implore you that the
49:49 presence of God, the physical presence of God is something we should long for.
49:55 Next, uh okay, let me just go through the the technicalities of the scripture
50:01 and exposition of it. See, ultimate destruction of death requires the res resurrection of the dead.
50:09 and death when he says here where oh death is your victory where oh death is sing it's not happened yet because we
50:14 still experiencing the singing of death this month has learned I have two friends that have passed away one is my
50:20 ex-member the church that I just previously pastored before this and it was so sad to see her leave
50:28 but that death is gone and it will lose its thing when this scripture will come
50:34 into fruition when Jesus comes Again, life and death is in the hands of God.
50:41 We share with Christ in both life and death. He is with us. He has given us the victory. That's what verse 57 is
50:49 showing us. So, we shall stand firm. Let nothing shake this truth. Let no lie
50:54 tell you that God is not with you. That is a lie that the devil wants to tell.
51:02 Is he really not physically present? I know this church is a bit allergic to
51:08 alter calls. I don't know why. I made an alter call and then first service nobody came except one uh at very long very
51:16 much later and I I couldn't even pray for her. I had to ask Pastor Ling cuz I but anyway
51:23 I I was sharing with you I I remember I I I believe in altter call so much
51:28 because the church becomes the presence of God for these people. I remember when I had a friend, he's homosexual.
51:36 Um, and anyway, he told his testimony of how he came to the faith, how he was raped,
51:42 how he was beaten, how he was abused, how he sexually prostituted himself and all those kind of things. And we were
51:48 just dumbfounded and we were shocked and uh and we were just weeping in the
51:55 congregation hearing his stories and all the things he went through.
52:02 And um I remember him feeling so bad about himself. It was
52:09 just about two months or three months after he was saved and uh he wept and wept and felt so bad
52:16 about all the things that has happened to him. Um, but I can tell you the moment the
52:23 Holy Spirit came into the that room at that hall,
52:28 we were just all filled with love. It didn't matter whether he's going to like me or fall in love with me. It doesn't
52:34 matter whether he's we just surrounded and hugged him.
52:45 and the testimony of how we became the presence of Christ to him
52:51 mattered so much to him. That's why I believe in alter calls because I don't believe that God is
52:57 impersonal and that you stand there and other kind of things. We as pastors want to touch you. Not not touch you in the
53:04 wrong ways. Please because it symbolizes God touching you.
53:12 Don't be ashamed. Don't don't think that we are trying to ministering to you. We are ministering with you.
53:21 This has to change. This has to change. You have to let Christ touch you. I remember like I said in the beginning how many times I've come up to the altar
53:28 call and when the pastor hugged me I felt like Christ hugging me that there that that sense of physical connection
53:35 that we have I don't want to pray you for you just with your hands lifted up I want to tell you sister stand firm cheer
53:43 up you can do this you're not alone
53:48 don't let my hand go me if you need me
53:53 and that's what the All the call is for so that we make that connections. Next, trust holy in the work of God and devote
54:00 yourself to it. Our labor and excellence will never be in vain. It will only be for a season. And I'm singing this to
54:06 many of you who are feeling like giving up your life. It is not worth it. It is not worth it.
54:17 We love you and we can we will never
54:23 how do I say this? We I don't even know how to say this. We value you. God
54:29 values you more than I I can ever value you. But God values you. And there can never be reason enough for you to take
54:37 your life. There can never be. Be thankful because Christ is present with
54:42 us. And I want to end with this. Um, I I wrote this down so I won't be so emotional. I am very emotional and I'm
54:49 so sorry that all my sermons seem so so emotional, but it's because that's how I respond to God. That's how I speak to
54:55 God and that's how God speaks to me. Um, um, but I'm going to share with you this
55:00 story. Uh, uh, uh,
55:07 so like I told you in the beginning, resurrection seemed very distant and I wasn't really concerned about it. But in
55:13 this last two months losing these two friends that are very dear, one a pastor
55:19 and uh I think I shared with you in the last one and and another a church member.
55:25 Um um and of course the the the one that
55:31 has the biggest impact is um what really hit home was of course when my dad passed away. I miss my dad a lot. Um,
55:38 and I I've shared that with you. And I never really bothered so much about his presence while he was here.
55:45 When he was present with me physically, I didn't really care about it. You know, I expect it when I come home. I see him
55:51 hi, by sometimes greet, sometimes don't. In fact, I am teaching my son to greet all the time cuz that's the Chinese way
55:58 and a respectful way. But that's kind of tough also. But anyway, he was just when when he was present, I
56:06 didn't realize how much I miss his presence until his presence was gone. Physically gone. And it's and the f
56:13 house feels empty a lot of the times. Laughter um his laughter sometimes I can
56:18 still feel it reverberate in the house. Sometimes my brother cough I feel like oh is my father there because he sounds like my father
56:25 and uh and I I really miss him. He's a big fat man and we used to joke all the
56:31 time about how when he go to heaven you he six-packs. I never knew how much his presence meant
56:37 until he was absent in some ways. Uh he I feel and now his presence means more
56:43 to me and now I longed more for his presence than when he was here. It never bothered me too much um about
56:51 the physicality of re resurrection until I realized how much I miss my dad's heart.
56:58 There's something about the presence of his heart that makes me feel secure. I remember at the funeral
57:05 um it was time to go to cremate his body and people were paying their final
57:10 respects. So there were hundreds about three times this hall size and there were a lot of people a lot of people. So
57:17 it was a long long line and a lot of sobbing and crying but the line was
57:22 bottlenecking and it was kind of irritating because people will cry with you longer. Um, and you you will get so
57:28 emotional, but it would it was bottlenecking at my brother and they would hug my brother and they would
57:35 whale out really loud. And so it was bottlenecking
57:40 and we were like, "What's happening? Why why why is that happening?" Uh, so after the funeral, we sat down as a family and
57:47 we were talking there and then um um my brother said this. I think I know why.
57:52 Because I'm shaped like papa. And when I hug people, they feel he's
57:57 hug. Yeah. My dad was a huggy person. He will hug his members like they were. And
58:03 so when they felt him, they felt my father, his presence.
58:08 And it felt like he was present with them comforting them.
58:14 Imagine heaven. Christ came as a person so that he his embrace
58:21 will not feel just distant but also physical for us. The physicality of his nature was
58:27 something he took on permanently for eternity to tell us that he is with us and will be with us forever. I don't
58:34 know about you. I don't know if you felt God distant in your life or he doesn't really care about your problems. I know
58:39 we Asians feel like we don't want to bother people with our problems. So, we keep this physical distance. But the
58:45 resurrection and the promise of physical resurrection is a promise that his presence will be with us. We will see
58:52 him one day and we can hug him one day. As much as I look forward to go to heaven and hug my father again,
58:59 I look forward to the day that I can hug my savior. The one who gave his life for me. The
59:06 one who raised me from death to life.
59:15 Resurrection is the hope. Sorry, suddenly it skip that.
59:24 We will feel the comfort of his embracing well done one day. So no matter how much you struggle,
59:32 we don't have to wait for that day for God's embrace because God's presence is
59:38 here now. Christ is present with us. Christ is present through his body, through the
59:44 sacraments, through the church, through the pastors, but most importantly, he is
59:50 present through his Holy Spirit here with us today.
59:55 Perhaps some of us deny the power of his presence by thinking, "Oh, I don't want to come forward. Ah, I raise my hands is
60:02 enough. Ah, I don't want to get emotional. It's too shameful." But come on, we're here before Jesus.
60:11 All of us are equal. All of us the same. If you in your life long for God's
60:18 presence, need God's presence, needs God's touch for your life, if you are
60:24 questioning, if you can go on with your life, if you are thinking, ah,
60:30 maybe even some of you, ah, I don't need this, maybe you need this the most.
60:36 I would encourage you to come forward. Let us pray with you. You don't have to,
60:44 but just like I think some of us we don't have parents that are huggy, right? Um maybe that's why
60:53 we feel like oh never mind you know you just assure me from afar
60:58 but we have a heavenly father and he says he loves you. He wants to embrace
61:04 you. That's the assurance of physical resurrection.
61:09 what Christ did for us is very real. And we're going to sing this song and it talks about how God is so close so close
61:17 to us. And as we sing the song, if you really long for God's presence in your life, please come forward. Let us pray
61:24 with you. I know God is here now. And I God I know God will be present with you
61:29 in your struggles, in your situations. If you need it, if you need prayer for anything, God wants to assure you he's
61:37 physically present. Isn't that an amazing grace? Isn't that
61:43 powerful? Can we stand as we sing this song? And if you have a need or you don't have a
61:49 need, you just want to feel the physical embrace of God or or the presence of God in your life, come
61:57 to the father.
62:03 I'm so secure.
