The Dead Shall Rise First

The point: Correct any thinking that being alive when the Lord comes gives an advantage over those who have died.

Paul clears away the false notion that living saints have 'first-class citizenship' in the kingdom when Christ comes, implying that being alive at His return is not superior to having died in Him.

And so the clearing away of this notion that somehow living saints had first class citizenship in the kingdom of Christ when he comes, Paul clears that away. And I think if he came back to our churches today, he'd clear it away again. The whole idea that the most blissful state is to be alive when the Lord comes. He says, no, those of us who are alive.

4:30 - 4:53 Read in full sermon

The point: Correct any thinking that being alive when the Lord comes gives an advantage over those who have died.

Martin notes Paul's almost veiled language calling living saints 'the leftovers,' emphasizing that they have no advantage over those who sleep, further correcting the misconception of superiority.

In fact, there's almost a veiled use of language here. We're the leftovers. We who are alive that remain that are left over. We'll have no advantage over those who sleep.

4:53 - 5:05 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin details the three attendants of Christ's coming: a shout, the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God. He suggests the 'shout' is Christ's authoritative command to…

Martin likens the shout, voice, and trump to Christ's 'three best men' coming with the bridegroom, making the attendants of His coming more relatable and vivid.

If we think of him as the bridegroom coming. Here's his three best men. The shout. The voice.

11:38 - 11:44 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin details the three attendants of Christ's coming: a shout, the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God. He suggests the 'shout' is Christ's authoritative command to…

Martin recounts the story of Jesus raising Lazarus, using it as an example of Christ's authoritative voice waking the dead, suggesting that if Jesus hadn't called Lazarus by name, all graves would have opened.

And the Son of God with his own eyes red with his own tears for it says of him that he wept, said, Lazarus, come forth. And he didn't speak as a suggestion. He spoke with authority and a dead man came forth. Wrapped in his grave clothes.

14:25 - 14:46 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin details the three attendants of Christ's coming: a shout, the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God. He suggests the 'shout' is Christ's authoritative command to…

Martin speculates on how angels might gather the elect from a round earth, picturing a 'heavenly entourage in some form of orbital movement' and the archangel giving orders in various languages, to illustrate the scope of the angelic task.

But remember, this world's round. Some of the elect of God, we're here, they're down here. Now, if they're going to see the Lord and hear the voice, I don't mean to be irreverent. As I try to picture this and take the words at face value, will there be some heavenly entourage in some form of orbital movement around the earth gathering the elect as they move?

18:16 - 18:42 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin explains that Christ will 'descend from heaven,' emphasizing that believers currently worship a hidden Christ. He counters skepticism about Christ's location by affirming…

Martin shares a personal experience of being taunted by people who question the physical location of heaven, using it to illustrate the skepticism believers face and to affirm faith in Christ's literal return from heaven.

Look, we've got telescopes that penetrate thousands and thousands and thousands of light years into the mystery of our universe. We now have electronic telescopes. I was reading about this the other day, this place they hollowed out, I forgot how big it is, where they're getting these pulsars, they're getting these sounds from way out, thousands of light years. And people say, now come on, really?

26:22 - 26:46 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Following the resurrection of the dead, living believers will be transformed 'in the twinkling of an eye' and 'together with them be caught up in the clouds.' Martin explains…

Martin explains the Greek word 'apantasis' by describing how choice citizens of a Greek town would go out to meet an arriving dignitary and accompany him back, illustrating how believers will go out to meet the Lord in the air.

To meet the Lord in the air. This word, to meet the Lord, is a unique word. It's the word used when a certain dignitary was coming to a Greek town. Some of the choice citizens of that town would go out to meet Him, for the last leg of His journey, and would accompany Him back to the place to which He was making His visit.

32:37 - 33:04 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Following the resurrection of the dead, living believers will be transformed 'in the twinkling of an eye' and 'together with them be caught up in the clouds.' Martin explains…

Martin uses Acts 28:15, where brethren came out to meet Paul and accompany him into Rome, as a biblical example of the 'apantasis' concept, clarifying the meaning of 'to meet the Lord'.

The Lord's told you what's going to happen, and I just want to be faithful to tell you what He's told you. Not much application this morning. This is mostly instruction, but this is necessary, so just stick with us. Acts 28 and verse 15.

33:22 - 33:44 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Following the resurrection of the dead, living believers will be transformed 'in the twinkling of an eye' and 'together with them be caught up in the clouds.' Martin explains…

Martin references the parable of the virgins, where attendants go out to meet the bridegroom and accompany him to the wedding feast, further illustrating the 'apantasis' concept.

Paul is on his way to Rome, and he comes at a certain place, verse 15, and from thence the brethren, when they heard of us, came to meet us, that's the word, as far as the market of Appius and the three taverns, whom when Paul saw, he thanked God and took courage, and when we entered into Rome, Paul was suffered to abide by himself. These people hear that Paul is coming, he gets to the outskirts, they come out to meet him, and they accompany him back into the town. It's the word used of the parable of the virgins. Behold, the bridegroom comes, go out to meet him, and so the attendants would go...

33:44 - 34:46 Read in full sermon

Driving home: You see, he doesn't tell us what we might want to know to satisfy curiosity, but he tells us everything we need to know for our comfort. With the Lord. With the Lord. With the Lord.

Martin quotes John 17:24, 'Father, I desire that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am,' to emphasize that Christ Himself yearns for union with His people, making 'ever with the Lord' the ultimate comfort.

May I say that that's the grand end of redemption for which Christ himself yearns? One of the most staggering verses in all of Scripture, to my understanding, is that which is found in the prayer of our blessed Lord in the 17th chapter of the Gospel of John. I can understand in some measure how he'd pray that we'd be kept from sin because when the child of God sins he brings reproach to his Lord. I can understand how he'd pray that we might be one, that by our love to one another we might reflect the reality of our relationship to him.

36:03 - 36:40 Read in full sermon

Driving home: But when he says, in verse 24, Father, I desire that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am. I don't understand that.

Martin reverently asks if Christ is 'lonely without us' to underscore the depth of Christ's desire for His people's presence, highlighting the profound intimacy of being 'with the Lord'.

He's lonely without us? I say it reverently. I desire that they be with me. That they be with me where I am.

37:09 - 37:21 Read in full sermon

The point: Share the comfort of this doctrine with others.

Martin uses the contrast between 'the heaven of heaven is that we're with him forever' and 'the hell of hell, is that he'll say, depart from me forever' to powerfully illustrate the ultimate significance of union with Christ.

Someone has said the heaven of heaven is that we're with him forever. And the hell of hell, is that he'll say, depart from me forever. The Lord Jesus is going to have a church until his second advent. And this is one of the most wonderful promises of the triumph of the church.

38:44 - 39:11 Read in full sermon