Rejoice in Eternity – A New Body

1. Read: 1 Peter 4:13 “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”

2. About the Text:

1) Peter was writing to Christians who were being persecuted.

2) He tells them to rejoice in this because they were partaking of Christ’s sufferings.

3) They rejoiced, not because of the pain and anguish which they were bearing.

4) They rejoiced because they were laying up treasures in heaven.

5) Their ultimate joy would be realized when Christ returned.

6) They would be glad with exceeding joy.

3. Jesus said, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”

1) Today we have the words of Christ to guide our lives.

2) These words provide joy for us while we live in this life.

3) They provide joy because the creator knows what will bring us joy in this life.

4) But there is a greater joy for which all Christians look.

5) Jesus speaks of this joy as well.

6) Full joy comes only as a result of having lived a life in faithful service to Christ.

7) This is the joy that we ultimately find in eternity.

4. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. Revelation 21:4 “And there shall be no more death….”

2. 1 Corinthians 15:54, 55 “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

1. Rev.21:4 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

2. Revelation 22:3 “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:”

1. 1 Corinthians 15:50-53 “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

2. 1 Peter 1:3, 4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,”

1. 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:4 “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.”

1. So we rejoice in eternity because we will have a new body . . .

i. No more death.

ii. No more disease.

iii. No more corruption.

iv. No more temporal concerns.

2. Invitation