FBC Benbrook Sermons

Gospel Rich Words to Face the Sting of Death

The Scriptures declare in 1 Corinthians 15:50–57 that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; the perishable must put on the imperishable. This teaches that our mortal bodies are unfit for the new creation God has promised. Instead, believers will be transformed—whether through death or at Christ’s return—in a moment, at the sound of the last trumpet.
Scripture presents death not as the final defeat, but as the necessary process by which the mortal is laid down to make way for the immortal. Though the sting of death is real, especially because of sin, the Word of God promises that this sting will ultimately be removed when the perishable is clothed with imperishability.
The trumpet imagery throughout Scripture—from Mount Sinai to the coronation of kings, to the final gathering of God’s people—culminates in the “last trumpet.” At this sound, Christ will reign fully, judgment will be complete, and believers will be gathered to eternal life. This trumpet signals the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan.
Isaiah foretold that death would be swallowed up in victory, and Hosea warned of death as judgment. But thanks be to God, the Scriptures proclaim, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of this hope, believers are called to remain steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.
Thus, the Scriptures provide a gospel-saturated view of death: not as defeat, but as the doorway to glory for those in Christ.

Fitted for a New Creation

What will our bodies look like in heaven? That is a good question, one that the saints in Corinth were asking, too. The problem is that we are thinking about being raised with the perfect mortal body when resurrection hope is so much greater! When Christ returns and makes all things new, we will need to be fitted with an imperishable and immortal body for a new creation that is mind-blowingly new. To help us understand these things, the apostle Paul used images from agriculture, the animal kingdom, even heavenly bodies. (1 Corinthians 15.35-49) May 18, 2025

Thorns Among the Roses

In one of the most difficult passages of Scripture to understand, the apostle Paul asks why some people were being baptized for the dead. While scholars have struggled to understand what exactly Paul was talking about and why he didn’t correct this practice, these words challenge us to rightly handle the word of truth so that we do not need to be ashamed. How does this confusing paragraph of Scripture guide us to both ends? (1 Corinthians 15.29-34) May 11, 2025.

Christ Must Reign Until

The bodily glorified resurrection of Jesus was not an isolated event in history. Christ is the firstfruits of those who belong to Him, meaning we will share in a resurrection like His. As we wait for His coming, Christ must reign until all things are in subjection to Him, which is why we live lives of hope, trust, and prayer. And because Christ reigns, and we are in Christ and Christ is in us, we reign with Christ as agents of His rule on earth today. How do these truths change how we live? (1 Corinthians 15.20-28) May 4, 2025

Pitiable Hope

The resurrection of Christ is good news! Through His resurrection, we are no longer in our sins, and we will share in a resurrection like His. But even more, we have hope in this life and hope in life eternal. This hope is so life changing that it causes us to live in such a way that looks “pitiful” to those who know not this hope. (1 Corinthians 15.12-20) April 27, 2025

The Transforming Grace of the Easter Story

On Easter Sunday, we take a moment to reflect on the three miracles of the Easter Story: the incarnation, the atoning death of Jesus on the cross, and the glorified resurrection of Jesus. Paul shares his story of how the miracles of the Easter Story radically transformed his life when Jesus appeared to him, when he was convicted of his sin, when he believed, and when he experienced the ongoing and transforming grace of God in his life. How does Paul’s testimony help us to give thanks to the Lord for His saving grace in our lives? (1 Corinthians 15.8-11) April 20, 2025

According to the Scriptures

One of the earliest confessions of faith is captured in 1 Corinthians 15.3-7: Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He was raised on the third day. But the confession states that Christ was raised on the third day was in “accordance with the Scriptures.” This has puzzled Bible readers for there is no Old Testament Scripture that clearly prophecies the resurrection of the Messiah on the third day. However, “the Scriptures” bear testimony that “three days” is sufficient time for certainty and that God often acts “on the third day” to reverse a situation from potential death to life. How does this pattern in the Old Testament help us to understand the resurrection but also our hope that God continues to act in our present time to deliver His people? (1 Corinthians 15.3-8) April 13, 2025

Faith: Worthless or Worthwhile?

In the longest teaching in the New Testament about the resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of the saints, the apostle Paul begins by comparing and contrasting genuine saving faith with “believing in vain.” Being saved means confessing we are sinners who need to be saved, who can’t save ourselves, and who can only be saved through the atoning death of Jesus. Saving faith receives, stands, and holds fast. How do these images help us to understand how saving faith is different than believing in vain? (1 Corinthians 15.1-2) April 6, 2025

Trust the Fountain, Not the Streams

The apostle Paul knew first-hand what it was to be brought low and to abound, to face hunger and plenty, to have abundance and to have nothing. And in all situations, he learned the “secret” of contentment. The way that Paul gave thanks to the saints in Philippi for their generous gift to help with his needs give us great insight into this secret. Paul trusted in the Fountain and not the streams. (Philippians 4.8-13) March 23, 2025

Praying with the Saints Through Anxiety

The apostle Paul encountered many situations that would bring the average person great anxiety. He learned to pray with the saints of old about these situations, and he shared this type of prayer with the saints in Philippi. We can pray with the saints through our anxiety by nurturing an ongoing relationship with God, saturating our prayer with thanksgiving, meditating on the beauty and greatness of God, asking God to get involved with complete honesty, and taking refuge in Him. Prayer does not magically make all of our problems go away, but we do find the peace that passes understanding as we dwell under His refuge. (Philippians 4.4-7) March 16, 2025