In this sermon, Pastor Jeffrey Johnson reflects on 1 Corinthians 15:20-28, focusing on the theme of Christ’s victory over death and the eternal nature of His kingdom. He begins by diagnosing the current state of the world as having a "terminal cancer"—the cancer of sin. This spiritual disease has affected every aspect of human life and institutions, rendering all worldly hopes and reforms ultimately futile. Despite political efforts or societal changes, the root problem remains: death, brought into the world through Adam’s sin.

Pastor Johnson emphasizes that true hope is not found in earthly politics or temporary solutions. He challenges the congregation to recognize that Christ did not come to establish a political kingdom or provide mere hospice care to this broken world. Instead, Jesus came to build a new, eternal kingdom by conquering death itself. Through His resurrection, Christ defeated sin and death, securing the promise of eternal life for those who believe in Him.

The sermon explains the legal concept of imputation: just as all humanity inherited death through Adam’s sin, we inherit life through Christ’s righteousness. Christ’s resurrection is the foundation of our spiritual rebirth and the promise of a future physical resurrection. Pastor Johnson stresses that being part of Christ’s kingdom requires a spiritual rebirth; we must be born again to see and enter this everlasting, spiritual kingdom.

Looking ahead to the end times, Pastor Johnson highlights the ultimate defeat of death when Christ will deliver the kingdom to God the Father. At that point, all enemies—including death—will be destroyed, and the fullness of God’s kingdom will be established. The hope for believers lies in this eternal kingdom, which is pure, sinless, and without end.

Pastor Johnson concludes by urging the congregation to place their hope in Christ’s kingdom rather than in the temporary systems of this world. He encourages a response of faith: to die to self, flee from the fleeting hopes of earthly kingdoms, and seek refuge in Jesus. The message is clear—Christ is the only cure for the "cancer" of sin, and through Him alone can we find eternal life and a place in His unshakable kingdom.

In this sermon, Pastor Jeffrey Johnson explores the theme of resurrection, rooted in 1 Corinthians 15, and its foundational significance to Christian faith. He begins with a compelling question: how much would we give for eternal life? Drawing on both the example of baseball star Ted Williams, who had his body preserved in the hope of future revival, and the recent passing of a church member, Brother Wallace, Pastor Johnson emphasizes our universal desire to escape death. Yet, he explains, while people invest everything in worldly attempts to prolong life, they often overlook the true promise of eternal life found in Christ's resurrection.

Pastor Johnson walks through Paul’s teaching to the Corinthians, explaining how the resurrection is central to the gospel. He details the catastrophic consequences if the resurrection were denied: the Christian faith would be futile, the Bible’s integrity would collapse, and the hope of salvation would vanish. The resurrection is not just an abstract hope; it is the guarantee of forgiveness, transformation, and ultimate victory over sin and death. Using illustrations from Scripture, he emphasizes that Christ’s resurrection is both a promise and a prototype for believers’ future resurrection. The certainty of this hope, he urges, calls believers to surrender everything to God with trust and joy, just as one would trade temporary riches for eternal treasure.

As he concludes, Pastor Johnson challenges listeners, both those in the faith and those uncertain, to consider what they are willing to give up to follow Christ wholeheartedly. He recalls the words of a young church member, Molly, whose profound faith and willingness to entrust everything to God captures the heart of discipleship. In a closing call, he urges everyone to anchor their lives in the resurrection, embracing full surrender to God’s love and sovereignty as the path to everlasting life and true freedom from fear.

In this sermon, Pastor Jeffrey Johnson shares a heartwarming and powerful story about his son Britton’s baseball team, which was the worst in the league. The story focuses on a player named Wally, who struggled all season but in the final game, against all odds, hit a crucial ball that helped his team win. Wally’s triumph serves as a metaphor for the Apostle Paul’s transformation from Saul, a persecutor of Christians, to Paul, a “super-apostle.” Just as Wally was the least likely to succeed on the team, Saul was the least likely to become an apostle.

Pastor Johnson emphasizes that Paul's conversion is a story of grace—God’s unmerited favor. Paul acknowledges in 1 Corinthians 15:8-10 that he was the least of the apostles, unworthy of his role because of his persecution of the church. However, it was by God's grace that he was saved and became fruitful in ministry. Similarly, the sermon highlights that we, like Wally and Saul, are unworthy of salvation but are saved by grace alone. Just as Wally cleared the bases without skill, and Paul achieved great things despite his past, believers are called and saved not because of their merits but by God’s grace. The message concludes by reminding the congregation that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace, no matter their past or current circumstances.

This powerful sermon offers hope and encouragement, showing that God’s grace can transform anyone, making them spiritually fruitful despite their past mistakes or unworthiness.