 Let's begin reading at At verse 50 and first Corinthians chapter 15 will begin at verse 50. I'll read to verse 58 We'll get into our study. I'm going to introduce this by looking back at verses 48 and 49 and then developing that But let's begin at verse 50 Paul says first Corinthians 15 verse 50 now this I say brethren that flesh and blood Cannot inherit the kingdom of God nor does corruption inherit in corruption Behold I tell 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 trumpet For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible And we shall be changed For this corruptible must put on in corruption and this mortal Must put on immortality So when this corruptible has put on in corruption and this mortal has put on immortality Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written Death is swallowed up in victory Oh death, where is your sting? Oh, Hades Where is your victory? The sting of death is sin the strength of sin is the law But thanks be to god who gives us the victory through our lord jesus christ Therefore my beloved brethren Be steadfast immovable always abounding in the work of the lord Knowing that your labor is not in vain in the lord Now we receive human bodies from adam our glorified bodies come through jesus christ remember in verses 48 and 49 How paul had already written as was the man of dust So also are those who are made of dust and as is the heavenly man So also are those who are heavenly And as we have borne the image of the man of dust we shall also bear the image of the heavenly man So in our resume, excuse me resurrection. We shall receive glorified bodies now When asked about that, what does that really mean? uh I'm not sure Because i've already received mine. So no i um in first john in chapter three Verse two john said beloved now we are children of god and what we will Will be has not yet been made known, but we know that when he appears We shall be like him for we shall see him as he is The body that we'll receive is going to be one that is made suitable to dwell In heaven. It's going to be a different body. It's going to be glorified. It's going to be spiritual And we were looking at that recently and so paul is continuing that thought as he moves into verse 50 here And he says this in verse 50 this i say brethren that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of god So he's reminding his readers that the resurrection body will not be one of flesh and blood It's going to need to be transformed in order to enter into heaven Now he'd already said that our resurrection bodies are not flesh and blood That's because according to the old testament book of leviticus chapter 17 verse 11 The life of the flesh is in the blood In eternity, we will no longer have blood coursing through our veins Because according to verse 44 our resurrection bodies will be what are called spiritual bodies This natural body that i have is fit only for living on the earth So in order to be made suitable to live in heaven our bodies must be changed Now when jesus was resurrected He had the same body, but it was called or would be referred to or recognized as a spiritual body On the cross he poured out all of his blood in order to atone for our sin So his resurrection body has no blood and neither will our resurrection bodies As it says in verse 49 as we have borne the image of the man of dust We shall also bear the image of the heavenly man and so Jesus christ did not have blood coursing through his veins There's an interesting event that took place. It's recorded in luke chapter 24 Where jesus was speaking to two disciples On what has been referred to as the road to imeas And as he was speaking to them and ministering to them They had shared this experience with the 11 remaining apostles And in luke chapter 24 verses 36 to 40 it says Well, they were still talking about this jesus himself stood among them and said to them Peace be with you they were startled and frightened Thinking that they saw a ghost. He said to them Boo, no he said to them That's why they thought they saw a ghost He said to them Why I'm tired. I'm sorry He said to them why Are you troubled and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself touch me and see A ghost that does not have flesh and bones As you see I have When he had said this he has he showed them his hands and his feet Now you might want to mark those scriptures down that I just gave to you If you didn't you ought to and I'll tell you one reason why As we continue on that's going to be important just to keep that in mind, but If you ever have opportunity, which I'm sure we all have in this room on occasion In the past we have in the future we will If you have occasion to speak to some of those nice young men Called mormons And they are nice young guys Would to god that the church would do as much for the truth As some people do for an error Would to god that 18 and 19 year old kids Who love jesus would take out of their own funds and go on mission trips and stay for two years to do their service to god I don't disrespect these young men and I don't mock them either They have a genuine faith, but unfortunately and tragically It's in the wrong gospel And so with love for them When opportunity strikes and we have that given to us we should share the good news of the gospel of jesus with them That they might have the truth that sets you free And not a bondage of having to earn your way into heaven with that said If you speak to a young mormon missionary They will tell you as they have told me That god has a body And that he has a body of flesh and blood and When i've spoken to these young well, they say he has a body that's a phrase they use when i've spoken to them i've said That's incorrect and they'll say no god has a body and i'll say to them. That's not what jesus taught That's not what the scriptures teach Because jesus said god is spirit And the spirit has not flesh and blood And Seeing that god is a spirit and a spirit doesn't have flesh and blood We know that uh that god doesn't have a physical tangible body jesus had a body in his resurrection and retains that body But it is called a spiritual body It is not One that is animated by blood the life of the flesh is in the blood but rather it is A body that is animated by the power of the spirit And so the lord jesus christ has what is called a spiritual body and we will have spiritual bodies also And so when he says in verse 50 now this i say brother in flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of god The fact is is this body needs to be transformed He says corruption does not inherit in corruption So he goes on in verse 51 and he gives to us a scripture that we ought to put on the nursery Behold i tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep But we shall all be changed. We ought to do that for our children That's an old joke, but i love it anyway I actually wait for verse 51 just to say it But i want to show you a couple things here in verse 51. Behold i tell you a mystery The word mystery What does that mean? Well the mystery is the secret councils of god In dealing with believers that are hidden from those who are unsaved A mystery speaks of that which once was secret, but now has been revealed And so in the new testament there are various scriptures that speak concerning concerning things that are referred to as mysteries 1st timothy chapter 3 verse 16 speaks of the mystery of the incarnation Colossians 1 27 speaks of the mystery of the indwelling christ Ephesians 5 31 and 32 speaks of the mystery of the body of christ 2nd thessalonians chapter 2 verse 7 speaks of the mystery of iniquity But here in verse 51 of 1st chrithians 15 Paul speaks of a mystery and he says it i tell you a mystery and then he Then he reveals it. We shall not all sleep But we shall all be changed We shall not all die Christians who are alive when jesus returns will not physically die Death will not be required for their bodies to be transformed Because he says we shall all be changed that word changed means to be transformed He's saying there is going to be a time when there will be an instantaneous transformation An instantaneous transformation and this occurs in an event called the rapture I don't know how many of you were raised in christian homes. Perhaps some of you were I wasn't And so I never heard Of a term called the rapture. I had never heard that term before until I got saved Then it seems that that's pretty much what I was hearing constantly There's a rapture going to happen. It's going to happen at any moment The next prophecy that is to be fulfilled The next on god's prophetic calendar is an event called the rapture And so this rapture this taken away is what paul is speaking about When jesus comes for his church, he's saying we shall all be instantly transformed In uh, philippians 3 20 and 21 paul said our citizenship is in heaven And we eagerly await a savior from there the lord jesus christ who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control Will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body and so this is an event this Rapture is an event that's going to take place. That's going to have a work that instantaneously changes us Our bodies are going to be instantly made Into spiritual bodies that are capable of dwelling in heaven no longer will be be Alive because we have blood that is Within us that is being pumped through our heart But there'll be a spiritual transformation and our bodies are instantly going to be made capable of living in heaven And he says You're in viz in uh verse 52 that it's going to be in a moment in the twinkling of an eye At the last trumpet the trumpet will sound the dead will be raised incorruptible and we Shall be changed And so he speaks of this being in a moment that word moment speaks of that Which is the smallest conceivable quantity twinkling of an eye is another way of saying instantaneously And he says it'll be at the last trumpet The last trumpet has been associated with the conclusion of what is called the church age It's it's what would be calling the church to be with the lord And so this last trumpet is when jesus will summon the church to himself as he promised us that he would do Now when i first got saved again Not every hearing of such a doctrine I was just i was caught up with it There were times and i still remember doing this that i would be Driving and i would look into the sky and i'd be saying it can happen at any moment The lord can call me to be with him and And there were times when i would see the clouds and the clouds Sometimes seemed to have like a bull's eye if you will it was open you can see the blue sky behind the white clouds And in my mind i'd say it'd be so cool if jesus were to come right now So we could just go i just blow right through that bull's eye there and go to him and i really was caught up with this this idea Because i'd never heard it before i'd never heard that That jesus christ was going to take us that we are going to be instantly transformed And that we would see him and be with him i'd never heard that before and such a hope and such a joy and Such an amazing promise that that was It actually just invigorated me it made me just anxious for that to take place and And and that's because the lord promised that he would do that in john 14 verses one through three He said let not your heart be troubled you believe in god believe also in me In my father's house are many mansions if it were not so i would have told you I go to prepare a place for you and if i go and prepare a place for you I will come again And receive you unto myself That where i am there you may be also Where i am there you may be also What a promise What a joy and that's something that i look forward to With great anticipation to develop this i want to take you into first acelonians chapter four Let's turn our bible bibles there for just a moment first acelonians chapter four Some of you are probably a little new at Turning your bibles. So you're saying where is first acelonians? Well, it's right right by second acelonians that should help you I'm sure that helped you an awful lot first acelonians chapter four beginning at verse 13 Paul says But i do not want you to be ignorant that word ignorant simply means without instruction or without knowledge I do not want you to be without knowledge and instruction I do not want you to be ignorant brethren concerning those who have fallen asleep Lest you sorrow as others who have no hope For if we believe that jesus died and rose again Even so god will bring with him those who sleep in jesus for this we say to you by the word of the lord That we who are alive and remain until the coming of the lord will by no means precede those who are asleep For the lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout With the voice of an archangel with the trumpet of god The dead in christ will rise first Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the lord in the air And thus we shall always be with the lord Therefore comfort one another with these words So these words are intended to bring comfort to To believers believers have hope because we trust in jesus And we have hope because jesus conquered the grave And so the key to our hope Is always going to be the resurrection of the lord jesus christ in heavers 2 14 and 15 The writer writes since the children have flesh and blood he too shared in their humanity So that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death that is the devil And free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death And so before you have a relationship with the lord jesus christ There is a fear that motivates you It's that that fear of the unknown. It's that fear of the future. It's that uncertainty as to what's going to happen Even before you knew the lord you knew that there was something that was going to be Furthering in terms of time and existence at least with within the relationship of view and And what may be out there? And so there is this concern that people have as a concern as to What's going to take place when I close my eyes here? There are those who will say Nothing they'll say what's going to happen when you when you close your eyes here Is you just close your eyes and you become food for worms and there's nothing to be concerned about And yet there's a man by the name of Lockyer who wrote a book called last saints of saints and sinners in which Some of the better known Atheists and their last words their dying words are recorded And some of the things that these who influence so many people with their writings and and the things that they've taught There are so many quotations that were taken by those who were There at their deathbed that Lockyer actually put together a a book called the last saints of saints and sinners Where he demonstrates that quite a number of these who didn't believe said they didn't believe in god at all When they were dying Said quite the opposite one in particular. I wish I could remember his name Was simply saying i'm going to hell. I can feel the flames burning my feet And he looks at those attending him and he said something to you the effect And and and hell is waiting for me and is also waiting for you one of the Man by the name of Voltaire's last words were oh christ. Oh jesus christ There there are so many of these who in their last moments of their lives When they had their nurses that they're attending them who are writing their last words There are so many quotations because they died without hope and when they died in that way It's just a painful thing to read and for them. It was a painful eternity They had mocked god and they had mocked eternity. They had mocked the thought of heaven. They mocked the thought of hell But it's one thing for you to be real brave and to speak with that kind of bravery when your health is Solid and you have finances and things of that nature everything's going well It's different when you're about to die and enter into eternity So we have the ability in christ to be prepared So I you know when I committed my heart to christ was beginning to be prepared by him For that moment that I would see him face to face And so I have great hope. I have a great confidence because my hope is in him And so we know that one day we who believe in him will be with him So we have hope because of the resurrection of the lord jesus christ now with the return Rather with the resurrection also comes the hope in the promise of his return Jesus when he was speaking in the book of acts in chapter one Had said you shall receive power After that the holy spirit comes upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in jerusalem judaeus samaria and unto the uttimos parts of the earth So he had given the promise of the power of the holy spirit To those who would be his followers who were baptized with the holy spirit But right after that in verse nine we see something else because in acts versus Verses nine through eleven in acts chapter one it reads after he said this he was taken up before their very eyes And a cloud hid him from their sight They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them Men of galilee. They said why do you stand here looking into the sky? The same jesus who's been taken from you into heaven Will come back in the same way you have seen him go Into heaven and so there is a promise of the return of the lord jesus christ And so he is going to return for us because he said I will come again receive you unto myself that where I am there you may be also now In the city of thesalonica There were those who were concerned about their relatives They were wondering what happens when jesus returns And these would have been relatives perhaps who had already died and they were simply wondering What's going to happen in verse 14 the answer is given god will bring with him those who sleep in jesus Now as we've been seeing in in chapter 15 in first chrithians paul had addressed what happens when a person dies He had said in verses 35 through 44 that the body of the believer is buried like a seed in the ground And then when that happens immediately The believer is present with the lord immediately It says in second chrithians chapter 5 verse 6 as long as we are at home in the body We are away from the lord But he goes on in second chrithians 5 verse 8 to say we would prefer to be absent from the body and to be present with the lord There is no place called purgatory Some of you perhaps were taught that there's a place called purgatory. There is no place in scripture called purgatory And as I always say The closest thing Protestants have to purgatory is junior high ministry. That's about the closest that you have to it But there is no place called purgatory purgatory is a place of Where your our residual effects of your sin Are purged and it's a it's a concept of it purging taking place as through fire But the bible nowhere ever teaches That there's an intermediary place that there's a place that you go to for Completion of the work that god had already performed through jesus christ while you're on earth So nowhere does it say that that work is unfinished and secondly nowhere does it ever say That your sins are purged by fire The bible teaches that we have been cleansed by the blood of jesus christ And so our purging has taken place When we gave our hearts to christ when we were born again We were cleansed by the blood of jesus christ and so If I were to be driving home tonight And something were to happen and I didn't make it to my physical home I die I don't go to an intermediate place where I have to wait there for who knows how long absent from the body present with the lord And that's our hope That we you know when we speak concerning those whom we've loved and and all There are those who'll say well, we lost him But the fact is we don't ever lose our relatives who know jesus christ Because when you lose something it simply means you don't know where it is You know when I was in the world and I used to smoke pot. I was losing my keys constantly It actually became a thing where my mom every day was helping me find my keys. That's the truth It was almost like, you know, just every day was a habit before my mom would leave She'd say what are you looking for and I'd say my keys And she didn't know the reason that I had misplaced my keys Is because when I came home, I was wasted and I would just kind of put them somewhere and this is true Almost every day my mom was helping me find my keys because I had lost my keys Well, you know what? You lose things that means you don't know where they're at But I have never lost anybody that I love who knows the lord because I know exactly where they're at absent from the body present with the lord So we don't lose anybody And so when you and I die it's going to be an instant Instantly being brought into the presence of the lord jesus christ, but your body Is going to be planted like a seed And so you will be should you be buried your body will be planted But your spirit soul goes to be with the lord jesus christ And so that's what we'll look at in a little bit more detail in just a moment because The people are wondering what happens about to those who died before jesus returns. What about those who are still alive and And in verse 14 he's saying they're not going to be left out If we believe that jesus died and rose again Even so god will bring with him those who sleep or who have died in jesus now When he speaks and I want you to see this in verses 15 through 17 When he's writing he he says we who are alive and he repeats that two times Now don't let that get past you Because when he says we who are alive in verse 15 we who are alive in verse 17 That means that paul had an expectation to be part of that The hope of jesus's return to take us to be with him Isn't something that was invented in the 18th century Is something that the church from the beginning has had a hope for And paul expected to be taken to be with jesus christ And paul actually wrote telling believers that it can happen at any time My own pastor chuck has been accused more than once of being a date setter Chuck has had some real Desires to be with the lord He put that desire into those who have sat under his ministry We all want to be with the lord jesus christ. We all long to be with him. We look forward to that But he's never specifically set dates, but there are those who say oh he has set dates and this and that What chuck has done is he has taught us just to live as if jesus is returning today And one of the things that that I would say Is uh Something i've learned a long time ago somebody taught it to me and i'll just repeat it and pretend that they didn't teach me That i'm inventing this but it's not me somebody else taught me And that would be um If you and if I if we knew that jesus was returning today say we knew that What would you do differently? And and i'll let you think about that for a moment might as well If we knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that jesus is returning today by nine o'clock What would you do any differently has been what I was taught and then the answer is then go out and do that Instead of putting it off for next week next month next year or some other time That's the whole point live in anticipation of being with him as if he's returning today Where do we get that idea? Well paul and other writers made that clear that that's how we ought to live first chrithians 7 29 What I mean brothers is that the time is short Philippians chapter 4 verse 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all the lord is near Hebrews 10 25 not forsaken the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some but exhorting one another And so much the more as you see the day approaching James 5 8 9 You also be patient Establish your hearts for the coming of the lord is at hand Do not grumble against one another brethren Lest you be condemned behold the judge is standing at the door 1st peter 4 7 the end of all things is at hand therefore be serious and watchful in your prayer That's the new testament teaching for us to be ready for the lord can return at any moment The next prophecy to be fulfilled on the prophetic calendar is the rapture of the church Where jesus takes the church to be with him now He says in verse 16 the lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an archangel And with the trumpet of god and the dead in christ will rise first There's a shout There's the voice and there's the trumpet and all emphasize immediate departure Revealing that the event is sudden So that would be A picture of the rapture jesus coming for his bride the church now You might find this interesting i was reading The writings of a particular messianic believer a jewish christian And he wrote something that i found very interesting interesting enough to repeat at this point and he was speaking concerning the marriage The various things that related to marriage during the time of christ and the writing of the new testament and so he began to write concerning that and the customs that were surrounding marriage at that time because This picture we have is reminiscent of a jewish wedding during the time of paul and so If if you were a young man and or a young woman and you were getting ready to be married and all of that This is what normally would take place He writes when a young man Met the girl that he would desire for us his wife or that his father had decided upon for him First there would be what is called a bride price a bride price would be decided upon If she was greatly desired He would pay a very high price And so you have to think in terms of jesus and his father to get the the picture here Because what was the bride price for the church? It was a very high price What was that price the blood of jesus christ? The bride and the groom would be brought together And they would drink a cup of wine together which would seal the bargain That would be something that we see in communion There would be a bride price that was paid Then the groom would give a small speech he would actually stand up clear his throat and he would say something like this I go to prepare a place for you And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again And i'm going to receive you to myself That where I am There you will be also Which is basically what jesus was saying in john chapter 14 That was a customary speech about going to prepare a place He would leave to build what was called a bridal chamber in his father's house For the honeymoon in my father's house our many mansions This place would be stocked with provisions that would last for seven days The construction normally lasted around a year but This groom who was preparing the place did not know The time that it was completed the father would determine when it was completed During that time the bride waited and when spoken of would be referred to as the one who has been set apart The one who has been bought with a price Which is what the church has referred to in the new testament Now the bridegroom would have some friends ask him on occasion. When are you going to get your bride? He would normally reply only my father knows the time That you see in matthew 24 36 Where jesus said of that day and hour knows no man know not the angels of heaven, but my father only The bridegroom would eventually assemble his friends and he would come in order to steal the bride And when the bridegroom came there would be a shout that was given And it's the bridegroom comes In matthew 25 6 jesus said at midnight there was a cry made behold the bridegroom comes Go out to meet him Now if it was at night she would light her lamp and then she would leave with him and his friends When they are over uh, uh, when they arrive at the home They would go directly to the bed chamber The best man who was known as the friend of the bridegroom would stand at the door of the bed chamber When the consummation was completed He would rejoice at the voice of the bridegroom Telling him that the bride and groom were now telling the guests that the bride and groom were now married The wedding guests would rejoice And then a celebration began it could last a week And at the end of the week the bride and the groom would appear They'd enjoy a feast called a marriage supper And they would go to where they would be dwelling So the rapture actually has is a picture of a jewish wedding ceremony And these things that took place in the days of christ are things that we will personally experience Now notice how he says the dead in christ will rise first And then those who are on earth will be transformed And so There'll be those who are in the graves And they are going to be taken out of their graves Their bodies are going to receive that spiritual body They're going to be transformed to be able to live in heaven now Though their body was planted their soul and spirit went on to be with the lord At the rapture It'll be reunited into the one spiritual body And so that's what we will be we will have our we will be united in that fashion We'll be made completely whole if you will And then Uh, we'll be with the lord forever. Let's turn on back to chapter 15 of first Corinthians and move on with that For those of you who went to first Thessalonians Those of you who were rebellious and didn't shame on you So those who are alive when the rapture occurs Instantly changed The corruptible puts on incorruption the mortal puts on immortality Those who are alive are immediately made suitable for heaven He says in verse 53 this corruption must put on incorruption. This mortal Must put on immortality So when this corruptible has put on incorruption and this mortal has put on immortality Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written Death is swallowed up in victory Oh death, where is your sting? Oh, hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin. The strength of sin is the law and so There's a cry of triumph The great triumph over death is accomplished and then we experience complete victory That's why you can say where's your sting? Where's your victory? It doesn't have the last victory It doesn't Does that mean That when one of our loved ones die That we don't grieve I've had people in the past who have thought that It's almost weak Being weak in faith if you cry For somebody that you loved who died I've never felt that way quite obviously Grief is part of the human experience It's part of the way that we are allowed to bring healing or to be healed And grief in and of itself is not necessarily a lack of faith It's a simply it's simply a recognition of the pain that occurs in separation If Jesus could weep at the grave of a friend named Lazarus I don't have a problem weeping When my father dies or my mom dies or whatever. I don't have a problem with that at all Because even as paul had already said we do not sorrow as those who have no hope He didn't say we do not sorrow. He said we don't sorrow as those who have no hope Yes, there's a sense of pain. Yes, there's a sense of loss Yes, there's there are tears and and and yes it can go on for a long time But it isn't one of those hopeless Times of pain It's that it's just the sorrow of missing them My my mom had asked me when my father went home to be with the lord My mom I think I might have told you this recently, but my mom had asked me She said to me does daddy miss me And I said no I said no There's no sorrow in heaven And I don't think mama understood what I meant. So I had to explain it It's not as if she wasn't worthy of being missed. Of course They were married for 54 years She was 16 years old actually when she met him in 17 when she married him. He was only 20 when they got married They had a long long life together And uh Of course my dad were it possible Of course he would miss her, but it's just not possible Because when you're in heaven There's no don't pain There are no tears There's no sorrow It's all swallowed up in joy And so the ones who hurt are not the ones in heaven It's us And I've said it before I might as well say it again When I go home to be with the lord if somebody were to say oh god bring him back if he brought me back I'd kill you I don't Who'd want to come back? Think about it. Oh lord. I missed the traffic on the 91. Are you kidding me? Who wants to come back? Man when we're gone, we're gone And we're in there's nothing but joy and nothing but peace And nothing but but love and and and nothing but seeing the face of the lord and I mean who would want to come back? That's why these people who believe in reincarnation to me That's just a terrible way to think who'd want to come back a thousand times Who'd want to come back one more time in the way the world is right now, right? I mean We're going to be with the lord. We're going to be with him forever We're going to enjoy his presence and there's at his right hand his pleasure forever more I mean there's there's no tear no pain no sorrow no sickness no death It's all swallowed up in victory. And so I look forward to that I long for that. You know, I'm not suicidal But but I long for that for for us to be with the lord Jesus christ and you can say that oh death Where is your sting? Great. Where is your victory? Where's it? Where is it? You didn't win you lost, right? And so this is what we have Waiting for us the sting of death is sin The strength of sin is the law but thanks be to god who gives us a victory through our lord jesus christ Therefore my beloved brethren be steadfast immovable always abounding in the work of the lord knowing that your labor is not in vain in the lord christ borst death sting So that we could have life in him Thanks be to god who gives us the victory through our lord jesus christ I read of a a little boy Who was traveling with his father in a car And a bee flew through the open window This little boy was highly allergic to bee stings And he and his father knew that his life was in danger And this little boy frantically was jumping around and was trying to avoid this agitated bee And as he was doing that the father calmly reached out and he grabbed the bee When he opened his hand The bee began to fly again And the little boy once again was terrorized But then the father said look son and he held up a hand with an implanted stinger And he said his stinger is gone. He can't hurt you any longer And as the bee loses its stinger when it stings So death lost its sting when it stung jesus We have victory in him