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now I would remind you of the gospel Daniel Patz, Lead Pastor Grace Church, Easter Sunday 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 April 24th, 2011
GOOD NEWS – Gospel? The Gospel is a message. It means good news. It is the news that God is coming to bring redemption to a fallen world. Specifically, it is God's promise to visit His people through the Messiah who will take care of their sin problem. This is earth-shattering news. The Gospel is a message more like the sun come up for the first time in the life a person who has lived in darkness for all his life. The Gospel is more than a message of words. It is a God-ordained message that the Spirit works through when it is proclaimed and actually does transformative works in people's hearts and lives. It is this message – the Gospel – that changed the world. The world we have today is because of the Gospel. The Roman empire crumbled because of the Gospel. The first Christendom that made all of Europe Christian was because of the Gospel. We must be people of the Gospel – intellectually, confessionally and practically. The reality of the Gospel is a worldview that should shape our entire life. The Gospel is how we see everything around us. The apostle Paul was committed to preaching this gospel. Let's look at what He says here: 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 ESV (1) Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, (2) and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. (3) For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, (4) that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, (5) and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. (6) Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. (7) Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. (8) Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
MAIN POINT: EVERYONE NEEDS TO HEAR, KNOW, RECEIVE, AND LIVE BASED ON THE EARTH-SHATTERING REALITY OF THE GOSPEL.
POINTS: Three important points from this text about the Gospel: 1) The importance of the gospel, 2) the message of the gospel, and 3) the witness of the gospel.
“Now I would remind you…” “the gospel I preached to you.” This must be proclaimed!
Verses 3ff imply that they need to know something – It was a creed of the early church. They based their entire lives on a message of a new reality.
“which you received, in which you stand…unless you believed in vain.” The claims of the Gospel mean that something radical has happen and we must bank our lives upon it.
“and by which you are being saved…” Romans 1 - “It is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes.”
“Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the Scriptures” The messiah died for our sins Someone died for our sins – SIN IS A BIG DEAL or Jesus was a drama-queen (Rom 5:6) For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (Rom 5:7) For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die--
“that he was buried” (Matthew 27) He went to the grave – like a kernel of wheat – (Joh 12:23) And Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. (Joh 12:24) Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He really died – the Romans knew how to kill someone (Heb 2:9) But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
“That he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” Psalm 16 - (Act 2:24) God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. – God raised Him from the dead (Rom 8:11) If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. – the Holy Spirit raised Him from the dead The Resurrection meant more than the fact that Jesus gets to live another day. It meant that He is the Lord of the World – He ascended to the right hand of the fathers and He rules the world with true and grace. His resurrection means something for the future and for today! (Rom 6:9) We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.
CONCLUSION Jesus is Lord and we must receive Him. He is not an way to get emotionally healthy—He is the Son that shines upon the world and we better come to grips with him. Believe...be baptized Acts 2 – Acts 2:36-42 ESV Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." (37) Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" (38) And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (39) For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself." (40) And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." (41) So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. (42) And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
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