THE MOST IMPORTANT MESSAGE OF ALL 1 Corinthians 15:1-5

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1 THE MOST IMPORTANT MESSAGE OF ALL 1 Corinthians 15:1-5 James Bracy got in the habit of writing love letters to his wife, Sallie, while stationed at a California military base during the 1950s. But one of James letters did not get delivered. Jump ahead a half-century later. James and Sallie had just celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Meanwhile, a construction crew was dismantling the old post office at Fort Ord and discovered the letter. The crew turned it to over the postmaster in nearby Monterey, who tracked down the Bracys. Just a few days after enjoying their fiftieth anniversary, the letter dated January 28, 1966, was delivered to Sallie Bracy. It meant a lot to me then, said Sallie. It means even more now. God has written a love-letter. It is called the Bible. Many have never received the message. But the message has not changed. It is the most important message of all. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 says: Christ died for sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. 1 Corinthians 15 is the fullest explanation of the doctrine of resurrection in the Bible. The occasion is stated in verse 12 where Paul asks: Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? Some in the church at Corinth doubted the resurrection of deceased Christians. Paul writes this chapter to refute this grave error. In verses 1-11, Paul affirms the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Every piece of evidence for the historical resurrection of Jesus is evidence for the future resurrection of those who trust in him. So Paul boldly declares that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead. In 1 Corinthians 15:3, Paul writes: For I delivered to you as of first importance. WARREN WIERSBE wrote: The gospel is the most important message that the church ever proclaims. While it is good to be involved in social action and the betterment of mankind, there is no reason why these ministries should preempt the gospel. Why is the gospel so important? There are two reasons why the gospel is the most important message of all. I. WE ARE SAVED BY PERSONAL FAITH IN THE GOSPEL. In 1 Corinthians 15:1, Paul addresses his readers as brothers. The term is not a reference to gender. It is an expression of affection, which affirms his readers are mutually children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. In so doing, Paul teaches that we are saved by personal faith in the gospel. What is the faith that saves? A. SAVING FAITH IS ROOTED IN GOSPEL PROCLAMATION. Verse 1 says: Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand. Preaching is the definitive function of the church. Unfortunately, there is a conspiracy against preaching in the world and the church. But it is and has always been the will of God to save the lost and nurture the saints through truthdriven, gospel-saturated, Christ-centered preaching. 1

2 Unbelievers need to hear the the preaching of the gospel. This is how the church at Corinth came to saving faith in Christ. Verse 1 says it was by the gospel I preached to you. The most important thing the church has to offer is the preaching of the gospel. Romans 10:13-15 says: For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? Believers need to reminded of the preaching of the gospel. 1 Corinthians 15:1 says: Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you. The gospel is no entry exam you take before you move on to other subjects. It is the entry exam, homework, pop quiz, midterm, and final exam. Colossians 1:28 says, Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. To become what God calls you to be in Christ, you need to be under the faithful, clear, and consistent proclamation of the gospel. B. THE GOSPEL RESULTS IN GOSPEL TRANSFORMATION. Because the gospel is the important message of all, faithful preaching always calls for a verdict. Christian preachers are not court jesters who entertain. They are heralds who proclaim the king s message that you must trust and obey. In verse 1, Paul says you must receive the gospel to be saved. John 1:11-12 says: He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become the children of God. And you must stand on the gospel. The big question is, Are you saved? The bigger question is, How do you know you are saved? Ephesians 2:8-9 says: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. You are only saved by the handout of amazing grace received by saving faith in the blood and righteousness of Christ. ON CHRIST, THE SOLID ROCK I STAND. ALL OTHER GROUND IS SINKING SAND. Verse 2 adds another dynamic of gospel transformation: and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you unless you believed in vain Christians are saved in three tenses: past, present, and future. We have been saved from the penalty of sin. We are being saved from the power of sin. We will be saved from the presence of sin. Verse 2 refers to the sanctifying work of progressive salvation. Salvation is more than the cancellation of your reservations in hell and the purchase of your ticket to heaven. It is new life in Christ. You experience this changed life as you hold fast to the preaching of the gospel unless you believed in vain. In John 8:31-32, Jesus say, If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set your free. A faith that fizzles before the finish had a fatal flaw from the first. Genuine saving-faith proves itself over a lifetime. Matthew 24:13 says: But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 2

3 II. WE ARE SAVED BY THE HISTORICAL FACTS OF THE GOSPEL. You must believe the gospel to be saved. But it is not blind-faith. Personal faith rests on historical facts. Students study Greek mythology in school. But the ancient Greeks never called the story of their gods myths. We call their theology myths because there is no evidence to support the veracity of their claims. But the gospel is not a myth. It is based on historical facts. Verse 3 says: For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received. The message Paul preached was not original. He passed down the faith once and for delivered to the saints. Like a flaming Olympic torch passed from one runner to another, the gospel tradition was passed from faithful believers to Paul. And Paul delivered what he received. In verse 3-5, Paul presents the gospel. But he does not issue any commands. It is all about what Jesus accomplished for our salvation. It says nothing about what you must perform to be saved. This is the essence of the gospel. The keyword of religion is do. The keyword of Christianity is done. What has Jesus done to save us? Verse 3-5 gives four answers. He died. He was buried. He was raised. He appeared. These facts prioritize the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Here is the good news of the saving work of Jesus Christ in two statements. A. CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS AND WAS BURIED. Jesus died vicariously. It is true that Christ died. But the reason why he died is all important. Verse 3 says: Christ died for our sins. This is the theological reason for the crucifixion of Jesus. Christ died for our sins. This statement assumes the sinlessness of Christ. You cannot be a sinner and a savior at the same time. Jesus dares to say in John 14:6: I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Only Jesus is morally qualified to save sinners. He died with the sins of the world on him. But there was no sin in him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says: For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. The death of Jesus was a divine act of substitutionary atonement. He died vicariously in our place and on our behalf. At the cross, God treated Jesus as if he had committed all of your sins, so that through faith he might treat you as if you have performed the righteousness of Christ. Jesus died biblically. Verse 3 says: Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures. The death of Christ was the fulfillment of Old Testament promise, prophecy, and prediction. In Luke 24:25-27, the risen Savior said to doubting disciples, O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. The Bible is about Jesus from beginning to end. The history books foreshadow Christ. The poetic books anticipate Christ. The prophetic books foretell Christ. The Gospels report Christ. The Epistles explain Christ. Revelation glorifies Christ. In John 5:39-40 Jesus says: You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 3

4 Jesus died literally. Verse 4 says: that he was buried. After the crucifixion, JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Luke 23:53 says: Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. The burial of Jesus is essential to the gospel. Skeptics argue the swoon theory to debunk the resurrection. They claim Jesus did not die on the cross. He only fell into a coma. He was revived in the coolness of the tomb. Then he moved the stone, snuck pass the guards and hid out until he presented himself as risen from the dead on Easter. This theory is ridiculous. No one ever survived a Roman crucifixion, including Jesus. Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins. The proof that he died is that he was buried. That s the truth you must believe to be saved: Christ died for our sins and was buried. B. CHRIST WAS RAISED AND WAS SEEN. Who raised Jesus from the dead? Verse 4 says: he was raised. The passive voice denotes he was raised by another. In Acts 2:24, Peter declares, God raised him up, losing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. The resurrection proves that the cross was a victory, not a defeat. The resurrection of Jesus is God s stamp of approval on his substitutionary atonement. The resurrection is God s Amen to the triumphant claim Jesus made on the cross: It is finished. When was Jesus raised from the dead? Verse 4 says: he was raised on the third day. In the Jewish reckoning of time, any part of the day counts as a day. Friday was the first day. Saturday in the tomb was the second day. Easter was the third day. This is one of the charges the religious leaders brought against Jesus in Mark 14:58: We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not with hands. They charged Jesus with making terrorists threats against Herod s temple. But Jesus was not talking about about a building. He was talking his body! Not only did Jesus rise from the dead, he also rose just when he said he would! How was Jesus raised from the dead? Verse 4 says: he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. This is the same phrase Paul uses about the death of Jesus for our sins in verse 3. Jesus rose from the dead the same way he died on the cross according to the Scriptures! In Matthew 12:39-40, Jesus said, An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Jesus rose from the dead according to the scriptures. This is how you know if a pastor or church is preaching the right gospel. Does it line up with the scriptures! What is the proof that Jesus was raised from the dead? Verse 5 adds: and he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. This reference to the appearance of Christ is a verifying statement that serves the same function as the reference to the burial of Christ. These are the historical facts of the gospel you must believe to be saved: Christ died for our sins. The proof that he died is that he was buried. And Christ rose from the dead on the third day. The proof that he rose is that he seen by others. Christians visit the tomb of Jesus to see for themselves that it is empty. But the empty tomb is not the primary evidence for the resurrection. The religious leaders paid soldiers to say the disciples stole the body. 4

5 Matthew 28:15 reports: And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day. Lies were spread to explain away the empty tomb. But Paul focuses on a historical fact that cannot be explained away. Jesus was seen alive after he was dead and buried. The word appeared is selective. The crucifixion of Jesus was a public act of capital punishment. But Jesus limited his resurrection appearances to those whom he chose to be his witnesses. In verse 5-8, Paul reports: he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. Paul lists these six appearances to make his point. We are saved by the historical facts of the gospel. Jesus died on the cross for our sins. The proof that he died is that he was buried. Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day. The proof that he was raised is that he was seen alive by many credible witnesses. This is the gospel. Do you believe this good news? It is the difference between hope and despair. It is the difference between forgiveness and guilt. It is the difference between salvation and condemnation. It is the difference between life and death. It is the difference between heaven and hell. Romans 10:9-10 says: if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 1 Corinthians 15:5 says Jesus appeared to Cephas. Cephas is a Greek transliteration of the Aramaic word for stone. It refers to Simon Peter. Paul may have mentioned the appearance to Peter first, because Peter would become the leader of the early church. This is the grace and mercy of God in Christ. On the night Jesus was betrayed, Peter denied he knew Jesus on multiple occasions. As he stood at a distance, Peter made eye contact with Jesus. And he ran away in tears of conviction. But Easter Sunday morning, the women went to the tomb of Jesus. In Mark 16:6-7, the angel said, Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. One of the first disciples to see Jesus was this one who denied the Lord. This is the good news of the Easter. Because Jesus died at the cross and rose from the dead, you can have a fresh start, a new beginning, and a second chance. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. I SERVE A RISEN SAVIOR, HE'S IN THE WORLD TODAY; I KNOW THAT HE IS LIVING, WHATEVER OTHERS SAY; I SEE HIS HAND OF MERCY, I HEAR HIS VOICE OF CHEER, AND JUST THE TIME I NEED HIM HE'S ALWAYS NEAR. HE LIVES, HE LIVES, CHRIST JESUS LIVES TODAY! HE WALKS WITH ME AND TALKS WITH ME ALONG LIFE'S NARROW WAY. HE LIVES, HE LIVES, SALVATION TO IMPART! YOU ASK ME HOW I KNOW HE LIVES? HE LIVES WITHIN MY HEART. 5