Morning Message Text: 1Corinthians 15: 1-11
The Resurrection of Christ
1 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.
2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.
6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.
Morning Message:
If you read through the books that Paul wrote you will find that his words can be confusing. Not in a bad way; but I think in a very, human way. I find this very comforting because as great as Paul was, as smart and educated as he was, as dedicated as he was, in many ways he seems as human as me. Paul will say things like: and I am paraphrasing here, I’m not one to brag about all my accomplishments, but here is everything that I have done. Now I am not being critical of Paul, and it is important to note that he made a point of giving credit to God for everything. I think that this is important for us as followers of Jesus to always make sure, as we testify to those around us and give our personal testimony, to remember who brought us through our trials, and make sure that we give the glory to God. It can be easy for us to talk to others and tell them about all that we have been through in our lives and act as though we made it by our own power. These are the perfect opportunities to tell people about how God has worked in your life and introduce them to Jesus.
One of my favorite preachers is Dr. Michael Youssef. He preached a message that has always stuck with me. The title of the message was, “We Preach Christ” The main point of his message was exactly what Paul is saying at the beginning of today’s text. He is reminding the brothers and sisters of Corinth about the gospel of Jesus and challenging them to stand in the gospel and hold firmly to the word of God. He is saying that the gospel should have absolute preeminence and priority in the life of a Christian and in the life of the church. Paul says, “Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” If Christ is not at the forefront of all that we do, if He is not our focus, if our lives and our work, the work of the church, does not reflect our Savior then what’s the point. If you are not leaving here on Sunday and telling others about Jesus, then what’s the point? If you listen to me preach and feel the Holy Spirit within you move and you don’t share that feeling with someone who needs it, then what’s the point? If we as a church feed the hungry, provide toothpaste to the food bank, give to the hurting, and do wonderful mission work, but fail to include the gospel of Jesus Christ in it, then what is the point, and as Paul would say, “We have believed in vain.”
You will notice that I have chosen a hymn today that I don’t often choose. It’s not because I don’t like it, but because it is so long. It’s a wonderful hymn because it tells the complete story of the gospel of Jesus. This is what Paul is trying to convey to the Corinthians, and what I want you to remember today. Here is the standard by which every definition of the gospel must be measured. It must include four elements. Now these are not difficult, but as you talk to other people about your faith you need to have a handle on them. First is Christ’s death. Now you might think that we would start with his life, but hat is well documented, there is much historical proof that he lived and while his birth and life is wonderful for us to study, the fact is that he was born to die on the cross. Through his death we have life; he died in our place so that we could be forgiven. He lived because he loved us, he died to save us. Second, he was buried. When Jesus was buried, it was proof that the sacrifice was complete. Our sins were buried with him so that all that we had to do is accept him and what he has done for us. Buried he carried our sins far away. Third, the resurrection. There are many people in this world who believe that Jesus lived and died, but they will deny his resurrection. The Devil is hard at work putting doubt into the minds of those who are considering Jesus. As Christians we can’t leave this out, because this is the hope. Because he lives, because he rose, we also shall rise and live. Fourth, is the importance of witnesses to give testimony to his life after his resurrection. People want proof and that requires witnesses. The gospel cannot be preached the way it should be, without proclaiming all four truths.
So, you have the perfect outline to share the gospel of Jesus. Remember to always give glory to God. Remember the four elements of the gospel, and one last thing that makes a world of difference, emulate Paul. Our testimony must not be given in pride but in humility. Paul wrote this letter early in his ministry, and his attitude about being the least of the apostles would change in a surprising way as he became more famous. Years later, Paul would write, “I am less than the least of the Lord’s people” and very late in life, “I am the worst of sinners.” The more mature Paul became, the more he recognized his inadequacy before God. This is so difficult for us because our human nature is to be proud of everything. People who need to hear the gospel have heard from plenty of proud people in this world proclaiming how right they are. There are a thousand self-help books out there that will teach you how to be positive and take pride in yourself. People should recognize that you and your faith are different. A humble voice and attitude is what their souls have been waiting for. Where are you as a Christian? Are you able to emulate Paul and Jesus? Can you follow in the humble footsteps of your Savior? The closer that we walk with God the more we feel the gravity of our sinfulness; least, less, worst, the path to maturity in Christ.
In Christ’s Love and Peace
Pastor Bob
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