Declare the Gospel (I Corinthians 15)

Sermon  •  Submitted
0 ratings
· 7 views
Notes
Transcript

Introduction

Take the Scriptures if you have them with you and look with me to I Corinthians Chapter 15.
The Apostle Paul is writing here to the Church of Corinth. The Church at Corinth had fallen into division and strife within its ranks. There were those who identified with the name of Paul, others with the names of Apollos and of Peter, and also those remained faithful, the name of Christ. In this division, the truth in which Paul had taught to the saints at Corinth was lost. Many went back to their old ways, others combined the ways of the world of Corinth with their new life in Christ, and others placed their tradition over that of the Scriptures. The Apostle Paul deals with these problems. He rebukes these believers in their false ideal of what Christ truly represents, and in the end answers many questions they have. One of these questions is found here in Chapter 15. There was a strong doubt of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, and the Apostle Paul takes a mighty stand against this falsity within the Church at Corinth.
This morning, I won’t be preaching or teaching on entirety of this chapter, but simply 19 out of 58 verses. I challenge you after this morning, to go back and read the entirety of this chapter. There is so much truth found in this chapter of who Jesus is, but this morning I want to focus on something the vast majority of us have heard. Friends, I simply want to preach to you this morning, the Gospel. And so look me starting in verse number 1, where the Bible says...

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet 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 which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.

Now look down with me to verse number 50.

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Let’s Pray.

I Declare...

The Apostle starts the text here off by say “I declare unto you the Gospel...”
This word declare means to be made clear. Paul had taken the fourteen chapters dealing with different issues from marriage, to the cleanliness of meats, to the distribution of the Spiritual Gifts, but none of what was taught, nor what was rebuked means anything without the Gospel. These are the basics. The Church of Corinth, and dare I say Bailey Road Baptist Church, will understand and will never get right anything else they practice unless they understand the Gospel. Remember, Paul says in the first chapter and sixteenth verse in letter to Church at Rome

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

The Gospel is the very power of salvation. Its in the Gospel that a soul is saved from eternal damnation in Hell. It for this reason, we preach the Gospel. Its for this reason we tell others. As you see continuing in I Corinthians 15:1
1 Corinthians 15:1 (KJV 1900)
which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
Its here that Paul tells us that they recieved the Gospel, and where they stand upon it. And in vs. 2 Paul says
I Corinthians 15:2 “by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.”
There’s an assurance that those who receive the Gospel are saved. If you truly believe this Gospel, the very same Gospel Paul preached to this Church at Corinth, your belief is not in vain, but you are secure.
Acts Chapter 2 tells us that those who gladly received His word were baptized and added unto the church. We Paul is speaking to baptized believers here, yet he still stands and questions some if their so called belief was in vain. This morning I want to challenge you further, that even if you’ve been a member of this church for 50 years, and you realize you were never truly saved, it is not too late.
You say Brother Trevor, I’ve heard the Gospel, but I’m here to say whether you’ve heard the Gospel a thousand times, or even the first time, you’re going to here it today. For the Gospel is the good news of Christ and as the Apostle says in the Book of Philippians:

To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.

This morning, I declare unto you the Gospel...

I. The Death

What is this Gospel you speak of?
The first part of the Gospel is the very death of Christ.
Jesus Christ, the very eternal Son of God, who walked the very Earth He created, and faced every trial and temptation we face on a daily basis. Yet He never sinned. Jesus, the perfect Son of God, who knew no sin was arrested, tried, lied about, condemned, and sentenced to death by crucifixion.
In Matthew 26 the Bible reads:

57 And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58 But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest’s palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end. 59 Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; 60 But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, 61 And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. 62 And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. 66 What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. 67 Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, 68 Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?

The very leaders of the people He came to save denied Him, and brought false accusations against him and, even smote (or struck him with a firm blow), and mocked their Messiah. He came to change their tradition, and their blinded them so much they couldn’t even see their prophesy come to life. You’ll even see further on one of his most trusted disciples, Peter, deny Him three times.
But there’s more. He led to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. Here he was questioned and even Pilate, a leader of a vial Gentile nation, found no fault. But given to the tradition, Pilate gave the Jews an opportunity to release a prisoner of their choice before the Passover. And Matthew reads here:

15 Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. 16 And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. 17 Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? 18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. 19 When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. 20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. 22 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. 23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. 24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. 25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. 26 Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

It was here Jesus’ own people chose a thief, murder, and rebel rowser over their Messiah. They chose the very flesh, and very sin he came to defeat. His own people cried out “Let his blood be our heads,” and they go even further “on their children’s heads.” They chose to crucify Jesus. From here they beat Jesus, they spat on him, they whipped him with a cat of nine tails, which was designed to rip the very flesh from his back. They put a crown of thorns upon his head. The thorn, a result of man’s initial sin in the garden. The beat Jesus in the head with a reed. The gambled for his clothes. They made him walk his own cross to the place known as Calvary, Golgatha, or a place of Skull. He was so weak, a man by the name of Simon of Cyrene was commanded to help carry the cross.
And when they arrived at Calvary. They laid the cross down, and Jesus upon it. And from there they drove one spike into one hand. They drove another spike into his other, and finally a third spike into his feet. It here that they crucified the Lord Jesus Christ, and as hung there for nine hours, they continued to mock him. They hung him between two thieves. The excruciating pain of the cross is one that I can’t even comprehend. Crucifixion is a form asphyxiation. As Jesus would breath his body would move on the nails. He had to choose, breath and be in severe pain, or don’t breath and be in severe pain. Its in this pain he cried out:

Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

And even in this, they mocked him. The Earth dark in this hour. The Earth began to tremble as its maker cries out in three simple words… “It… is… finished...” In this moment, the Bible says Jesus yielded up the ghost. Jesus chose to die. Jesus could have simply walked away. Jesus went through the pain and sorrow for you, and for me. You see, that cross wasn’t meant for Jesus, it was meant for me, and for you. In this moment Jesus could have said THATS ENOUGH! and chose to send every man, woman, and child straight to hell and leave us with know hope. But He willingingly gave his life for you and for me.
Isaiah writes hundreds of years before Jesus:

Who hath believed our report?

And to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant,

And as a root out of a dry ground:

He hath no form nor comeliness;

And when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

3 He is despised and rejected of men;

A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:

And we hid as it were our faces from him;

He was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he hath borne our griefs,

And carried our sorrows:

Yet we did esteem him stricken,

Smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities:

The chastisement of our peace was upon him;

And with his stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray;

We have turned every one to his own way;

And the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,

Yet he opened not his mouth:

He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter,

And as a sheep before her shearers is dumb,

So he openeth not his mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment:

And who shall declare his generation?

For he was cut off out of the land of the living:

For the transgression of my people was he stricken.

9 And he made his grave with the wicked,

And with the rich in his death;

Because he had done no violence,

Neither was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief:

When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin,

He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days,

And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied:

By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many;

For he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great,

And he shall divide the spoil with the strong;

Because he hath poured out his soul unto death:

And he was numbered with the transgressors;

And he bare the sin of many,

And made intercession for the transgressors.

Jesus died for you and for me...

II. The Burial

But the Apostle Paul doesn’t stop here. There’s more. Paul tells us then that he was buried.
Luke tells us at the end of the 23rd verse:

50 And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counseller; and he was a good man, and a just: 51 (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. 53 And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. 54 And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.

55 And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. 56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.

Understand that the tomb in which Jesus was buried was not his own. Jesus was buried in a borrowed tomb. The idea was to have his body buried and cared for before the Passover and before the Sabbath. The man in which lent Jesus his tomb was a wealthy man, and given concern of the law, potentially a pharisee. None the less, a faithful friend of Jesus.
During the first century, many people began to theorize about Jesus, and one theory was that Jesus never really died, and they never had a body of flesh and bone. The significance of the burial is this, that Jesus really existed, the second member of the eternal Godhead manifested himself in the flesh, and truly died that day on Calvary’s Cross. It too is a reminder, that one day we too will die. In this time, the disciples were beside themselves. All hope had seemed lost. In our sinful and natural state, we have no hope. When we die, we assume we are gone and there nothing beyond. This is a sobering reminder that we all have appointment with death, and without what comes next we are left without any hope.
They laid Jesus in the tomb, wrapped his body in linen cloth, anointed him with oil and spice, and sealed the tomb with a stone...

III. The Resurrection

But my friend… It doesn’t end here. For you see the best part is yet to come.
Mark tells us

And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. 2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week

They woman came by to treat the body of Christ. They expected to see a lifeless body that broken and battered, just as they had just days earlier. However, they saw something much different. They saw something unexpected, though it should have been completely expected if they had just listened to what their Teacher had taught them. For you see:

they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. 3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? 4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

The stone which seal the tomb was rolled away! This great big, probably several ton. stone was not where they had left it. In my mind, given how famous Jesus was, someone had to of stolen that body. Oh put praise God his thoughts are not my thoughts and his ways are not my ways.

5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. 6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. 7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. 8 And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.

And John says this

But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, 12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. 14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. 16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. 17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. 18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

Mary ran and told the disciples of what she had seen. The disciples fearing for their lives as they thought the Jews would turn on them as well, they were locked in a room all together and the Bible says,

19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

But disciple wasn’t with them, that of Thomas. We give Thomas such a bad wrap, but you can’t tell me you wouldn’t act the same. The Scripture tells us,

24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

The Victory

Friend Jesus is alive so that you can have eternal life. Back in I Corinthians 15 Paul tells us that Jesus is eventually seen by 500 people, and finally by him. Paul tells us that even in his persecustion of the church, Christ saved him, and even called him to be an Apostle. I like what Paul says in verse 10

10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Its by God’s grace that we are not only made new creations, but called to a greater calling. Paul gives God all the glory.
Now jump down to verse 50

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

It is in Jesus that you can have everlasting life. In Jesus alone, you can have victory over death.
John writes in I John 5:13

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

The Bible makes it clear
That we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God
That there none righteous no not one
That the wages of sin is death
This death is an eternal death. To die without Jesus, is to have future in eternity in a real place called hell. A place of weeping, and wailing, and the gnashing of teeth, where fire never goes out. A place initially made for the devil and his angels. This place of eternal torment.
But Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh to father but by me.”
The Bible says in John 3:16
John 3:16 KJV 1900
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
The Bible tells us this is a free gift. You just have to receive it.
In a moment, we’re going to have what’s called an invitation. Jesus gave the ultimate invitation,
Matthew 11:28–29 KJV 1900
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
During this time, I welcome you to come forward, heads will be bowed and eyes will be closed, no one will be looking around. The live stream will be shut off. Come forward and meet Jesus face to face.
To those of you who are saved, and know. You come forward too. This message was meant to be a reminder of what the Christian life and the ministry of the body of Christ is about. Its not about your traditions, its not about the old time way, its about what we’ve always done. The Christian life is about Jesus, and if I can be blunt, its not about you. Its not about what you think. Its not about what you like. Its about Jesus. You may need to come forward and rededicate your life to Jesus. At the very least, as a body of believers you should be coming forward to pray for your church together and boldly say we will serve Christ. Jesus is what is what everything is about!
At this time I ask for every head bowed and every eye closed this morning.
Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more
Copyright 2024 Logos Bible SoftwareFeatures|Pricing|Privacy|Terms of Use|Support