The Life-Changing Power of the Gospel Message
John Hester
Our Blueprint for a New Testament Church • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 1 viewThe Gospel message is an essential part of our spiritual journey. It transforms lives and brings us closer to God.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Today we return to our journey through the book of 1 Corinthians. Since we are starting a new chapter and a different topic, let me remind that this entire letter was written to a local church in the city of Corinth. The Holy Spirit penned these words with the sole purpose of setting straight some issues that were plaguing this congregation. We just finished reading and seeking to understand all that God desires for us concerning spiritual gifts. Now, as we come closer to the end of this great letter, the Holy Spirit turns our attention to the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. He begins by showing to us the importance of what we know as the “Gospel Message.” The Holy Spirit not only defines the Gospel Message, but He also demonstrates how that it is a Life-Changing message.
1 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.
Note three key characteristics about the goods news of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.
The Gospel Affects Spiritual Change
The Gospel Affects Spiritual Change
1 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.
Undoubtedly, these Corinthian believers were changed by the good news delivered by Paul. Some keywords in these verses must be noted.
Paul “preached” the good news of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. The word “preached” or “preach” comes from a Greek word that means “to proclaim or bear good news.” This same Greek word gives us the word “evangelize.” Paul came to Corinth and proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ to the Corinthians.
What was the result? Some rejected his message, but some “received” it.
Acts 18 records the time when Paul arrived in Corinth. If you read the account, you will know that Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching the Word of God among them. During that time, many were persuaded that Jesus was the Messiah, and they gladly accepted Paul’s good news concerning Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.
Note one other thing pertinent to the Gospel. Verse 2 says, “By which also ye were saved.” The word “saved” literally means “to make whole.” The idea is that of saving someone from disease or sickness.
Here is what I want you to know this morning based on this text.
The Gospel is how God affects spiritual change in all who will hear and accept its message.
Undoubtedly, we are all born into this world spiritually sick. In fact, Scripture states we are born into this world spiritually dead.
1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
This passage is beautiful. It describes our natural, predetermined condition as we are born into this world. We were born already “dead in trespasses and sins.”
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Such a condition is easy to prove. This morning, no person’s parents taught them how to lie, cheat or steal. In fact, our parents worked hard at teaching us to do moral things like being honest and respecting other people. We were born already conditioned to live immorally. It is the reason governments were created. They were formed to keep sin in check. As this passage in Ephesians 2 describes every one lives to fulfill their desires of the flesh and mind. Every person is already born a child of wrath. If you don’t believe me, go to Walmart and see for yourself. You will find selfish people seeking to fulfill their own desires. They have no desire for God. If they did, they would be here this morning and not elsewhere. The truth is that all of us are born spiritually dead. We need healing. We need spiritual resurrection.
Praise God that He is a God of mercy, love, and grace!
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
This is the Gospel message. God has this great rescue plan. It is a plan of resurrection. Even when we were dead in our sins, God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to earth and to live among sinful men. Philippians 2:7-8
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
He, the Lord Jesus Christ, became “obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” There is the first essential element of the Gospel. Christ came to die for our sins. He accomplished that mission on a hill outside of Jerusalem called Mt. Calvary. After He willingly gave up His life for us, they took His body down and buried him in a tomb, rolling a stone over the entrance. His burial is the second key element of the Gospel. However, there is a third and vital element of the Gospel.
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:
Christ rose again. He arose victorious over sin and death. Consequently, He has the power to bring to life all who are spiritually dead. Remember Ephesians 2:5
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
The word “quickened” means “to make alive.” That is the transforming power of the Gospel. Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection are how you and I are made spiritually alive again.
The book of Romans paints a beautiful picture of this transformation. It all started with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Romans 5:12 tells us.
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Adam’s sin resulted in his spiritual death. If you recall, before Adam and Eve sinned, they experienced a very close relationship with God. However, after they disobeyed God’s ONE COMMANDMENT, God dealt justly with them. In doing so, He cast them out of the garden. Death, which is simply a physical separation, happened at that moment. Man and God were separated as God could no longer enjoy daily fellowship with sinful men. We know that Adam did not die physically that day. In fact, Adam went on to live until he was 930 years old. He did, however, die spiritually. Thus, Romans 5:12 accurately describes our own spiritual condition at the time we are born. We are born spiritually dead due to Adam’s failure to obey God. As stated, “Sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” During His earthly ministry, Christ had an interesting conversation with a religious ruler named Nicodemus. In that conversation, Christ told Nicodemus that he needed to be “born again.” His exact words to Nicodemus were...
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus’ reaction was this.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
Christ went on to say.
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
What all this talk of being born again? What was Christ referring to when He said, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God?”
The answer is simple. A person must be born of water (aka the flesh) but also born of the Spirit to be accepted into God’s kingdom. Thus, it would stand to reason that we, as we are born physically into this world, are born already spiritually dead, as noted earlier in Ephesians 2:1. Therefore, each person is in need of spiritual resurrection (born again or made alive) before they can enter God’s kingdom.
How then does a person experience spiritual resurrection? Spiritual resurrection comes by faith.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
The book of Romans paints a beautiful picture of this transformation. It all started with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Romans 5:12 tells us.
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Adam’s sin resulted in his spiritual death. If you recall, before Adam and Eve sinned, they experience a very close relationship with God. However, after the disobeyed God’s ONE COMMANDMENT, God dealt justly with them. In doing so, He cast them out of the garden. Death, which is simply physical separation, happened in that moment. Man and God were separated from each other as God could no longer enjoy daily fellowship with sinful men. We know that Adam did not die physically that day. In fact, Adam went on to live until he was 930 years old. He did, however, die spiritually. Thus, Romans 5:12 accurately describes our own spiritual condition at the time we are born. We are born spiritually dead due to Adam’s failure to obey God. As stated, “Sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Christ, during His earthly ministry, had an interesting conversation with a religious ruler named Nicodemus. In that conversation, Christ told Nicodemus that he needed to be “born again.” His exact words to Nicodemus were...
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus’ reaction was this.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
Christ went on to say.
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
What all this talk of being born again? What was Christ referring to when He said “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God?”
The answer is simple. A person who is born of the water (aka the flesh), but also be born of the Spirit in order to be accepted into God’s kingdom. Thus, it would stand to reason that we, as we are born physically into this world, are born already spiritually dead as noted earlier in Ephesians 2:1. Therefore, each person is in need of spiritual resurrection (born again or made alive) before they can enter God’s kingdom.
How then does a person experience spiritual resurrection? Spiritual resurrection comes by faith.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Faith is simply believing with all your heart, soul, and mind in such a fashion that you act upon what you believe. For instance, I believe with all my heart, soul, and mind that electricity works. None of us can see electricity, but we definitely see the effects of it. Thus, without hesitation, whenever I walk into a dark room, I flip the light switch on. Now I know that this is not a perfect analogy, but it is close enough. For a person to be spritually resurrection, they must believe with all their heart, soul, and mind this crucial fact.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Over in John 14:6 we read...
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Here is the point. You must believe that God exists. You must believe that Jesus Christ is God. You must then admit you are sinner in need of a Savior (that you need spiritual resurrection). You must then believe that Christ is the only means for you spiritual resurrection. This is the heart of the Gospel message. Why should I believe that Christ is my only means of spiritual resurrection. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only One Who has ever resurrected Himself from the dead. In doing so, He proved, beyond any doubt, that He is God for only God has such power. He also proved that He loves you and desires to see you spiritually alive. Now, all He asks of you is believe Him.
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
All across this world and throughout all of history, men and women who were born spiritually dead have experienced the life transforming change of the Gospel message. The Corinthians were no different. They place their faith in the message preached by Paul to them the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
It is the same gospel that I preach unto you this morning. I hope that you have received it already. The great thing is this. If you haven’t, it is not too late to do so today. You can place your faith in all God has done for you. If you will, it will completely change your life. I am reminded of this passage.
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
It matters not what you think you are today or even how you think people perceive you. What matters is that God loves you! He loves you so much He died for you and rose again on the third day. Will you accept Him by faith this morning?
What about those who claim the gospel is a fabricated story?
The Gospel Authenticated by a Multitude of Witnesses
The Gospel Authenticated by a Multitude of Witnesses
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.
Authenticity is often marked by how many people testify that it is genuinely true. Even today, there are those who challenge whether or not Christ truly rose from the dead.
Note the three crucial elements of the Gospel, also known as Good News.
Christ died for our sins
Christ was buried.
Christ rose again the third day.
There are many who claim to preach the gospel of Christ. Yet, so many do not list all three element. In fact, the whole reason that the Holy Spirit inspires Paul to write this part of the letter is due to the fact many were already disputing Christ’s resurrection. They willingly admitted that Christ died and was buried. Unfortunately, they doubted one of the key components of the gospel. We will get more into why resurrection was key component later in this chapter. For now, it is important for us to understand that all three components are listed as the gospel message.
Christ indeed died for our sins.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
Christ was buried. For sake of time this morning I will not read the accounts of His burial. You can read them for yourself as recorded in Matthew 27:57-60, Mark 15:43-46, Luke 23:50-53, and John 19:38-42. Very few dispute the facts that Christ lived, died, and was buried. Perhaps it is easier to accept simply because we all have loved ones that died and we buried them. Unless Christ returns before my time, I too will die and someone will bury me. It is a commonly accepted fact of life.
Resurrection is entirely different matter. Christ is the only Person who claimed He resurrected Himself. In fact, He is the only Person to have ever resurrect another person. Yet, for some reason, not many dispute how He resurrected Lazarus from the dead as well as others. Yet, for some reason, many cannot accept the fact that He resurrected Himself. It would seem that there were those in this local church at Corinth who also were causing many to doubt Christ’s resurrection. Consequently, the Holy Spirit authenticates the fact that Christ rose again by listing the many witnesses of Christ after His death. If you total it up, there are more than 513 people who physically saw Christ after His resurrection mentioned in this passage. Verse 6 is a very interesting verse.
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.
The Holy Spirit states that Christ appeared to five hundred people at one time. All five hundred saw Him after His resurrection. If one person here and there says they saw Christ after His death, many could dispute that. They would claim they were hallucinating or dreaming. It would be one person’s word against many. But when five hundred people say they all say the same person after that person’s death, there are not many who can dispute such a claim.
What does all this mean?
It means that Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection was a literal event that took place. He did indeed arise from the dead. The gospel message is a authenticated message that can be boldly proclaimed to all who will hear.
The Gospel is All About God’s Grace
The Gospel is All About God’s Grace
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.
Ultimately, Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection is the focal point of God’s grace to us. Paul understood this more than most. Note that he considered himself to be the “least of the apostles.” He even goes on to state that in his mind he was “not meet to be called an apostle.” Before he met Christ, Paul was not a good man. He was an educated man, but his education led him in the wrong direction. In fact, Paul, who was Saul then, was notorious for hunting down believers, arresting them, and having them hauled off to prison. Hence, in his mind, he did not deserve all that God had done let alone be listed as an apostle.
Verse 10 sums it all up for both Paul and us. Note that he says “But by the grace of God I am what I am.” Every believer can make that very same claim this morning. We are who we are not because of what we have done or acheived, but we are who we are due to God’s wonderful grace.
What is grace? Some have identified God’s grace as unmerited favor. I would not disagree. I believe there is a verse in Philippians that sums up God’s grace. Philippians 2:13
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
It is God Who places within us the desire (will) and the ability (to do) to please Him. Outside of God, we are nothing more than sinners under condemnation. Our righteousness is as filthy rags. It is the reason Romans 3:23
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
There is not a thing anyone of us can do to achieve God’s pleasure and enter His glory. God knew this. Thus, God gladly took on the role of helping us. He came down and lived among men knowing the wickedness of men. He then willingly shed His own blood dying upon a cruel tree. Three days later, He resurrected Himself from the dead proving His power of sin and death. God worked. Why did He do it?
16 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.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
He did it because He is love. His love demanded that He demonstrate His grace. He showed favor to us as sinful men and women. He was forced to do it in the sense that we demanded He do it. No, He did it because of His own nature to love and be merciful us as sinners. For this reason, all who place their faith in all that He has done enjoys His grace.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
God’s grace is the reason each believer stands covered in Christ’s righteousness uncondemned for all eternity. We, as believers, are who we are because of Who God is. He is God of great grace.
Now, go back to verse 10 of our text.
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.
Paul further testifies that “his grace (God’s grace) which was bestowed upon me WAS NOT IN VAIN.” In other words, God’s grace was not wasted. From the moment God showed unmerited favor to Paul on the road to Damascus, Paul determine to labor (work) harder (more abundantly) “than they all.” Paul was determined to show his love for the Lord in return for the Lord’s love shown to Him.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
Note one other thing Paul testifies to 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.
At the end of that verse, Paul states “yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” This thought brings me back to what is God’s grace. Remember Philippians 2:13
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
You see from the moment we believe and accept the good news of the Gospel (Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection) God places within us the desire (will) and the ability to do of HIS good pleasure. Anything that I accomplish after salvation for the Lord is because of God’s grace working in me. What a wonderful blessing from the Lord!
Note now verse 11 of our text.
11 Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
What was the message Paul preached? He preached unto them the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. He preached. They believed. What was the result? They experienced the grace of God upon their lives. From that moment, everything changed.
Conclusion
Conclusion