From the Cross to the Crown
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Announcements:
1. Welcome to The Gap on this Easter Sunday! If you haven’t already, please be sure to get a photo taken at the photo area.
Worship:
Praise
2. House of the Lord
3. King of Kings
4. All Hail King Jesus
5. What He’s Done (Altar)
6. Worthy of It All
Introduction:
If you have ever been to church before in your life, you have probably experienced a situation where they were talking about a bunch of things that you didn’t understand. And, more importantly, you had to keep nodding your head and pretend you knew exactly what they were talking about.
For instance, if you were to go to a church (and this week may be your first time or first time in a while and if so, we welcome you!), you may hear a bunch of words being thrown around like sanctification, redemption, grace, salvation, sin, etc.
How many of us have heard someone talk about the Gospel before? How many of us actually know what the Gospel is? You may have heard people talk about the Gospel many times and still may not even know what it is as we tend to assume people know what we talk about in church. Some of you may kind of know what the Gospel is about but there are still some fuzzy areas you are still trying to bring into focus. And there are others here this morning that know exactly what I am talking about when I mention the Gospel.
Is there anyone else here that has a bad memory? There are ways to help with a bad memory like writing things down, repeating things to yourself until you remember, using apps like notes and reminders and also having the help of others to remind you from time to time.
This morning, I want to take the opportunity to remind us of something very important. This is so important that many people don’t remember, some people think they know “kind of”, or some don’t even know this.
What am I talking about? I’m talking about the Gospel.
So, what is the Gospel?
If you were to ask that question, you would likely get answers like:
-Good News (yes, Gospel in Greek means “Good News” but that is not what they Gospel is)
-Jesus Himself (it’s what He has done!)
-a synonym for the New Testament or the Bible
-to treat others nicely
-the Golden Rule
-a call to equality
-social justice
-achieving happiness
-can be equated with wealth
-to do whatever you want to as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else
-it’s actually a mysterious concept which cannot be defined
The list goes on and on. The problem is that none of those answers are correct!
Transition: This morning we will be in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 to see what the Gospel is and why the resurrection we celebrate today is just as important.
Body:
1 Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to you, which you received, on which you have taken your stand
2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold to the message I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: 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,
Transition: So, my first point I want to talk about this morning is:
I. We need to be reminded about what the Gospel is not (vv1-2)
1 Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to you, which you received, on which you have taken your stand
2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold to the message I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
A. Paul was writing to the church in Corinth in response to the report that Chloe gave him about the church. Paul has covered the topics of idols, marriage, spiritual gifts and the Lord’s Supper so far in this letter and now addresses the topic of the Gospel in view of the resurrection.
B. Paul is reminding the church of the Gospel that he preached to them before and they received. But other teachers came and preached a different Gospel which the people were buying into while still claiming to be saved. Maybe it was more appealing or something else, but they were choosing to buy into the false teachers that came into the church.
We, too, can easily buy into false gospels and there are many being preached today such as:
You can earn your way into heaven
There is no hell
You can be nice enough to go to heaven
You can do enough good works to outweigh your bad works (some prominent religious groups teach this as well today: JW, Muslims)
God is too loving and merciful to send me to hell
C. Whether you’re a visitor this morning and have never set foot in a church or you are Christian and have been attending church for years, we all need to be reminded of the Gospel.
D. The Gospel never loses its importance and is not some sort of game of horseshoes.
In other words, just because you get close (go to church, marry a believer, have Christian parents, involved in church ministries, etc.) doesn’t mean you go to heaven.
Transition: Now that we know what the Gospel is not, what else should we know about the Gospel?
II. The Gospel is first priority (V3a)
1 Corinthians 15:3a (NIV)
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance
A. Paul says the Gospel is of first importance. It is not the highest importance but the first importance. Why is it first importance? Because there is nothing more important at first to share with unbelievers/pre-Christians than the Gospel.
B. We can easily get caught up in discussing with others, especially pre-Christians, about the accuracy of the Bible, denomination differences, scandals in the church because they are open and willing to talk about these topics.
But reject foolish and ignorant disputes, because you know that they breed quarrels.
Illustration: Not getting sucked into fruitless arguments and debates with students at MCS who don’t agree with the Gospel to begin with so there’s no common ground to start with
C. We need to be more focused on talking about the claims of Jesus Christ, who Jesus Christ is, the Gospel and how to get to heaven! Even Paul earlier in this letter said that‘s all he came with:
2 I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Transition: So, all this talk about the Gospel and we haven’t talked about what the Gospel is!
III. What is the Gospel? (Vv3-4)
1 Corinthians 15:3b–4 (NIV)
…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,
A. Christ died on the cross for sin
it begins with our sin
(not on slide)
23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;
If there is no sin problem, then there’s no need for salvation.
We have to understand the standard is perfection from birth to death and that is defined by the Bible.
9 What then? Are we any better off? Not at all! For we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin, 10 as it is written:
There is no one righteous, not even one.
“But I am a good person” doesn’t work!
8 If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
false gospels are an alternative for us to consider the reality of our sin and help us think we aren’t that bad
Our sin (thoughts, attitudes, choices, etc. that go against God) offends a Holy God in which only our death can pay the debt (death; not doing more good than bad)
(not on slide)
22 According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
We all need to be reminded, believers and pre-Christians alike, that we are not good enough to reach God’s standard because we aren’t perfect
Many are teaching there are many ways to heaven. But I am here to tell you there are many ways to hell but only one way to heaven.
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
God prescribed the solution according to the Scriptures and we can’t choose a different way to solve this problem of sin
Just as we can’t change a judge’s mind in court to avoid a judgment because of the good things we have done in the past, we can’t expect God Himself to do it either! Just as the law is the standard we need to abide by, God’s law (10 commandments is the standard He judges us by; Jesus Himself summarizes all the law by saying:
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. 31 The second is, Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.”
That’s why God sent Jesus! Because we cannot measure up to the standard God requires!
1 Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground. He didn’t have an impressive form or majesty that we should look at him, no appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like someone people turned away from; he was despised, and we didn’t value him.
4 Yet he himself bore our sicknesses, and he carried our pains; but we in turn regarded him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds.
6 We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished him for the iniquity of us all.
No self-appointed savior can do this! Buddha, Confucius, David Koresh, Joseph Smith, ______ etc.
Jesus Christ satisfied our debt by dying for us on the cross! Because only a sinless person could die in our place.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
wages for work = you get paid according to your work
wages for sin = you get paid according to your sin (death)
Many people claim that Jesus didn’t die and this is nothing new.
The writers of 1,2,3 John and Jude wrote to address this issue presented by the gnostics (they believe that human beings contain a piece of God (the highest good or a divine spark) within themselves, which has fallen from the immaterial world into the bodies of humans.)
But Jesus was a man, died and was buried.
SInce Jesus died for your sin, you don’t have to!
B. So, what’s the big deal about the resurrection we celebrate today?
A. What if I told you I played in the NBA? I would talk about certain players, etc. and would you believe me? NO! You would likely look at my big belly and say it can’t be true! And more likely you would tell me to prove it!
B. Well, I don’t play in the NBA. But the resurrection was the proof that Jesus Christ is who He said He is!
C. He is the son of God and other people saw Him too after He rose again!
1 Corinthians 15:3–6 (CSB)
3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: 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, then to the Twelve. 6 Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep.
D. And the resurrection proved that God accepted the payment for our sins!
E. How do I know this? Because Jesus ascended back to the Father in heaven and sin isn’t allowed in heaven!
3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
4 So he became superior to the angels, just as the name he inherited is more excellent than theirs.
He went back into heaven after paying for our sins as King of kings and Lord of lords!
55 Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven. He saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
56 He said, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
That’s the Gospel or the Good News!
Bad news: You and I were born into sin. We cannot, no matter how hard we try, get to heaven on our own.
Our sin requires the death penalty. Either I have to pay it or I can accept Jesus’ payment for my sin in my place.
Good news: Jesus died on the cross to pay for my sins and after three days, He rose again!
The resurrection proves the payment was finished and Jesus Christ is the sinless, blameless Son of God!
Our debt has been paid!!!!!!!
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Conclusion:
1 Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to you, which you received, on which you have taken your stand
2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold to the message I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: 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,
Do you realize this morning that we are all sinners? We cannot meet God’s standard (10 commandments)
Do you realize the debt for sin is death and it needs to be paid?
We either have to pay it one day or we can accept the payment Jesus did on the cross.
Have you accepted Jesus’ payment for your sins on the cross? (We accept His payment by accepting Him into our life and living for Him)
The Bible tells us how to be saved!
9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.
Jesus paid the price for our sins on the cross so that we could choose to crown Him Savior and King of our life!
Close with altar call for those to accept Jesus or re-dedicate their life to Jesus.