What Is The Gospel pt 2

Announcements:

New Community Group in Silverdale: David and Megan Camp Wednesdays; 6-8pm (2-3x/month) Childcare available

Wycliffe Associates: Eric Roberts Previously Pastor of what is now Discovery Church Bivocational with Wycliffe Associates and pastoring in Hoquiam, WA at Harbor Assembly of God

Opening Illustration

How many of you have had your smartphone for over a year? [pause for hands] Now, how many of you discovered a feature in the last month that you didn't know your phone could do? [likely many hands still up]

We carry these devices everywhere, use them daily, but we're often operating with only partial knowledge of their capabilities. The gospel is like that for many Christians. We know the basics—Jesus died for our sins—but there are features, depths, and dimensions to the good news that we've never fully explored. And unlike your phone, these aren't optional features—they're essential components that change how we understand God, ourselves, and the world around us.

Many church traditions today emphasize different parts of the gospel. Right now there is even debate and discussion in those circles that discuss church things, what is the heart of the gospel? Some traditions will say the eucharist, some will say the atonement, some will say the enthronement of the Son after the ascension. Great and necessary conversations and debates.

I will say that they are all important. Every facet of the gospel is necessary and this is why we should know it. When we share it with people, understanding the gospel will help us know how to communicate the desire for relationship that God has for you, me, our neighbors, our family members, our friends.

While there is not one single portion of scripture that encompasses the totality of the gospel, each week of this four part series we will read a portion of scripture to start off our time that highlights the gospel.

So if you have your Bibles and/or on your devices, if you would turn to the Gospel of 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, if you are willing and able, would you please stand as I read our portion of scripture this morning.

This is the word of the Lord. Praise be to God. Let’s pray… you may be seated.

10 Essential Elements to the Gospel:

We’ll be reminded of these things each week. This week we take the first three. (Adapted from Matthew Bates: Gospel Allegiance)

Preexisted as God the Son

Was sent by the Father

Took on human flesh in fulfillment of God's promises to David

Died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures

Was buried

Was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures

Appeared to many witnesses

Is enthroned at the right hand of God as the ruling Christ

Has sent the Holy Spirit to his people to effect his rule

Will come again as final judge to rule

Starts with God. Each of the Trinitarian God-Head has a role to play. We’ll focus on each as we work though the aspects of the Gospel and it’s implications.

First we have to understand that we were created in the image of God.

God created us as image-bearing, bless-able, covenant partners

God wanted relationships with humanity as seen in the relationship between Adam and Eve (Man & Woman).

Adam and Eve (Man & Woman) chose their own wisdom and understanding to determine what was right, true, good, and beautiful. Isn’t that the case with all sin. “God, I know better than you.”

What now. Dead in sin and trespass, how will this relationship be restored? This is the good news. This is the work of God to bring us unto Himself. To restore that relationship that He desires to have for us.

Salvation is not the goal. Heaven is not the goal. Affluence, acceptance, community—none of these are the goal. Jesus is the goal. This is what the gospel tells us. Jesus is the end, and through Him, all those things—salvation, peace, heaven, acceptance, community—become the byproduct of a relationship with Him.

This might be a reality check for some of us. When the end isn't Jesus but something else, we become vulnerable to disillusionment. We walk away. We decide it's all a farce. Some people promote prosperity, wealth, and health—look what God can do for you! Maybe He could. But when we know Him, truly know Him, we can receive whatever comes our way and rejoice. Why? Because we deeply know the love God has for us. We know this because of the gospel. We know this because He has kept nothing of Himself from us.

Genesis gives us the first glimpse of how God was going to do this: Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.””

1. Died for Our Sins in Accordance with the Scriptures

Genesis 2:16–17 “And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.””

Ephesians 2:1 “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,”

Isaiah 53:5 “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

Colossians 1:22 “But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—”

1 Peter 2:24 ““He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.””

1 Corinthians 15:3 “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,”

Comfort:

Your guilt is genuinely dealt with, not minimized or ignored

The just penalty for your sins has been paid in full—no debt remains

God's justice and mercy meet perfectly at the cross—He doesn't compromise either

Modern Application:

Freedom from shame and condemnation that plague modern mental health

Shame tells us we are not worthy.

Forgiveness declares we are worthy and innately precious

No need to earn God's favor through performance or good works

We can’t earn His favor. Rarely will a good person die or put their life on the line for another… BUT Christ, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Provides a model of sacrificial love for relationships

Answers the problem of guilt in a therapeutic culture that often denies sin

2. Was Buried

John 19:40–41 “Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid.”

Isaiah 53:9 “He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.”

Comfort:

Jesus went all the way through death—He didn't avoid its full horror

His burial confirms His death was real, not an illusion; your salvation rests on historical fact

Christ dignified even the grave, transforming it from ultimate defeat to temporary passage

Modern Application:

Grief and death are validated as real and terrible, not spiritualized away

Provides comfort at funerals—Christ has been where your loved one is

Gives meaning to burial practices and honoring the dead

When you feel "buried" by circumstances, remember Christ was literally buried and rose again

3. Was Raised on the Third Day in Accordance with the Scriptures

Mark 16:5–7 “As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’ ””

Acts 13:30–31 “But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.”

1 Corinthians 15:4 “that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”

Comfort:

Death doesn't have the final word over you— in Jesus, resurrection is your destiny too

John 14:17–20 “the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”

Jesus conquered your greatest enemy and fear

It validates everything that Jesus ever said.

Your body matters; you'll receive a resurrected physical body, not just exist as a disembodied soul

Modern Application:

Hope in the face of terminal illness, aging, and mortality

Confidence that God can bring new life from your "dead" situations—marriages, careers, hopes

Provides hope beyond what therapy or positive thinking can offer

Conclusion

Today we've walked through another essential part of the gospel story—the cross, the tomb, and the resurrection. And here's what I want you to hear: these aren't just events that happened to Jesus. They're events that create a pathway for what can happen in you and through you.

When Christ died for your sins, He didn't just deal with your past—He freed your future. When He was buried, He didn't avoid the darkness—He walked through it so you'd never walk through it alone. When He rose on the third day, He didn't just prove His power—He opened a doorway to resurrection life that's available to you right now.

The guilt that's been weighing you down? There's a pathway to freedom—it starts at the cross. The grief you're carrying? There's a pathway through it—Christ has been in the grave. The dead places in your life—that marriage, that dream, that hope you've given up on? There's a pathway to new life—because the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to you.

But here's where the gospel becomes more than just good news to believe—it becomes good news to live. You're not passive in this story. Christ did the work you couldn't do—paid the price, conquered death, opened the way. But now He invites you to walk the pathway He's made.

Next week, we'll continue this journey as we explore what happened after the resurrection—the witnesses who saw Him, His ascension to the throne, the Spirit He sent, and His promised return. But don't wait until next Sunday to respond to what we've heard today.

This week, I want you to remember that you and I serve the God of the resurrection: identify one "dead" thing in your life and ask God to show you the pathway to resurrection. Maybe it's a relationship that feels hopeless. Maybe it's a part of your own heart that feels buried. Maybe it's a dream you've given up on. Bring it to the One who walked through death and came out the other side.

Because that's the gospel: Death doesn't get the final word. Christ does.

Let's pray...