News

I love the news. Much to my family’s chagrin, I prefer talk radio to just about anything else. I also read the news online every day. We’ve not had cable for the last 5 years or so, so I miss out on the local news at 6:00 and 10:00 (I’m assuming they still air the news at 6:00 and 10:00?).

Though my penchant for news bores/annoys my wife and kids, I am, every now and then, able to impress. On Kansas Public Radio, there’s a game show Saturday mornings called Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me where they ask people trivia questions from that week’s news headlines. I’m…pretty good. I’m kind of a big deal...

Does anyone want to play a quick round of Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me? I got these questions from yesterday’s program, so they’re very up-to-date.

Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me

>There’s news, and there’s news. It’s one thing to know the headlines of the week’s news; it’s far more important to know this news:

Christ died for your sins according to the Scriptures, He was buried, and He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.

He is Risen!

This is my favorite news headline of all time. It’s the best news headline in history. In fact, there is no news any more significant; no news any more life changing, no news any better than this: He died for your sins. He was buried in a borrowed tomb (no need for a tomb of His own; he only needed it for a few days). He rose from the grave, crushing death to death, showing that God was satisfied with His sacrifice. He is Risen! He is Risen, indeed!

I like that my kids are somewhat impressed with my knowledge of the week’s news headlines.

What I want more than anything, though, is for the news of Jesus’s death and resurrection to be impressed on their hearts, to change their lives. I want that for you, too.

So, if you have your Bible (and I hope you do), please turn with me to 1 Corinthians 15. Our text is on page ___________ of the Red Pew Bible in front of you. If you don’t have a personal Bible, please take one of those in the pews or come see me after worship; I’d love to give you a Bible to keep.

If you are able and willing, please stand with me for the reading of God’s Holy Word!

1 Corinthians 15:1–11 NIV

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.

May the Lord add His blessing to the reading of His Holy Word!

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The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ being the most important news of all time requires our commitment, or, for some of us, our re-commitment. We don’t move past this news, we don’t skim over it like the headlines of the morning paper; this news doesn’t ever find itself in the recycling bin or in the bottom of the birdcage. This news—the gospel, the Good News about Jesus Christ and what He has done demands more.

We need to be reminded of this news.

Reminding

We constantly need reminding. We need reminding, first of all, that the gospel isn’t anything we do. Hear that again: the gospel is not anything we do. No matter how important what we do is, no matter how commanded what we do is—the gospel is the news of what God has done in Christ.

You can’t do or be the gospel.

The gospel is a newspaper headline.

It’s the announcement of what God has done in history through Christ’s sinless life, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection.

Here, in this passage, Paul gives us what we could call the gospel in a nutshell:

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 NIV

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,

This is the essence of the gospel. Christ died for your sins and rose again that if you repent and believe in Him you can have forgiveness and eternal life. This is the essence of the good news about Jesus.

You’ll notice, it’s not advice. It’s not instructions or commandments. It’s not, to use the biblical category, law. It’s not.

It’s news.

We need constant reminding of this because we are constantly forgetting what the gospel is.

We need constant reminding because we are constantly forgetting what the gospel does.

Here is Paul, 15 chapters into the letter, and he says, “Now, let me remind you, brothers and sisters...”

Isn’t that interesting? Let me remind you… Paul knows that we need to be reminded of this incomparably Good News.

You and I do not wake up in gospel-mode. Our hearts are set on the flesh by default.

It’s a mercy that the mercies of God are new every morning, because we are desperately in need new morning mercies.

We do not wake up in gospel-mode.

We wake up just a-raring to sin. Or, let’s just put it this way: we wake up…well, I’ll just use myself as an example. I wake up and all my thoughts are about “my day.”

All my thoughts revolve around the phrase “my day.” What’s “my day” have in store? What’s “my day” going to look like? Who is going to interrupt “my day” today? Don’t my wife and kids know this is “my day”?

Immediately, first thing, I am set on myself. I am oriented around myself, almost from the get-go.

I recently and inadvertently won a bid on ebay (Ever been there? Bid on something and then think, ah, I don’t really want that. I always seem to win when I realize don’t really want it).

I won that bid on ebay and now the Case Home is the proud owner of an Amazon Echo Dot. It does some pretty cool stuff (including apparently listening to us all the time).

Aside from being constantly surveilled and spied-upon, I programmed some our lamps to work with it and now we can ask it to turn the living room light or the light by the back door on or off . It’ll turn the TV on or off and adjust the volume. It’ll play whatever music we ask it to play (currently “Ba Ba Black Sheep” and “Ring of Fire” are tied for the most requested song in our house).

I can also ask it about my day.

“Alexa, what’s on my schedule?”

As if I needed any more help being self-absorbed and self-centered. I’m just more efficiently self-absorbed now, thanks to Amazon and their fancy do-dads.

We do not wake up in gospel mode—whether it’s driving down the road wondering "why can’t everyone drive like me?”, or waiting in line at Walmart, just certain that those people are there to “ruin my day”.

We do not wake up in the fresh awareness of grace. And yet, and yet, we do wake up into a fresh heaping of grace from Lord who loves us despite our sin.

We need reminding of the news that Jesus died for our sins, that He was buried, and that He rose again and lives today—and this, not because we deserve it; this, not because we have earned God’s favor; this, because God loves us in spite of us. He loved us while we were His enemies. He loved us and did all the work to reconcile us to Himself.

We need reminding, each day, of this news.

Our minds are given to gospel amnesia. So we have to be reminded as to what is of first importance.

Reprioritizing

We constantly need reprioritizing. Paul delivered this message as of first importance: (verse 3)—For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance...

It seems clear to me, by what he goes on to say and what he says elsewhere, that he doesn’t mean “initial importance”, but “central importance”.

Paul isn’t saying, “Okay, listen to this real fast and we’ll move on to the more important stuff.”

Paul’s saying: “Okay, listen. This is of first importance, utmost importance; this is the single-most important news there is. Listen! Let me remind you! If you only get one thing, let it be this!”

Paul tells the members of the church in Corinth that it’s this news—the gospel—that has changed them.

“You received this news.”

“You have taken your stand on this news.”

"You are saved (and being saved) by this news.”

This is not simply good news for conversion.

I grew up in a church culture, and I’m going to be so bold as to say that if you grew up in the church then you grew up in a church culture that behaved as if the gospel—the Good News about Jesus—was merely what you needed to hear in order to be saved; this news, you were told, was for conversion only.

This news got you saved and that’s it. And then it went where all other news goes—to line some bird cage or to potty train Fido.

Sadly the common sentiment goes like this: “The gospel is only for lost people and then you move on to deeper teaching, deeper doctrine: soteriology, eschatology, etc.”

Churches have mistakenly framed the gospel in these ways—as news that will convert someone and that’s pretty much it. And, boy, is that wrong.

Paul shows us the expansive scope, the cosmic territory, that this news occupies. It is not simply the ABCs of the Christian life; this is the A-Z. You don’t grow beyond your need for the gospel.

In this one little verse we relearn that the good news is bigger than we thought it was.

1 Corinthians 15:1 ESV

1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,

In which you stand.

You received it. You heard the message of grace. You repented and believed. Someone shared it with you. You saw it on TV. You heard, you believed. You received.

Understand: your present standing before God is not based on your performance after that moment of initial reception.

Your standing before God, at this very moment, is based on what Christ has done on your behalf.

That’s not just news; that’s GOOD NEWS!

For a long time, I believed that I got in by Jesus but stayed in by my own power.

Many of us don’t believe that theologically, but we can imply it or model that mistaken belief in the way we speak about the gospel.

We subtly or unintentionally communicate to others that, somehow, we begin by grace, but continue by our performance.

“Look at all my merit badges!”

Churches used to give out pins and badges for perfect attendance and other accomplishments, and people would wear them.

In fact, this church used to give out those pins. I’m told there was a lady who wore her perfect attendance pins to church, if not every Sunday, then most Sundays—a big long strand of them, many years of perfect attendance. (I have to wonder if she didn’t think that earned her something extra…)

Truth is, we may not wear our badges outwardly, but we all have certain accomplishments and characteristics we believe contribute, somehow, to our standing before God.

“Look at all my merit badges! I’m a really nice guy. I volunteered at that soup kitchen once. I mowed my neighbor’s yard just because. I’m a basically good person.” And we rock our badges like a boy scout.

Truth is, we have no merit before God. None whatsoever.

Not what my hands have done Can save my guilty soul; Not what my toiling flesh has borne Can make my spirit whole. Not what I feel or do Can give me peace with God; Not all my prayers, And sighs and tears Can bear my awful load.

Thy work alone, O Christ, Can ease this weight of sin Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God, Can give me peace within. Thy love to me, O God, Not mine, O Lord, to Thee Can rid me of This dark unrest, And set my spirit free!

If your performance is your assurance, you should always feel insecure, because you, friend, can never do enough to please the Holy God; you could never do anything to satisfy His wrath.

We don’t get to say, “Look at all my merit badges!” We come with empty hands. “I have nothing to offer you, God, to enter your glory. What I have is what Christ has done for me on the cross.”

Reprioritize what Jesus has done. Get rid of any false assurance from good deeds and believe the gospel.

For this reason, Paul says,

Romans 1:16 NIV

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

The Holy Spirit working through this newspaper headline is the only thing that changes hearts, that brings dead people to life, that brings them from darkness into light, and that makes found people more Christlike.

If you think you’re beyond your need for the gospel, what you need is a double-dose of the gospel.

We must, with laser-like precision, fix our eyes on Christ. He is both the Author and the Perfecter of our faith.

We have to resolve to make this news primary and then put it on repeat. Let this be the lead story. Preach it to yourself: “Christ died for my sins. He was buried. And He rose again.” We need to reprioritize this news.

What’s more, this news, when we really hear it, will lead to our repenting.

Repenting

We constantly need repenting. Our central problem—your central problem, my central problem—is not a lack of self-esteem, it’s not a lack of self-fulfillment.

If that’s the central problem, we can go ahead and conduct church like a TED talk with a Bible verse, or turn on the TV and listen to that toothy fellow in Texas.

Our central problem is not those things, so our central solution isn’t a self-help program or self-actualization.

Our central problem is that we have rebelled against a Holy God.

Paul’s life is a really good illustration of this. He knows that his former life was marked by rebellion against God and against Christ’s Church. Paul persecuted the church, hunted down Christians, hated Christ and His followers.

1 Corinthians 15:9 NIV

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.

Paul knows that he is the least of the apostles. At other points in his letters he’ll say that he is “the chief of sinners”.

He sees himself rightly. He doesn’t deserve his position in Christ. He views himself as the worst sinner there is.

Sin is our central problem. We have to see ourselves rightly, as Paul did.

Undeserving.

The worst of sinners.

If you believe that you are better in God’s sight than that person because of what they’ve done, you haven’t understood your sin.

When you see yourself rightly and understand sin to be your central problem, you’ll get—you will really understand—your station before a Holy God.

And this news will lead you to repent.

Our central problem is that we’ve disobeyed His righteous commands. We’ve attempted to usurp His sovereign authority. Our central problem is that we have fallen short of the glory of God.

We need to repent.

Why after 14 chapters does Paul say, “I want to remind you...”?

Paul writes to address some problems in the church, and, boy howdy are there are a lot! The Corinthian church is one jacked-up church. We’ve spent the last two months discussing the problems they have just in their worship gatherings! Two months! And there are no doubt more problems in Corinth than Paul has ink and parchment to address.

So, why does he say, at this point, “I want to remind you...”?

Why at this point in the letter does Paul say, “Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel”?

Because the gospel—this Good News—is the answer.

Paul knows that for every behavior problem, there is a belief problem.

The only antidote that can generate the kind of power necessary to deal with our deep, deep sin is the Father’s deep, deep love expressed in the gospel. The only power sufficient to deal with my issues is the power of God’s grace found in the gospel.

Paul knows this.

1 Corinthians 15:10 NIV

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.

Paul knows it’s purely by the grace of God that he is what he is. Paul wants the Corinthians (and us) to realize our goodness, our righteousness, our religiosity don’t do anything for us.

If you only pour a bunch of to-dos and commands on the sin problem, you will come up with self-righteousness every time. If you take garbage and cover it with chocolate frosting, all you have is chocolate-covered garbage. Jesus called the religious leaders of the day “white-washed tombs”; they looked good on the outside and were rotting away on the inside.

Self-righteousness says: “I can defeat this on my own; got my checklist, just have to get to work.” “I can be a holy person myself.”

Paul says, “No sir!”

To hear this news, to understand this news, is to realize that the answer isn’t “I need to do better.” The answer is, “Jesus has done it. He has accomplished it. It is finished.”

Romans 4:25 NIV

25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

Our sins are payed for, once and for all. And His resurrection is definitive proof that we have been made right with God. If His death wasn’t enough, if it wasn’t satisfactory, if there was more yet to be done, Jesus would still occupy the Arimathean’s tomb.

But the tomb is empty! All who place their faith in the Risen Christ are saved, justified, righteous in the sight of God.

Our response to this news is repentance. Turning from ourselves and from our sin and turning to the One who saves, forgives, justifies, welcomes, and loves.

This Good News is God’s kindness toward us, intended to lead us to repentance.

>This is truly amazing news:

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 NIV

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,

What do we do with this good news?

We remind ourselves—daily. Repeat this to yourself. Write it down. When you swing your legs out of bed, make a habit of saying: “Christ died for my sins, He was buried, and He was raised on the third day.”

Remind yourself and then live in light of this incredible news.

We reprioritize this good news. Receive it. Take your stand upon it. It’s the news that saves. There’s nothing more important. Realize that this news has primacy of place on your resume. In fact, there’s nothing else on your spiritual resume that matters. Only Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection matters.

We repent. Friend, turn from your sin and run to Jesus, the One who died to set you free, the One who rose from the grave, the One through whom we have access to the Father. Place your faith and trust in Him. Give Him your life. The baptistry is warm and ready to go. Repent and follow Him today.

Hear this Good News this morning and let it change your life.