Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Illustration about Essentials

What is essential to you?

Employment

Car

Image

Possessions

Family

Indulgences

When it comes to the gospel, that we as Christian’s believe, stand on, and are saved by, the resurrection is essential.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is that central moment in human history that serves as the foundational doctrine of Christianity.

After having truly assumed human nature and submitted to an agonizing and shameful public death, the eternal Son of God was truly raised from the dead in his glorified physical body, no longer subject to decay and death.

His resurrection validates his identity as the divine Son of God, demonstrates his irrevocable victory over death and the grave, and secures both the present salvation and future physical resurrection of believers.

You see without the resurrection, there is no hope.

Without the resurrection, the gospel is stopped before it even begins.

A little later in Paul says, “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”

I was listening to a podcast recently with the theologian NT Wright and he said this:

Lexham Survey of Theology

You see without the resurrection, there is no hope.

Without the resurrection, the gospel is stopped before it even begins.

A little later in Paul says, “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”

I was listening to a podcast recently with the theologian NT Wright and he said this:

If [Jesus] has dealt with sin on the cross…then…death itself cannot hold him any longer because it’s sin…that causes death.

Tom Wright

It is impossible for Jesus to have defeated sin on the cross and not to be resurrected.

Without the resurrection, sin and death have not been defeated, because Jesus would still be held by death.

The resurrection is utterly essential to the gospel message that we believe and hold fast to.

So this morning I want to look at Paul’s argument in favour of the resurrection, but before we do, let’s just look briefly at the context in which Paul is writing this passage that we’ve read.

Background

The church at Corinth had sent Paul a letter, clearly with a number of questions and issues that they were wrestling with.

One of these issues was to do with bodily resurrection.

The Corinthians had come to believe that there would be life after death, but without bodily resurrection.

Paul spends a great deal of time working through this, is the longest chapter in any of the New Testament epistles, but he starts by laying out the foundation for his argument – Christ’s resurrection.

You see, without Christ’s resurrection, there can be no resurrection for us.

Christ’s resurrection paved the way for ours.

In the first 11 verses of , Paul establishes the historical reliability of Jesus’ resurrection, the certainty of which, gives him the foundation on which to build his argument in favour of bodily resurrection for all Christians.

This morning, I just want to briefly consider this foundation that Paul lays, and I want to look at two features of the gospel that he shares in these 11 verses at the start of chapter 15.

1.

The Gospel is Trustworthy

Has anyone here every doubted the gospel, or parts of it?

I’ve certainly had my moments!

I think it’s safe to say that the Corinthian church were having a similar moment and Paul begins by addressing this.

Verse 1 – “Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel...”

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel

The New International Version.

(2011).

().

Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Paul isn’t telling the Corinthians something new here.

Paul is reminding them of that which they have already believed.

He’s reminding them that the gospel worked when they believed and that it still works now!

I think as Christians we need to remember to remind ourselves of that which we already know.

There’s definitely something to be said for every day reminding ourselves of the gospel we believe in, that we hope in and that we rejoice in.

After Paul has reminded them of that which they have believed he begins to share the core elements of the gospel with them.

Paul’s confidence in the gospel in these verses comes from the fact that Christ’s death and resurrection are both prophetically and historically verifiable.

In verses 3-5 he writes:

“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.

“

One phrase immediately jumps out in these verses, “according to the Scriptures.”

We know that in the Old Testament, God predicted that Christ would die and rise again.

One of the strongest arguments that Jesus was the promised Messiah is how his life fulfilled Old Testament prophecy.

In verse 3 we read that Paul shared the gospel with the Corinthians “as of first importance.”

For Paul, and indeed for all of us, the gospel is of first importance and is utterly foundational for the Christian life.

We can debate plenty of non-essential issues that arise from Scripture, but the gospel is of first importance.

It’s a non-negotiable.

But why is that so?

The gospel didn’t come from Paul or from any other man.

The gospel was received from God and then delivered to people.

It’s God’s gospel, not ours.

I often reflect on God’s plan for salvation and think to myself, no one in their right mind would come up with a plan for salvation like this one.

Surely a superhero or an army would have worked better?

Surely it isn’t free to anyone who believes?

But hallelujah for the freely given gift of salvation!

Praise God!

So we understand that the gospel is important, but what of it?

Paul goes on to share four facts of the gospel:

1. Christ died for our sins – Sin is the very reason Jesus went to the cross.

We deserve to die for our sins but Jesus died in our place.

Jesus took your place that you might have his place.

He took your hell that you might have his heaven

2. Christ was buried – Christ’s death wasn’t an accident.

On the contrary it was a very public and certain event.

Christ actually died.

He was placed in a tomb, that was sealed and guarded.

This reminds us that what happened three days later wasn’t merely a physical resuscitation.

Christ wasn’t buried alive.

He died on the cross.

3. Christ was raised – The firm foundation of our faith is the empty tomb.

Christ arose, his bones are nowhere to be found.

He is alive!

4. Christ was seen – Not only was there an empty tomb, Christ was seen by eyewitness’ after his resurrection.

At this point let’s just pause for a moment and be challenged.

We’ve heard the facts of the gospel.

Paul delivers them so clearly and so succinctly.

Let me ask you this morning.

Do you know the gospel better than you know sports scores, movie lines and song lyrics?

Could you share the gospel message in your sleep?

Are you that comfortable with presenting the facts of your faith?

We all should be.

There is no more important message in this world!

Returning to our passage, Paul continues by moving from the message of the gospel to a strong argument for the resurrection of Christ – historically verifiable witnesses.

Paul writes in verses 6-8:

“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.

Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.”