The Importance of the resurrection part 2

The resurrection is important because without it we could not be saved..

we went back and looked at and noted the importance of the gospel being proclaimed, and part of that gospel is the resurrection of Jesus Christ

The resurrection is important because it proclaims the forgiveness of sins in accordance of the scriptures..

I mentioned that the message being proclaimed was not something made up but it had been prophesied before hand. We went and looked at Jesus words that the law, prophets and writings must be fulfilled and went through the countless examples of how this was to take place, and even how the New Testament looks back to the Old and explains how they have been fulfilled.

( As a side note ) when you study scripture and see claims like this a good practice to implement in your study is to look first at the book you are studying, then the author that has written it, then the testament, then the bible as a whole..

The resurrection is important because it had many witnesses.

I briefly discussed other religions, and how they dont have the witnesses Christianity has. Courtroom illustration. Jeff mentioning the law of how you need 2 or 3 witnesses.

We discussed many individuals who seen Christ like Peter, the disciples, Thomas, and the women.

Two people we didn't get to last week was James, and Paul so we will pick up there.

James

Scripture also says that Jesus appeared to His half-brother James.

The Detail about James is not recorded but we know through Scripture and traditions that James was heavily involved in the church. refers to him as a pillar of the faith. In his letter he refers to himself as a servant of Christ. Yet he was Jesus half brother. This man grew up about Jesus Christ. He knew him well, and called him Lord. When his brother went to be with the Lord he proclaimed the same gospel as everyone else. Brothers usually like to one up each other, but that wasn't the case for James he was preaching the risen Christ.

Finally he appeared to Paul.

Something I love about Christ appearing to Paul is that he appears to those who are not seeking him. Paul was a passionate Jew looking for every possibility to destroy the Christian faith, but it was God’s plan to change this Jew into one of the most used missionaries the world would ever know.

The resurrection is important because it turns the most wicked of sinners, into servants of Christ.

Pauls’ conversion experience and witness to the risen Christ was unique. He himself say this. The ESV translates to one untimely born. But could be translated abnormally born. The greek goes so far into alluding to that of an abortion or miscarriage. Paul’s point was he was unlike the other apostles when it came to seeing the risen Christ, but it didn't take way from the authority Christ had given to him as an apostle.

Listen to the words in I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! 2 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since nI betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. 5 Indeed, I consider that w am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. 6 Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.

Paul saw himself being in the same conversation as the other apostles listed in the text we have been studying. However he notes that he was not worthy to be an apostle because of his past persecution. Most of us know that Paul did horrible things to the church, including having Christians killed. Paul knew that he did not deserve to have the grace of God on his life, not only did he receive that grace but God made him an apostle.

My Story...

Your Story.. your story might not be the same as Paul’s or mine, but the truth of the matter is before Christ we are all enemies of God, we do all kinds of things that go against a Holy God, and yet when God saves us he transforms us into his servants..

Paul was motived by grace… Grace is foundational to christian servitude. Paul one of the most wicked of sinners was forgiven and it motivated him.

36-50 illustrates this it says, “

36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were ya prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 bWhen they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 fYou gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 hYou did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, j“Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among8 themselves, k“Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, l“Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

The women had great sin that only God could forgive as a result she was overwhelmed by God. We too have a great debt that needs to be paid, and only God can pay it. AS a grow in my Christian faith and become more like Christ it would seem to a natural man that I dont need him as much, but for me its the opposite. I need Christ and his grace!

“I have a great need for Christ: I have a great Christ for my need.”

― Charles H. Spurgeon

When Christians stop being overwhelmed by the grace of God they stop working for God. Paul never forgot what he was before Christ because it motived him to be like Christ. As a result he took that grace of Christ and worked harder than anyone..

1 Corinthians: An Introduction and Commentary A. The Resurrection of Christ (15:1–11)

His word for worked (kopiaō) means ‘labour to the point of weariness’. Deissmann holds that the expression ‘came originally from the joyful pride of the skilled craftsman’ (LAE, p. 313). Paul stresses that he had toiled hard in the discharge of his apostolate. He does not say that he has accomplished more, but that he has worked harder than others. Than all of them could mean ‘more than all of them put together’, or ‘more than any one of them’. As he is magnifying the grace of God it is perhaps more likely that the former is his meaning, and as far as our information goes this was indeed the case. Though his beginnings had been so unpromising, yet the grace of God had enabled him to accomplish a prodigious volume of work. This might be interpreted as reflecting credit on Paul, so he immediately adds, yet not I. It was not the man, but the grace of God that was effective. He speaks of this grace as with him, rather than ‘in’ him or the like. This way of putting it almost makes grace a fellow-labourer, working alongside him, and thus emphasizes that the credit does not belong to Paul.

Paul wrote many letters to the churches, planted churches, worked with his own hands so he would not be a stumbling block, and lived his life for the God who saved him. He was a changed man not the man who had all the jewish accolades one could desire, but a man who was greatly changed by the risen Christ.

I thought of it like this… One of the worst things a born again Christian can do is waste the grace of Jesus Christ. That thought has been pressing on me for awhile now, and reading and studying this passage has amplified that in my life. God gives us his grace not so we can waste it, but so we can show it. It makes me think of this parable when jesus says

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Parable of the Talents

14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants[a] and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents,[b] to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.[c] You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

God gave Paul alot of grace, and he took that grace and did not waste it. Paul was empowered by the Holy Spirit to live out this grace, and we to if we are saved have the power of the Holy Spirit living in us. Paul used the grace of God and the Holy Spirit to live a life for the glory of God.

The resurrection is important because it turns the most wicked of sinners, into servants of Christ.

The resurrection is important because it is foundational for all gospel witness.

The resurrection is important because it is foundational for all gospel witness.

The message preached to the Corinthian church by Paul was no different then any of the other apostles. He preached the same message they preached. The people who wrote the New Testament scriptures were not just men who heard about the risen Christ they were men who seen it.

Notice in the text he doesnt just say I preach Christ but we preach it.... Not only did they preach it we preach it today. The resurrection is essential to the Christian faith. Like Paul says in v 14 if the resurrection did not take place then its all in vain. Every Gospel preacher, teacher or evangelist opportunity must have the resurection because it is important to the Christian faith. We may differ in other areas, but not this one. We must always teach others about the importance of the resurrection.

The resurrection is important because without it we could not be saved..

The resurrection is important because it proclaims the forgiveness of sins in accordance of the scriptures..

The resurrection is important because it had many witnesses.

The resurrection is important because it turns the most wicked of sinners, into servants of Christ.

The resurrection is important because it is foundational for all gospel witness.