Of First Importance
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· 18 viewsAn Overview of the Gospel
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Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Happy Mother’s Day! It is good in the sight of God for us to honor our mothers today and everyday. It is wonderful that we still have the privilege to honor them as a society. We know that God’s working in our lives is often through our mothers and grandmothers. Paul even acknowledged Timothy’s mother for their faith and influence in his life.
I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.
Thank you all mothers, and especially those that taught us our faith.
Today’s sermon is titled “Of First Importance”, because we are going to examine the faith once for all handed down to the saints (Jude 3). This is the chief issue for the the Christian. The number one. It can easily by stated by asking a simple question. What is the Gospel?
Now there have been books written addressing this, but today we are going to look at Paul’s direct answer in 1 Cor 15:1-4. Together you will answer three points...
Why the Gospel?
What is the Gospel?
So What?
There is much more that can be said, our main idea is to be encouraged and challenged by the Gospel as presented in Scripture. There are many, many passages that address the Gospel that we will see along the way, but we only have 45 min, so lets jump in.
Why the Gospel?
Why the Gospel?
Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
Pastor Craig just finished his series of Corinthians a few months ago, so I will just cover some of the basics as background. Paul is the speaker and he is addressing a church that had a lot of sin. Yet, Paul starts and basically ends the letter with the same theme, The Gospel.
For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Paul’s ministry was to preach the gospel in a simple way, and then let the power of God save people. Believe in it comes from the power of God, but if God does not work it is foolishness.
Paul wants to remind them of these things, but he addresses their immediate concerns first. After dealing with everything from factions to speaking in tongues, he brings it back to the Gospel itself.
Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
Paul starts this section the fact that he has to remind them about the Gospel. Why remind them? Because they are prone to forget! This is one of the chief errors of American Christianity. In fact, it is a common error throughout church history.
It’s a bit easy to remember the Gospel when the church is persecuted. After all, why would you die for something that you forgot about. It’s much easier to just be an unbeliever. However, as soon as Constantine legalized and favored Christianity it became politically expedient to be a Christian. Christianity gradually got entangled with the world, and it became difficult to distinguish the two. The Gospel became assumed by the church and the state, over time.
There were faithful Christians during that time, but it was hard to see them among the Christian pretenders. Eventually, Luther came along and rediscovered the Gospel. He reminded the church of its magnificence and exposed the “Christian” corruption in that time.
America has a similar story. Although, the church and state have no formal relationship, Christianity is or at least was so common that it was assumed that if you named Christ, you were therefore a Christian. Particularly in the para-church ministries and the evangelical movement, there was an assumption that if you were involved you knew the Gospel. Many churches fall prey to this. It’s almost as if the Gospel is a check-box, once checked, it never has to be thought of again.
Yet, Paul reminded the Christians at Corinth here. He reminds Timothy in
Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel,
If Timothy needed that reminder, then I certainly do.
Peter does the same....
Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.
Even Jesus in Revelation..
But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
What is the love? The love of Christ through the Gospel. What is the works? To love Him.
The reminder of the Gospel was high on the priority list for the Apostles and Christ. A church that forgets it, is in danger of not being a church.
But some might say, “Wait what about that Hebrew’s passage!”.
Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
True, it sounds as if the Writer is rebuking them, but in the context he has just rebuked them for not already knowing these elementary doctrines.
About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
He is basically saying that they should know this, but they don’t. So he’s going to move on anyway. The implication is to not forget the basics of Christianity. You can’t handle the higher things of theology without the foundation correctly understood. It’s easy to forget.
Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
Paul builds up the importance of the Gospel by mentioning four things about it.
I preached to you
You received
You stand
You are being saved.
First, Paul preached it. This illustrates Romans 10.
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
We’ve already seen that this was Paul’s ministry. It is not surprising that Paul preached it.
Second, however it is surprising that they received it. Now, I don’t wan to get too deep in the Soteriology of it, but on the human level Paul preached and they recieved. This means that they accepted the Gospel. Knowing how messed up the Corinthians became, it is surprising that they believed at all in their pagan backgrounds.
At this point, many in America would stop. You’re in! Yet, Paul has more to say.
Third, he says that “[the Gospel] in which you stand. What does that mean?
Well, it means that they do not move off of it. They don’t accept another like the Galatians did, and they do not believe other systems.
In our day, this is very hard. We want answers and comfort from other sources. Do you come back to the Gospel as your highest call or does something else drive your life? Any other system or idea needs to be subordinate to the Gospel. This is not my idea, but Paul’s...
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
and
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
Do you see that we are not saved to do what we want, but instead stand on the Gospel. Standing on the promises is the Christian life. We stand against our own doubt it’s true, but we also stand against the World’s systems. All-false religion, philosophy, and even science that stands against the Word of God.
Finally he says, by which you are being saved. Salvation is not a one time good deal, but an (eternal) life reality. You have been saved, and you are still being saved from God’s wrath against sin. Christ intercedes for you today! It’s the Gospel that reminds us of our salvation today and everyday.
After all the why, Paul gives a warning.
If you hold fast! This is very much in line with what we said about standing on the Gospel. The point here is not that you can lose your salvation, but that there can be a false believer. Jesus warned of this as well with the parable of the soils. These are the people who profess faith, but fall away.
How do they do that? Paul here says that they “believed in vain”. The idea is that they did no really believe in the Gospel. They believed to the end of no purpose or in vain. They may have said yes and amen with their mouths, but failed to believe in their hearts. Jesus refers to them in the Sermon on the mount as those whom he never knew. These people do a lot of Christian things, but in the end they are not holding fast to the Gospel and believe to no purpose. Those at the final judgement cite the fact that they did many things in the name of Jesus, but that is not evidence of knowing Christ.
This is all the more reason for Paul to remind us of the Gospel. It is by faith in the Gospel alone that brings about salvation. We believe and stake our life on it. More on that after we see what it is.
What is the Gospel?
What is the Gospel?
Paul calls the Gospel “of first importance”. You what the word is in the Greek? First. Paul is saying that the Gospel was the first importance when he came to them. It is of first importance to all Christians. Why? What makes the Gospel first among Christian doctrine?
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
It’s the power of God for salvation. Rom 1:16
It reveals God. Rom 1:17-18
It reveals us. Rom 1:18
In short, we learn just about everything we need to know about who God is and who we are from the Gospel. Yet, it is so simple that a child can understand it.
Paul did not make this Gospel up. He recieved it from the Lord Jesus Himself.
For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
It is great to know that the Gospel Paul is teaching is the same Gospel that Jesus taught. There is consistency here. Now, what is it?
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
First, we see that Christ died for our sins. Really, that is the main point in a nutshell. Paul states it to Timothy this way.
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
It means that you acknowledge that you have and continue to sin before a perfect God. John says it this way...
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
This passage is for both Believers and unbelievers. Why? Because Christ came to save sinners. If you don’t know that you are a sinner, then that is the first point of the Gospel. If you don’t believe me, answer me this, do you love God perfectly and your neighbor perfectly? Honest folks will acknowledge that we all fall short, but it is far more than that. We have sinned against God as David says in Psalm 51. “Against You only have I sinned”
Yet, the Good news about it, is that Christ died for sinners like you and me. Jesus the God-Man could bear the penalty and secure a perfect life bringing together God and Man.
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Why did He do that? To save us from our sins! This is a monumental thing. Our sin is the problem. Name any world problem and we can trace it back to sin. It’s important to remember that the wages of sin is death, which means that sin kills. Everything destructive and hurtful, even that which is outside of man’s control, is a result of the sin of Adam polluting all of creation (Rom 5). This is why no man can save himself. The system has been corrupted, and you are part of that system! Every good work is tainted by that. Even as believers we struggle according to Rom 7. Who will save us from this body of death!
Thanks be to God that Christ came! He willingly took on death, and not just in the theoretical sense. He died, was buried (IE this wasn’t a metaphorical death), and was raised (to life) on the third day.
Isn’t funny how the Bible just plainly states a profound truth. Jesus fully died and came back to life. How often have you seen that literally happen? That’s right, never. Even if you compare it to Resurrection in general throughout the Bible, Jesus is still unique, because he was doing it on His own prerogative. John records.
For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
Whoa! that is profound passage. The Father’s love of the Son is based (at least in part) on the fact that He would lay down His life for us. That is love.
Also see that this is inter-trinitarian love. It’s not simply that God loved us, but that they love each other and the salvation act is first an expression of love from the Son to the Father and back again. That is mind boggling. This means that salvation is not primarily about us, but about God and what he does. Many Christians get it wrong on this level. They think that it is a simple transaction, but really it is being caught up in the of the Father for the Son.
Back to the main passage though. Jesus’ Resurrection is significant because He did it in His own power. There is no greater power than this. If you are able to simply just raise from the dead, what power can stand against you ultimately? Even the law of Entropy has nothing on Jesus. This is why the Bible speaks of Him as the first. He is first in every way.
This is glorious! Christ Jesus cam to save sinners like you and me. This is our chief problem, and we should rejoice in Him!
So What?
So What?
So now that we know what the Gospel is (that Christ came to save sinners through His burial and Resurrection), what does it matter?
First, the Gospel demands a response. Either you believe it or you don’t. Yet, simple mental assent isn’t enough. For as James says, even the demons believe in this way. Demons have good theology, but they hate God. No, your life should be banked on this truth. See the words of Paul...
For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
There is a lot here, but see that you don’t live for yourself anymore as Christian. You live for God. This puts everything in perspective. A good way to check how you are doing (and even Christians stumble from time to time) is to see where your hope for the future lies. Is it in political results? Is it in your bank account? Your Business? A relationship? Technology? Anything other than Christ as your hope is ultimately sinful. Do you see how easy it is to be deceived?
When Christ is first all things become gifts and assume their proper place. Politically there are good things to do, but our life is not ruined when things don’t turn out the way we want. (See David. He was king, but lots of terrible things happened before and during his reign) Our money become disposable to the Lord’s purposes. As Paul says in 1 Tim 4:18 about the rich, “They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to generous and ready to share.” Our business becomes subject to the Lord’s Will. As James says...
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
Our relationships become rightly ordered. See Eph 5 about how that looks like. Technology becomes a gift rather than a burden.
Yet, ultimately the great fear, Death itself, becomes a conduit to be with Christ. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians again.
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Do you see what attidute that the Gospel gives! Our bodies fail, they are unredeemed. The flesh is the source of evil in us, but Paul calls this life a “light momentary affliction”. Even that is good, because the end and purpose of it is to prepare us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. Wow! Keep your mind on that truth next time you go to the doctors or some terrible thing happens. The emphasis here is that eternal weight of glory is beyond all comparison. So, no matter how bad your life gets, the eternal reward is greater.
Paul also reminds us that everything you can see (this life) is transient, but the unseen realities are eternal. Eternal by definition means without end.
So what? The Gospel is the entrance to all of this. Because Jesus died for us, we can have eternal life. That is you can rest, stop trying to please God, and bank your life on these truths. Because these are true your priorities change, the fruit of the Spirit starts to manifest. Not that we are perfect (our outer self is wasting away), so we confess our sins as John says and remember that we are forgiven. Forgetting what lies behind we press on toward the upward call of Christ Jesus. We never move from this hope, because it is the chief hope.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Do you know that Hope? Do you know Christ, or more importantly, does Christ know you? Do not think for a moment that simply being in Church, acting good, or simply praying a prayer in the past guarantees anything. The question is do you know God today? Remember,
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
These people did the right things, but did not know God. So Paul says...
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
The call is for unbelievers to repent and believe this Gospel (rather than do works). The call is for believers to examine themselves, confess their sins, and remember this glorious Gospel. So Peter says...
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
or as Paul says...
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
So, believe and walk as people who know God and are known by God.
Prayer
Prayer
Dear Father, we thank you for the wonderful privilege of learning about your glorious Gospel. I pray that the Holy Spirit would apply these Truths to everyone’s heart as needed. Perhaps some have believed for the first time. May we rejoice with them! Perhaps many are reminded of the first importance. May they be strengthened by your Word for we live on it. Continue to strengthen us throughout the week as we go from here. Have your Spirit bring these things to remembrance as go out into the unbelieving world. Bless all the mothers here. We thank you that you promise to keep us, and we love you. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.