Our Good News

Where do you fit in the story?

1 Corinthians 15:1–11 NRSV

1 Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, 2 through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain. 3 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, 4 and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unfit 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 toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.

Intro

One of mine and Beth’s favorite movie’s is Fool’s Gold,

—> Ukrainian sidekick

—> “I do not think of myself that way. I am the lead character in my own great narrative.”

So that begs the question, are we part of the story or are we the story?

Body

1 Corinthians 15:1 NRSV

1 Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand,

Proclaimed —> We have all heard the good news from someone

Received —> You decided that this was good news for you and took it on as your truth.

Stand —> You currently are standing on the promises of what the gospel delivers, the grace that it offers and hope that it brings

1 Corinthians 15:2 NRSV

2 through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain.

Are being saved —> You understand that the gospels work within you. The love of God and the work of the Holy Spirit are a continual thing. We are always in the process of becoming who God has called us to be.

1 Corinthians 15:3–10 NRSV

3 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, 4 and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unfit 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 toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

—> Paul retells the good news the Gospel

“For I handed on to you what I had received”

1 Corinthians 15:10–11 NRSV

10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.