An Absence That Changed The World

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 NKJV

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

Typically being absent is something that is not desired. Yet this absence from the tomb is something that we cling to!

This absence brings us absence from Hell and makes sure that we are not absent from Heaven!

I. Message that has to be Delivered

a. Delivered to other People

“For I delivered to you”

Paul here is speaking in a manner that represents his desire to see others hear the Gospel. Throughout his entire ministry we see examples of Paul going to great lengths just to make sure that others heard the glorious message of our Lord, Jesus Christ. One of my favorites is found in Acts 14:19-20

Acts 14:19–20 NKJV

Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.

For the sake of time I only read the two verses, but for the sake of context this attack has been permeating for two chapters now. In Acts 13 Paul and Barnabas arrive in Antioch and cause a ruffle there from sharing the Gospel. Then they leave and head over to Iconium in Acts 14 and once again stir up some trouble by sharing the Gospel. They leave and head into Lystra. There the residents begin to worship them and Paul and Barnabas have to explain that they are not God, but they intend to point them to the true God.

This brings us to verse 19. The Jews from both Antioch and Iconium are on a business trip to Lystra and they see Paul and Barnabas there once again speaking about Jesus. One of them says, “I hate those guys” and the other says, “Yeah, me too.” We have heard the phrase, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend” so these two groups of Jews do just that. They go and convince the idolatrous residents of Lystra to turn on Barnabas and Paul to point of attacking the beloved apostle. They do this because the best way to get someone to hush is to kill them.

As the Scripture reads they stone Paul to the point of death. They drag him out of the city like a trophy and toss him to the side like that evenings trash. The disciples gather as their fearless leader is dead on the street. Then something miraculous happens, Paul wakes up. He isn’t dead.

At this point our brother has every excuse to go home. He is bloody. He is bruised. He is hurting. He probably has a broken bone. His back hurts. He has a headache. He did his job. I doubt he was dealing with allergies but chances are one of those rocks hit him square in the nose. He had every reason to pack up, head home, turn on the television and watch the game. He had every reason to point his finger at that city and say how terrible they are. He even had the option of heading back to his local church and gossiping about how bad the people were on his vacation. Yet, Paul does none of that. He gets up and walks right back in. He gets up and says, “I wasn’t done.” He goes into the city to share the gospel one more time and then heads to Derbe the next day which is several miles away.

Why? Paul understood that this was a message that needed to be delivered. At whatever cost he sought to get this message to the people. Notice the ownership he takes for his ministry as he says back in 1 Corinthians 15:3 “I delivered to you.” He does not say I hired a minister or told my Pastor. He said I did it. Why? Because this message needs to be delivered at all places and at any time. Paul is saying I went from the highest to the lowest. From the uttermost to the guttermost. From the tall to the short. From the fat to the skinny. From the black to the white. From the deaf, dumb, blind to the most healthy. From the religious person all the way to the atheist. From the pagan to the prostitute. I told all men, women, children about the wonderful Savior!

We need to have this mind about us that this message needs to be delivered to other people. That at all times we should have a neatly packaged envelope on us that clearly reads Gospel. That we are no longer identified by our secular vocation but by our God given vocation of messengers of the cross! Construction worker, your job site is no longer a job site! It is a mission field for the Lord! Stay at home mother, your house is not just a place where your kids grow up. It is a ministry opportunity to daily tell your little ones about the cross at Calvary. Sunday School teacher your class is your own God given platform to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Awana leader, your class isn’t just something that kids come to on a Wednesday night it is a place where the glorious wonderful truth of our Lord is given weekly to children! This is a message that needs to be delivered! Not only that this message needs to be delivered with priority.

b. Delivered with Priority

“First of all”

It was Paul that said earlier in this same letter that 1 Corinthians 2:2

1 Corinthians 2:2 NKJV

For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Now for some this could be considered a hyperbole. Obviously Paul knew more than just the cross considering his life before Christ yet by his actions this statement is not false.

As he says yet again in verse 3 of chapter 15 that this message of Christ’s crucifixion was delivered first of all he is indicating that he said this first. That every word that came from his mouth had the intention of pointing to an empty tomb. If Paul were to meet someone he would lead off with Jesus. If he sat at the restaurant he would speak of Jesus. If he corrected wayward churches he did so in light of Jesus.

So then should we be when delivering this message of Christ. We should seek to prioritize it in every aspect of our life the delivery of this message!

c. Delivered to the Presenter

“Which I also received”

Postal worker must receive mail before they can deliver mail

Before we can ever deliver this message we must first receive this message. Paul gives a very easy indicator to look for.

1 Corinthians 15:2 NKJV

by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

Do you hold fast? In all situations are you clinging to the wonderful power blood of Jesus?

Or did you believe in vain.

II. Messiah that had to Die

a. Who was Punished

“That Christ died”

Not so much that He died, but how He died. (Pull from all the gospels about Jesus’ crucifixion)

Why would a perfect person take such a terrible punishment?

b. Who was Pardoned

“For our sins”

1 John 2:2 NKJV

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

Tell of Barabbas. Think of the most evil person you can think of and that is Barabbas. How Jesus took his punishment

Paul is wrapping his arms around the church and saying, “That was for us”

c. Where to find Proof

“According to the Scripture”

They did not have the NT back then. This refers to the OT.

Isaiah 53 NKJV

Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

Psalm 22 NKJV

To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Deer of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David. My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning? O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent. But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them. They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed. But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, “He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!” But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts. I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God. Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none to help. Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring lion. I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots. But You, O Lord, do not be far from Me; O My Strength, hasten to help Me! Deliver Me from the sword, My precious life from the power of the dog. Save Me from the lion’s mouth And from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered Me. I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You. You who fear the Lord, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel! For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from Him; But when He cried to Him, He heard. My praise shall be of You in the great assembly; I will pay My vows before those who fear Him. The poor shall eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the Lord. Let your heart live forever! All the ends of the world Shall remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations Shall worship before You. For the kingdom is the Lord’s, And He rules over the nations. All the prosperous of the earth Shall eat and worship; All those who go down to the dust Shall bow before Him, Even he who cannot keep himself alive. A posterity shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation, They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, That He has done this.

III. Mankind has Deliverance

a. Darkness on Saturday

“He was buried”

Talk about the pain the disciples felt on Saturday. The doubt that would begin to fill them up. Peter was stuck with the picture of denying Christ. John the Baptist was beheaded for nothing.

b. Daylight on Sunday

“He rose again on the third day”

He rose! He is alive!

read SM Lockridge

c. Dependency on the Scripture

“According to the Scripture”

Notice how Paul proves all of this according to the Scriptures. This is something that we should cling to.

All that we say, do, think is rooted in the Bible. Heres what the Bible says Romans 10:9-10

Romans 10:9–10 NKJV

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

The devil is telling two lies today. You are too good to be saved or you are too far gone to be saved. If you will call on the name of the Lord today, He will save you!