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The GospelWhat is the gospel? If you ask that question around our community, I think you will find people's responses are typical and interesting. Some might equate the Gospel with music - and certainly gospel music is a huge industry today. Others would say the books of the bible, and that is true the Gospel narratives are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Others will say the Gospel is the truth. That too is right, but of course we live in a post modern society where truth has become relative to the situation. Others will respond with the Gospel is “the Good News.” Again that is correct. But what is the good news of the Gospel? So just what is the Gospel? In our ongoing studies of 1 Corinthians, we have seen that the church in Corinth needed some correction, they were getting off in some areas and now as we enter one of the greatest chapters in the bible. Certainly the pinnacle of this book, we come to a place were Paul wants them to get back to the basics. He takes them to where they had gotten off. In Corinth there was a great mixture of cultures, the philosophies of the day and they had so infiltrated the society that people in the church were mixing their faith with the practices and philosophies so prevalent in Corinth. Sounds like the day we live in. “I like Jesus and worship him with my Zen-Buddhist practices.” “Jesus is great, but church- is just a bunch of rules.” I like Jesus, and Kirsna, and Mohammad, they are all ways to God.” The Bible says. Prov 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. Left to his own understanding mankind will always come up with a way to work their way to God. The problem is - that is so contrary to the Gospel. In Corinth their issue centered around the resurrection. People said, “Jesus is cool”, “he can cleans you from your sins, but there is no resurrection.” “So don't worry about tomorrow, just eat, drink and be merry – for tomorrow you die.” So Paul takes them back to basics, the takes them to the Gospel. READ THE TEXT 1 CORINTHIANS 15:1-11 THE GOSPEL There are three simple things Paul speaks about as he writes about what the gospel does, and what the gospel is. 1st. The Gospel is what saves, 2nd the Gospel is Foundational, 3rd the Gospel is one Message. The Gospel of Jesus Christ truly is the “good news.” “Good news” would be the cry of the soap merchants who traveled from town to town. See soap was invented in the Middle East and when the Greeks ruled the world they did not have soap. They would cleanse their bodies by scraping them with a sickle shaped instrument known as a strigil. So by the time the Romans came along, the cry of the soap merchants was -Euaggelion (yoo-ang-ghel'-ee-on); or a Greek word for “good news.” “Soap is available - good news you can get clean.” No wonder that is the word Jesus employees when he comes on the scene for the message of God. “Good new”, Euaggelon, the good new is hear, you can be cleansed, - not just from outward dirt but you sins. In today's text we find one of the clearest statements of what the Gospel is. And it all centers around what Jesus Christ did, not what we have done. Titus 3:5 He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy . He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, Even with all the bible says about the Gospel of Grace- there is still much confusion - even in the church - about what the Gospel teaches us. A survey by the Barna Research Group suggests widespread confusion about the gospel. Among churchgoers only 46 percent say they have a personal responsibility to explain their beliefs to others. Most of those (81 percent) believe that the Bible is accurate in all its teachings and that Jesus Christ was crucified and resurrected. But 48 percent of these who know they should preach the Gospel, believe that “if people are generally good, or do enough good things for others...they will earn places in heaven.” “There is plenty of reason for churches to worry if nearly one-half of their people who believe in evangelism also believe in salvation by works,” says George Barna. “The central message of the Gospel is salvation by faith alone- in Christ alone, yet many seem to be preaching a different message.”
We are saved by Grace through faith in Jesus Christ. That is the Gospel is the message we deliver, and that is what Paul wants to remind the Corinthians of and us as well. 1. PREACHED TO YOU The Sunday school teacher wanted to test her class to see if they understood the concept of getting to heaven. So she asked them,"If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the church, Would that get me into Heaven?""NO!" the children wisely answered. "If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into Heaven?"Again, the answer was, "NO!" By now I was starting to smile. Hey, this was fun! "Well, then, if I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children, and loved my husband, would that get me into Heaven?" I asked them again. Again, they all answered, "NO!" The teacher was just bursting with pride for them. "Well," she continued, "then how can I get into Heaven?" One very wise five-year-old boy stood up and shouted out,-- “You Gotta be dead!” The Gospel has nothing to do with works, it has to do with Grace, it is the free gift of God. Who loved the world so much- that he took upon himself to provide for the thing that separated man for God – that thing is sin. Rom 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. But like that boy in Sunday School, he understood you have to be dead. Dead to yourself, with Jesus as your Lord. 1. THE GOSPEL WAS RECEIVED BY YOU. The Gospel was received by the Corinthians and needs to be received by us. It is one thing to believe about Jesus, its another thing to believe upon Jesus. John 1:12 Yet to all who received him , to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Whoever believes in him, not about him – has eternal life. Many people believe about Jesus, the Muslims revere him as a Prophet, but they do not believe in him. The Gospel says Jesus is the Son of God, he is God manifest in the flesh, who is the only way to Heaven. 2. TOOK YOUR STAND. The Gospel is something you take your stand upon / you must believe unto salvation. Rom 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. First the Gospel is what saves you.
The words “first importance” means – number one. It means that which is foundational, that which is fundamental to our understanding. There is no other message, that the Gospel is the only message we have. What does it say? 1. CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS. 2 Cor 5: 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Notice some things about that scripture, first it was God's plan, - God made him sin for us. Secondly we see the substitution, is made for us. When we were far from God, when we had no way to get to God, we need to die for our sins, God sent Jesus to die in our place. Why? That we might become the righteousness of God. Not by what we do, but because he died, and we are dead in him. 2. FULFILLED THE SCRIPTURES. John 3:14-15 (Jesus said) Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. In Numbers chapter 21 we read about his event. The people of Israel were in the wilderness, and suddenly there were poisonous snakes all around their camp. People are dying, so Moses calls out to God who tells him to make a bronze snake and place it on a pole in the middle of the camp, and whoever looks upon that pole will live even when they were bitten by the snake. What a picture of Jesus Christ and the Gospel in our lives. We have all been bitten by the snake, the snake of sin, the result is death, there is no anti-venom, no cure, but Jesus was placed on the pole. The cross and whoever looks to him -in faith, lives. Quoting from the Old Testament. 1 Peter 2:24-25 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. The Old testament scriptures spoke of the him. David wrote about his crucifixion, Isaiah spoke of his beating and mocking and his trial. Moses wrote about how he would crush the head of the devil. The Prophets, wrote about his life, ministry, resurrection and reign in heaven. Over 300 Old Testament, prophecies were fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. 3. BURIED Why is the fact that Jesus was buried important to the Gospel? Because it proves his death. As we read the Gospel accounts -we see how hard it was for his followers to believe Jesus really died. Some people to this day say: “The resurrection is a hoax, Jesus did not really die.” But his followers were in shock, as a man named Joseph came forward to claim Jesus body, and bury it. And the Roman soldiers who crucified him were men acquainted with death, they were experts at death, and they knew when someone was still alive. They examined and found him dead and placed him in a tomb. 4. RAISED ON THE THIRD DAY. The Sunday School teacher told the 5th graders that Jesus was buried in a borrowed tomb. One young girl said that she knew why. "Because Jesus only used it three days." On the third day he rose from the dead. When some religious leaders asked Jesus for a sign that he was really from God - he took them to the scriptures. Matt 12:39-40 ... "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The Roman culture denied a resurrection, but from what Paul tells the Corinthians, we end at an obvious conclusion: “Why be a Christian if we have only suffering in this life and no future glory to anticipate?” So Paul reminds us the Resurrection is not just important; it is key to what we believe. 5. APPEARED TO MANY. After the resurrection, for forty days Jesus appeared to many, to the disciples, to Peter for restoration, to James his half brother who did not believe in him so he might get the whole picture. To over 500 different people most of whom were still alive when Paul wrote this letter. Every generation, the theory is propounded that Jesus really did not rise from the dead physically, that the disciples were so caught up in the wonder of his personality, that actually hallucinated and imagined they saw him. Every generation has had it's Dan Brown's who wrote “The Di Vinci Code”, to deny the resurrection - by some conspiracy theory. But the resurrection was witnessed by over five hundred individuals. Think about that – and that fact becomes one of the most powerful proves of the resurrection. As we consider the lives of those Jesus appeared to. More then 500 different people, it could not be a hallucination, nor could it be a hoax -- because most of Jesus followers died for their faith. You do not go to a martyrs death for a hoax – you will not give up your life for something you are not sure of. No – these men / these women laid down their lives for a risen savior, who died – was buried – rose from the dead according to the scriptures. But wait there's more. 6. APPEARED TO PAUL. Paul was not a naturally appointed Apostle. Apostle means “one who is sent”, Paul was sent out by our Lord, but in a different way. You may recall the story of Paul, his name was Saul, he persecuted the Church, he did not believe in Jesus and he did everything he could to make a name for himself among those who opposed the Gospel. But God in his grace appeared to Saul. Along the road to Damascus, he was going to persecute more believers when a light comes from heaven, and blinds him completely, then a voice speaks to him. Paul recounts that event in. Acts 26:14-15 ... Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' "Then I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' "'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' “Paul your fighting God, your just kicking thorns.” So Paul, in obedience, goes to the city, there he is baptized and then off to Arabia for fourteen years where the Lord teaches him, and Paul learns about Grace, he learns about the Gospel, and he unlearns his old ways. He is an Apostle but one not born in the “natural way”, because of his past, and that he had not seen the Lord during his earthly ministry, but only the resurrected Christ in his glorified state. That is the gospel as Paul gave it to the Corinthians and all throughout the Scriptures we read about it. Not just in the Gospel narratives but everywhere in the Word of God we saw it all happened just as God planned it to happen. According to the scriptures! One last thought about the Gospel that Paul brings out here. Isn't it interesting that he does not mention anything about Jesus earthly ministry. He doesn't talk about his teachings, the sermon on the mount, or the Olivet discourse, nor does he mention his ministry, the miracles, the healings, the calming of the sea. Paul only speaks of his death, burial, and resurrection. Why? Because that is what he came to accomplish. To fulfill all the law and the prophets. We have seen, #1 Gospel is what saves. #2 Gospel is foundational. Finally.
This is the Gospel Paul preached, and Peter, and the others. There is only one Gospel. Gal 1:6-8 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! There is only one message: Not clean up your act and come to Jesus. Not believe on Jesus and do these things. Not join our group and your in God's club. But the Gospel says, believe and you will know God. From that things will happen. 1. HAVE YOU BELIEVED? Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." As we consider two verse in closing, at the end of the message I will give you an opportunity to believe in Jesus. If you are hear and this gospel message is speaking to you, it is God calling you, and we would like to pray with you. But quickly look at. 1 Cor 15:2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. The word of God has been preached to us, we believed about it, now we hold onto it. Do not become like the man / the woman that we read about in James. They hear the word, and are excited about the word, but they do not put the word into application. See - its one thing to agree with the bible, there are plenty of people who do that. “Yeah, right on, preach it- amen.” But when the word of God is grafted within us, we become those who act on the word. If you just agree with the word and it has no effect on your life, then you are a hearer only. You are likened to a man / a woman, who looks into a mirror and forgets what they see. But when we consider the gospel, we become doers of the Word of God. Finally look at. 1 Cor 15:10-11 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them — yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed. Paul's testimony, it is by God's grace -- the unearned favor of God that he is an apostle. Grace working in his life, has an effect. Paul says I've worked harder then everyone else. I find this to be true, that there are people who want to add to the Gospel: “That if you believe in Jesus and then begin to do things you will receive back from God.” “You need to pray more, give more money, engage in service - in order to get something back from God.” But I find that what Paul says of his own life is true for us all. That I labor for God not to gain more from God, but because God has been so good to me. When I deserved death, Jesus came and took my sins. When I was far from God, the Lord bore in his own body the penalty I deserved. When God's Grace is ever before me, I find that I become more engaged in His service and “I serve not because of obligation but out of adoration.” By the grace of God I am what I am. Accepted in the beloved. For me, it has been more then 30 years since a 23 year old young man who had no direction in life bowed his head in a little country church and repented of his sins. That young man surrendered to Jesus Christ as his Lord and savior. 30 years of growth, 30 years of learning to trust God in everything. Because the Gospel is not without effect, it is real, and Jesus Christ is Lord. INVITE, PRAY, BENEDICTION, SING Series: 1 Corinthians -Through the Bible |
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