Bible, it's in page 1155.
1 Corinthians 15, verse 1.
Now, I will 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 deliver to you, as of first importance, what I have 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,
and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
Then he appeared to more than five thousand brothers at one time,
most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
Last of all, as to one untimely bond, he appeared also to me.
For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle,
because I persecuted the church of God.
But by the grace of God, I am what I am,
and his grace towards me was not in vain.
On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them,
though I was not, though it was not I,
but the grace of God that is with me.
Whether then it was I or they,
so we preach, and so you believe.
Thank you, Kevin.
Well, let's keep our Bibles there in 1 Corinthians,
and let's pray.
Father, would you, by your Holy Spirit,
teach us afresh the good news about the Lord Jesus Christ.
May it be for us not just what we believe,
but the very foundation of our life.
And Father, may it give us a grounding and an assurance
that what we believe is true.
And not only that, but it is a word that can change us,
change our lives today,
and for all eternity.
So help us now, we ask in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, I think we need to face facts.
There is no resurrection.
Think about it.
How many people have you met
that have been raised from the dead?
Or how many funerals have you been to
when the person just came alive again?
It simply doesn't happen.
Christians, of course, claim there is a resurrection,
but that's not true.
Jesus existed, that's true,
but the story that he came alive again,
well, that's not credible.
And the suggestion that all those who believe in him
will rise again
is just a work of fiction.
We need to face facts.
There is no resurrection.
Well, that's what some people believed at the church in Corinth.
About 30 years after the bodily resurrection of Jesus,
people were claiming,
it's just not true.
And many people today think the same.
This idea of Jesus rising again
is just all lies.
It's a myth.
Look at the end of verse 12.
This is what some people were thinking in the church.
How can some of you say
that there is no resurrection of the dead?
In fact, some even mocked the idea of a bodily resurrection.
So if you look at verse 35.
Someone may ask,
how are the dead raised?
With what kind of body will they come?
You don't expect us to believe this kind of nonsense, do you?
Well, let's suppose for a minute
that these people are right.
What if Jesus never raised from the dead?
What if it's all just a big hoax?
What if we've just been sold a lie?
That there is no future hope.
That there is no eternal life.
That there is no bodily resurrection.
Well, if that's true,
look at verse 19.
If only for this life we have hope in Christ,
we are to be pitied more than all people.
If the resurrection is not true,
then we're just wasting our time.
Gathering here like this is just a nonsense.
We might as well just pack our bags,
go home,
and live life however we want.
Well, as we start into chapter 15,
we will see that the physical bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ
is credible,
it's reliable,
and it is the foundation for our life.
So, first,
remember the gospel
that you have believed in.
Look at verse 1 of chapter 15.
Now, brothers and sisters,
I want to remind you
of the gospel that I preached to you.
I know you know it.
I know you've heard it,
but I want to remind you
of the gospel.
The gospel,
that word gospel,
simply means good news.
Essentially,
it is good news
that must be announced
or declared.
And perhaps the most famous illustration
is the story of Pheidippides.
I think that's the right pronunciation.
But in 490 BC,
490 years before Christ,
the Persians,
that great empire,
came and invaded the Greeks.
And they had a great big battle
at a place which was called Marathon.
The Greeks won,
and because of the victory,
Pheidippides was sent by the generals
to go back to the city of Athens
to announce the good news to the people.
And he ran all the way
from the battlefield in Marathon
all the way to Athens,
which was 26 miles,
which is where we get
our modern day marathon from.
And there to the people of Athens,
he announced to them,
we win!
Hail!
We are the winners!
And then he fell down and died.
That's another part of the story.
Well, that's the idea
that's behind the word gospel.
It's the announcement of good news.
It's the declaration of a victory.
So as Paul comes to Corinth,
he's reminding them,
I preach to you the gospel.
I proclaim to you the good news.
A victory has taken place.
He tells us what that good news is.
We were reading and singing about it earlier.
Look at verse 3.
For what I received,
I passed on to you as first importance.
And here it is.
That Christ died for our sins
according to the scriptures.
That he was buried.
That he was raised on the third day
according to the scriptures.
And that he appeared to Peter
and then to the twelve.
Jesus Christ,
by his death on the cross,
his resurrection from the grave,
has defeated our greatest enemies ever,
sin and death.
And so at the end of the chapter,
as he concludes his big lesson
about the resurrection,
Paul can reassure us and say this.
Have a look at verse 54.
At the end of the chapter,
he makes this great declaration
and gives us this great assurance.
Look at the very end of verse 54.
He says,
Death has been swallowed up in victory.
Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?
The sting of death is sin
and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God,
he gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
So he proclaims good news.
Jesus Christ,
by his death and resurrection,
has won a victory
over sin and death for you.
And so we today can say,
we are victorious
because of what Christ has done.
Now this is the same gospel,
the good news that has been preached to us.
It's like a relay race
through the course of history.
The gospel has been faithfully preached
and announced
and passed on to each generation,
one after the other.
And it is passed down
to every generation.
And here we are today
as people who've heard
the good news.
This gospel victory
has been announced to us.
But it is more than just simply good news.
It is the foundation
of our life.
Let's read verse 1 again.
Now, brothers and sisters,
I want to remind you of the gospel,
this good news,
this victory
that I preached to you,
which you received
and on which you have taken your stand.
Foundations are critical for any building,
even this building in which we're in.
If the foundation is not right,
then the house you're living in
is just going to come crashing down.
Well, this gospel,
this good news about Jesus
is our foundation.
At the end of verse 1,
it says,
it's on this
that we have taken our stand.
It's foundational.
It's what we place our confidence in.
It's who we trust
when we face the reality
of judgment and death.
We place all our hope
and our certainty
of Jesus
in his death and resurrection.
This is our rock.
This is what we believe in.
Verse 2,
by this gospel
you are saved
if
you hold firmly
to the word
that I preach to you.
If you hold firmly
to this word.
Some of you will know
that on the north coast
of this island
there's a famous rope bridge
called Carragoreed.
It spans
two great
immovable cliffs.
They're 20 metres apart,
so
what about
the width
maybe a bit
wider
of this room here.
It's about
30 metres high,
so
what could be
double the height
of this ceiling here.
30 metres above
rocks
and sea.
And at each end
of this rope bridge
is anchored
to the rock face.
It's tied in
to the foundation
of these rocks.
And as long as
these connections
are in place
you can walk
backwards and forwards.
You're not going to fall.
No matter what
the wind or the weather
it remains firm.
The bridge stands.
But you remove
either anchor
and it will either
come crashing down
this way
or it will come
crashing down
that way.
Well in the same way
these truths,
these two great
pillars of the faith,
the death
of Jesus
and the resurrection
of Jesus
are these two
great anchor points,
the foundation
of our life.
And you let go
of either one
or you remove
either anchor
and your life
will come
crashing down.
Otherwise,
as it says
at the end
of verse 2,
you have believed
in vain.
Without the foundation
of the death
and the resurrection
of Jesus
we are believing
in nothing.
It would be like
trying to stand
on thin air.
You will come
falling down
to the ground
with a bang.
So let's remember,
let's remind
ourselves afresh
of this good news,
this victory
that has been
achieved for us
is our life
foundation.
This is what
I stand on.
This
is what I believe.
Second,
we must know
the gospel
that we have
received
is true.
You see,
it's all very
well to sit
here and say,
believe the gospel.
Stand on the
foundation of the
death
and the resurrection
of Jesus Christ.
Christ.
But how do we know
it's true?
How do we know
it's not just
made up
or just some
story inventive
from some
myth?
Well,
there's three
reasons why we
know it's true.
First,
first it comes
from God.
Look at verse
three.
Paul is saying
what I received
this message,
this gospel,
I received
and I passed
on to you
as of first
importance.
So,
Paul is making
it very clear,
look,
this isn't my
own idea.
This isn't just
something I made
up,
but I've received
it from God.
Keep your finger
there in 1 Corinthians
and just keep
going forward.
Turn a page
or two,
you come to
2 Corinthians
and then at
the end of
2 Corinthians
you come to
Galatians.
So,
Galatians
chapter 1
verse 11.
Galatians 1
verse 11.
So,
here again
he's reminding
another church
of the gospel
that they
believed in
and he says
to them
there,
he says,
I want you
to know,
verse 11,
brothers and
sisters,
that the gospel
I preached
is not
something that
man made
up.
I did not
receive it
from any
man,
nor was I
taught it,
rather I
received it
by revelation
from Jesus
Christ.
So,
this revelation
that Paul
has received
isn't just
some idea
or some
philosophy
that's just
come up
with his
own thinking,
but these
are truths,
these are
historical
events that
can be
verified
that Christ
died,
that Christ
was raised
and now
Paul is
passing
these truths
on to
other people
and they're
recorded for
us here in
1 Corinthians
chapter 15.
Let's go back
to chapter 15
and verse 3.
And here he
spells it out
in four
very clear
statements.
He says,
what I
passed on
to you,
this is what
I received
of first
importance.
This is
primary,
this is
foundational.
One,
that Christ
died for
our sins
according to
the scriptures.
Two,
that he
was buried.
How do we
know he
died?
He was
buried.
Three,
that he
was raised
on the
third day
according to
the scriptures.
And four,
how do we
know he
was raised?
That he
appeared to
Peter and
then to
the twelve.
He received
these truths
by revelation,
but not just
these facts,
but also
what it
meant.
Part of
this revelation
was an
unpacking of
what these
things meant.
So we're
told that
Christ died
for our
sins.
By faith,
our sins
are transferred
to Christ,
who when
he was on
the cross
takes the
punishment
that we
deserve
for our
sins.
He tells
us that
Christ was
raised on
the third
day,
and that
by faith
in Christ
we believe
that when
Christ was
raised from
the dead,
he was
also raised
for us
so that
we too
will rise
to eternal
life.
So he's
saying believe
it,
because God
has revealed
it to
us.
Well, you
might say to
that, well,
that's well and
good, God
passed it on.
How do we
know that's
true?
Where did
that come
from?
Well, two,
it's according
to Scripture.
Long before the
death and
resurrection of
Jesus happened,
it was
announced in
Scripture in
the Old
Testament.
So look at
verse 3 again,
we've got this
repeated phrase
and in verse 4
that Christ
died for our
sins according
to the
Scriptures.
Verse 4,
that he was
buried and
raised on the
third day
according to
the Scriptures.
Before these
events happened,
hundreds of
years before it
happened,
it was already
spoken about
and already
talked about.
Again, keep
your finger in
1 Corinthians
15 and go
all the way
back to
Isaiah
chapter 53.
I haven't
got a page
number, I'm
sorry, so if
somebody's got
that, they
can call it
out.
Isaiah
chapter 53.
740.
Isaiah
chapter 53.
So here this
prophet Isaiah,
it's about
700 years
before the
coming of
Christ.
chapter 53.
And as he
writes, he
doesn't name
Christ, but
here he is
talking and
thinking and
looking forward
to the death
and resurrection
of Jesus
Christ.
So look how he
talks about the
death of Christ.
Look at verse
5.
that he was
pierced for
our transgressions.
He was
crushed for
our iniquities.
The punishment
that brought us
peace was upon
him and by his
wounds we are
healed.
We all like
sheep have gone
astray.
each of us
has turned
to his own
way and
the Lord
has laid
on him,
on Christ,
when he
died on the
cross,
he laid
on him
the iniquity
of us
all.
Christ died
according to
the scriptures,
the message
that was
proclaimed and
announced hundreds
of years before
Christ ever
died.
what about
his resurrection?
Well, have a
look at verse
10.
Yet it was
the Lord's
will to
crush him
and cause
him to
suffer.
And through
the Lord,
and though the
Lord makes
his life a
guilt offering,
he will
see his
offspring
and prolong
his days.
And the
will of the
Lord will
prosper in
his hands.
So here he's
talking about
the death of
Jesus,
but at the
one hand saying
his days will
go on.
Verse 11,
after the
suffering of
his soul,
he will see
the light
of life
and be
satisfied.
Christ will
die,
but he will
rise again
and he will
see the
results of
his death
and his
resurrection,
that people
have come to
trust him
and follow
him.
So long
before Jesus
came,
Paul is
saying this
gospel message
that I received
by revelation
was announced
well in
advance,
hundreds of
years ago.
One,
one day
was going
to come
who would
fulfil all
of these
truths and
now it has
been fulfilled
in the
person of
Jesus Christ.
So believe
it,
because God
has said it
and because
scripture
announced it.
But there's
another piece
of evidence,
that is the
resurrection
itself.
Go back
to 1 Corinthians
chapter 15,
verse 4.
The evidence
here is that
the people
saw the
risen Jesus.
So let's
read verse 4
again.
He was
buried,
he was
raised on
the third
day according
to the
scriptures,
and he
appeared to
Peter and
then to
the twelve.
Well you
say, well
that's nice
and neat
and very
convenient.
Jesus
appeared to
those who
knew him,
his
disciples.
Well,
read on,
verse 6.
After that,
he appeared
to more
than 500
of the
brothers,
at the
same time,
most of
whom are
still living,
though some
have fallen
asleep.
In other
words,
they have
died.
It's like
Paul is
laying down
a challenge
to anyone
who doubts
the truth
of the
resurrection.
He's
inviting his
readers to
go and
check out
what he is
claiming and
what he is
saying is
true.
He's saying,
go and ask
all these
witnesses.
There's about
500 of them.
Okay,
some of them
have died,
but the vast
majority of
them are
still alive.
Go and ask
them,
go talk to
them,
listen to
their stories,
weigh it up,
see what they
have to say,
compare it.
There's no
way that
Paul could
make such
a claim
without proof
that it
was true.
Don't just
believe what
I'm saying
or what I'm
writing,
go and check
it out for
yourself.
And if that
is not enough,
verse 7,
then he
appeared to
James,
then also
to the
apostles.
This is a
wider group
than the
disciples.
And last
of all,
he appeared
to me
also as
to one
abnormally
born or
as untimely
born as
some have
it.
It's not
referring here
to some
physical
condition,
but rather
to Paul's
spiritual
condition.
Paul saw
the risen
Jesus when
he was in
opposition to
Jesus.
On his
way,
on the
Damascus
road,
on his
way to
persecute
Christians,
the risen
Lord Jesus
appeared to
him.
That's what
I think
it's
referring to
here.
The point
is that
Jesus appeared
to individuals,
to small
groups,
to a
large group
in different
places and
in different
times.
So he's
saying it's
true, go
check out
the stories.
Now I
know we're
2,000 years
on from
that event
and we
can't
necessarily
go to
these
people
because
they're
all
dead.
But we
can go
to their
sources.
We do
have their
testimony.
We do
have their
accounts.
That's why
Paul is
writing down
what he
wrote down
here in
1 Corinthians.
We can
check out
this eyewitness
record.
We can
check out
the stories
of the
gospel,
see what
has been
written down
and preserved
for us
in scripture
so that
we too
can believe.
And many
people have
done that.
I was
talking to
Nick just
now.
You can
ask Nick
as a
student in
university.
One of the
things that
caused him
to come to
belief in
Christ was
when he
was challenged
to check
out the
truth of
the resurrection
in the
pages of
scripture.
And that
led Nick
to come to
a real
believing
faith to
say this
is true.
I can
trust it.
Go talk
to Nick
and listen
to his
story or
the book
that he
was referred
to which
is forgetting
now the
tomb.
What was
it?
Who
Moved
the Stone.
So that's
a little
book that
somebody had
written.
They had
went to
investigate
trying to
prove that
the resurrection
wasn't
true and
in the
course of
investigating
found oh
it is
true and
came to
believe.
And as
people ask
you questions
like I had
a conversation
with a
friend in
the car
yesterday
didn't
believe in
the
resurrection
a load
of nonsense
how would
we answer
that?
Be sure
that you
have a
reason for
the hope
in which
you believe.
So know
that the
gospel you
have received
is true.
The
foundation
that we
stand on
is real.
It's
credible.
And third
experience
the gospel
that has
power to
change your
life.
You see
at the end
of the day
the ultimate
test that
this is
true is
to experience
the gospel
in your
own life.
Not just
a message
that's out
there that
we can read
about that
that's
impersonal.
But something
that you
can believe
yourself and
trust with
your very
own life.
First we
can see
that it
changed
Paul's
life.
Look at
verse 9.
He says
I am the
least of
the apostles.
An apostle
was one
who had
seen the
resurrection
of Jesus
Christ.
So he
says I
am the
least of
the
apostles.
Well why
would he
say that?
It's almost
like saying
I'm the
bottom of
the pile.
I do
not even
deserve to
be called
an apostle.
Why?
Because I
persecuted
the church
of God.
Paul is
asking us
to look at
his life
saying look
at what
my life
was like.
Not only
did I
not believe
in the
resurrection
but I
actually went
around
persecuting
those who
did believe
in the
resurrection.
I
oversaw
their
murder,
their
execution.
I
put them
in prison.
But,
verse 10,
by the
grace of
God I
am what
I am
and his
grace to
me was
not without
effect.
As we
mentioned
earlier as
Paul was
on a
journey,
on his
way to
persecute
Christians and
kill them or
imprison them,
the risen
Lord Jesus
graciously
intervened in
Paul's
life,
stopped him
literally in
his tracks.
He didn't
deserve it,
he didn't
earn it,
but God
changed him
and Paul
came to
believe this
gospel that
this Christ
who he was
opposed to
and against
had died
for his
sins.
And the
Christians that
he persecuted
who believed
in the
resurrection
was true
and that by
trusting in
him he
could have
life.
And the
effects were
clear to
see in
Paul's
life.
He was
changed from
a persecutor
to a
preacher,
from an
antagonist
to an
apostle.
And as
a result,
Paul now
gave his
life for
the cause
of the
gospel.
He could
say that
he worked
harder,
the end
of verse
10,
harder than
any of
the other
apostles.
The gospel
had radically
changed his
life.
Now the
point of
all of
this is,
it is a
gospel message
that changes
you and
me.
This is a
gospel that
has power
to change
us.
So let me
show you
very briefly
two ways
the gospel
has power
to change
our life.
First,
it gives
us a
brand new
identity.
Look at
verse 10
again.
By the
grace of
God,
I am
what I
am,
and his
grace to
me was
not without
effect.
You see,
God no
longer looks
at Paul
through the
lens of
the past,
a persecutor
and a
murderer.
God now
looks at
Paul through
the lens
of the
gospel,
through
Jesus
Christ.
I am
what I
am,
says Paul,
by the
grace of
God.
Because
Christ died
for our
sins,
our past
no longer
defines us.
Our
failures are
no longer
held against
us.
We have
a brand
new
identity.
I am
what I
am because
of what
Jesus has
done for
me.
Now,
perhaps you
are here
today,
whether you
are a
believer or
not a
believer,
and you're
troubled with
your past.
You're
conscious of
some secret
sin that
no one else
knows about,
and it
keeps coming
back time
and time
again.
or maybe
people don't
let you
forget your
past,
and they
keep reminding
you of what
you said or
how you
behaved or
what you
did.
Well,
because of
Christ,
people no
longer define
you.
The world
doesn't define
you.
You don't
even get to
define yourself.
Christ
defines you.
If you
trust in
him,
just as
Paul was,
we are
forgiven
people,
accepted
people.
You are
a child
of God,
welcomed,
loved,
and treasured,
so we're
no longer
defined by
what everybody
else thinks.
We now
have a
brand new
identity to
live as
the children
of God.
By the
grace of
God,
I am
what I
am.
Do not
let anybody
else define
you.
Let
Christ
define
you and
live out
your new
identity
in him.
The past
is put
away.
You have
a brand
new life
to live.
But not
just a
new
identity,
we also
have a
new
priority.
Look at
the end
of verse
10.
Not only
was Paul
changed,
he said,
I could
work harder
than all
of them.
Yet
not I,
but the
grace of
God
that was
at work
in me.
We can
read all
about Paul's
work in
the book of
Acts and
in other
letters,
the places
he preached,
the churches
that he
planted.
In fact,
on many
occasions as
he went
about his
work,
he nearly
lost his
life in
the process.
Wild
animals
attacked
him,
people
stoned
him,
he was
beaten,
he was
imprisoned,
he endured
shipwrecks,
he almost
died on
numerous
occasions.
But as
he looks
at his
life and
all that
he accomplished,
look again
at the end
of verse
10.
He says,
it wasn't
me who
did all
this,
but the
grace of
God that
was with
me.
Paul could
give his
life,
literally he
could pour
out his
life for
the work
of Christ
because of
the grace
of God,
because of
the truth
of the
resurrection,
because Christ
had defeated
death.
Paul knew
that if he
died in
the process
of doing
this work,
that wasn't
it.
He too
would rise
to be with
Christ forever,
which was
better by
far.
He now
had a new
priority in
life and
he could
give his
life to
it 100%.
Well,
again,
maybe you're
here this
morning and
you're thinking
that this
life,
this 70
years or
however many
years we
might live,
that this
is all
there is
from the
day we
are born
to the
day we
die and
that's
it.
So you
spend your
time investing
in stuff
that doesn't
last,
trying to
do
everything
now,
going on
this place
and going
over here
and doing
this and
doing that
because,
well,
we've only
got this
certain length
of time
and we've
got to do
everything
and have
everything
now.
you can
be a
Christian
and live
like that.
Or maybe
you fear
losing your
own life
so you
don't do
anything,
you don't
commit to
anything
because of
fear of
what might
happen,
I'll not
move,
I'll not
change this,
I'll not
leave this
country because
who knows
what's going
to happen.
Well,
if you
believe,
if you
truly believe
the resurrection
as Paul did,
it frees
your life
to live
for Christ.
You don't
need everything
now because
the best is
yet to come.
You don't
need to fear
for your
life now
because eternal
life is yet
to come.
Christ
changes you
completely
and gives
you a new
priority.
So this
gospel,
the death
of Christ,
the resurrection
of Christ
is the
foundation
on which
we build
our life.
It is
true,
100%
true
and it
can change
you radically.
So,
verse 11,
whether then
it was I
or they,
this is
what we
preach
and this
is what
you believed.
It doesn't
matter who
preaches the
gospel to you
or how
you hear
it,
whether it's
in this
building
or in
some other
place,
or what
we were
doing when
we heard
the gospel.
The point
is that
we believe
it,
that this
is the
sure and
certain
truth of
the gospel,
the foundation
on which we
build our
life.
The
foundation,
verse 3,
that Christ
died for
our sins
according to
the scriptures,
that he
was buried,
that he
was raised
on the
third day
according to
the scriptures,
and that he
appeared to
Peter and
then to
the twelve.
Have
confidence
in what
you believe.
It is
true.
Let's
pray.
Amen.
Father,
would you
please help
us
to have
that fresh
confidence
again in
the truth
of your
gospel,
that where
other voices
and other
messages
claim to
discredit
the
resurrection
and say
it's just
a myth.
Help us
to examine
afresh who
you are
and what
you have
done,
and that
we can
believe it.
But more
than that,
just as
people taught
us the
gospel,
we pray
that we
would faithfully
pass it
on to
the next
generation,
to our
own
children,
to those
we work
with,
to those
we meet
with.
Father,
give us
opportunity
to have
that confidence
and assurance
to stand
strong
and proclaim
your truth.
Fill us
with the
power of
your Holy
Spirit,
that we
might do
it well.
In
Jesus'
name,
Amen.