Let's Review the Gospel

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.520 --> 00:00:03.720 Oh Lord, we're so thankful for the salvation that we have. In Jesus 2 00:00:03.799 --> 00:00:08.960 Christ, you have turned our mourning into dancing, dancing, you've loosed the 3 00:00:09.000 --> 00:00:15.279 sackcloth and clothed us with gladness, and what a joy it is to enjoy 4 00:00:15.400 --> 00:00:20.640 these things and to praise you for them in the company of brothers and sisters 5 00:00:20.679 --> 00:00:26.760 who have likewise been brought out of their sin and misery and into your marvelous 6 00:00:26.839 --> 00:00:31.519 light. We ask that you, through the light of the word of God, 7 00:00:31.679 --> 00:00:36.479 through the Gospel and your spirit working that word in us, would help 8 00:00:36.600 --> 00:00:42.119 us to hear and to see and to believe and to stand in that truth. 9 00:00:42.200 --> 00:00:46.520 I'm even this morning, and we pray this now in Jesus name on 10 00:00:46.759 --> 00:00:52.359 them well, please remain standing if you're able, and let's turn our attention 11 00:00:52.439 --> 00:01:18.439 to first Corinthians, Chapter Fifteen. So First Corinthians Fifteen, I'll be reading 12 00:01:18.519 --> 00:01:29.519 verses one through eleven. All right, let's give our attention to God's word. 13 00:01:30.239 --> 00:01:34.200 Now. I would remind you, Brothers, of the Gospel I preach 14 00:01:34.319 --> 00:01:38.359 to you, which you received, in which you stand and by which you 15 00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:42.239 are being saved. If you hold fast to the word I preach to you, 16 00:01:42.959 --> 00:01:48.920 unless you believed in vain, for I delivered to you as of first 17 00:01:48.959 --> 00:01:55.840 importance what I also received. That Christ died for our sins, in accordance 18 00:01:55.879 --> 00:02:00.120 with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the 19 00:02:00.159 --> 00:02:04.560 third day, in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared deciphus, 20 00:02:05.079 --> 00:02:08.479 then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at 21 00:02:08.520 --> 00:02:13.680 one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 22 00:02:14.280 --> 00:02:16.840 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, last of 23 00:02:16.879 --> 00:02:22.840 all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me, for 24 00:02:22.960 --> 00:02:27.319 I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle because 25 00:02:28.159 --> 00:02:34.919 I persecuted the Church of God. But by the grace of God I am 26 00:02:35.080 --> 00:02:39.080 what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain. On 27 00:02:39.159 --> 00:02:43.159 the contrary, I worked harder than all of them, or that any of 28 00:02:43.199 --> 00:02:46.879 them, though. It was not I, but the grace of God that 29 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:52.639 is with me, whether then it was I or they. So we preach 30 00:02:53.319 --> 00:03:19.240 and so you believed. Amen, you may be seated. So have you 31 00:03:19.280 --> 00:03:23.639 ever been trying to get out of the house quickly and you know, you're 32 00:03:23.919 --> 00:03:29.319 looking around for your glasses, right, you're looking and you're looking. Where 33 00:03:29.319 --> 00:03:31.000 are my glasses? Where my glasses? They're on your head, honey, 34 00:03:31.039 --> 00:03:37.080 oh right. Or Your keys or your book or whatever are you had something 35 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:39.479 in your hand right, and you set it down and you say, I 36 00:03:39.599 --> 00:03:46.080 just had this a moment ago and I can't find it. Well, why 37 00:03:46.120 --> 00:03:50.919 does this happen? Well, there's all kinds of reasons. One of them 38 00:03:51.000 --> 00:03:54.039 is we get distracted when there's too much information, too much going on, 39 00:03:54.360 --> 00:04:00.960 we're not paying attention. It's easy to stop and or to forget, let 40 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:06.479 things slide. Sometimes the reminders that we need. We're not forgotten just a 41 00:04:06.479 --> 00:04:13.680 moment ago, but we need the reminders of the of the depth of something. 42 00:04:14.080 --> 00:04:17.160 So, for example, you of course know that your friend loves you 43 00:04:17.240 --> 00:04:24.959 or your mom loves you or someone else in your life, and yet when 44 00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:29.560 they give you that present on your birthday, you're reminded of how much they 45 00:04:29.560 --> 00:04:32.399 love you. Right. There's a way in which there's we know things and 46 00:04:32.439 --> 00:04:36.720 then we come into a deeper knowledge of them or we remember them at a 47 00:04:36.759 --> 00:04:43.519 new level in a way that's very helpful to us. For whatever reason, 48 00:04:43.639 --> 00:04:48.759 this seems to be a need of ours. As a need of ours, 49 00:04:48.800 --> 00:04:55.519 we need reminders, and so much in the scriptures is a call to remember, 50 00:04:55.920 --> 00:04:59.279 over and over and over again. Even the Lord's Day itself as a 51 00:04:59.360 --> 00:05:04.959 day for remembering. It's a day for setting things aside, keeping it special, 52 00:05:05.079 --> 00:05:12.360 so that we can remember, especially the things that are of first importance. 53 00:05:13.120 --> 00:05:16.519 And that's what Paul does for us here in Chapter Fifteen of First Corinthians. 54 00:05:17.439 --> 00:05:21.079 Here, in these verses in particular, he begins and says, I 55 00:05:21.120 --> 00:05:26.199 would remind you, Brothers, of the Gospel I preach to you, which 56 00:05:26.240 --> 00:05:30.360 you received. Paul wants to remind them of the Gospel, and that's a 57 00:05:30.399 --> 00:05:34.439 good thing and it's something that we all need. There's not a point in 58 00:05:34.480 --> 00:05:42.680 our lives where we ever fully understand or appreciate the depth and the level of 59 00:05:42.920 --> 00:05:50.720 importance and and beauty and its effects of the of the Gospel. Paul wants 60 00:05:50.720 --> 00:05:54.639 to remind them of the Gospel. Now it's not that he hasn't been saying 61 00:05:54.680 --> 00:05:59.720 anything about it. It's not been absent from the chapters that have come before. 62 00:06:00.600 --> 00:06:03.680 When he was talking to the Corinthians about the divisions within the Church and 63 00:06:03.720 --> 00:06:09.839 the clamoring after this teacher and that teacher. He reminded them that all of 64 00:06:09.879 --> 00:06:13.800 them, all of the teachers, are ultimately speaking the word of the one 65 00:06:13.879 --> 00:06:16.879 word of the one Christ. He tells them in chapter three, you are 66 00:06:16.959 --> 00:06:24.759 God's workers, God's field, God's building. He grounds his instructions and his 67 00:06:24.800 --> 00:06:29.959 exhortations in the Gospel. Same thing in chapter four when he talks about ministry, 68 00:06:29.959 --> 00:06:34.319 in chapter five when he talks about sexual immorality, also in six and 69 00:06:34.439 --> 00:06:40.560 seven. Yes, he gives very practical instructions. He works US through all 70 00:06:40.639 --> 00:06:46.120 kinds of ethical, important ethical situations. But in the midst of it he's 71 00:06:46.160 --> 00:06:50.279 focusing on Christ sacrifice, who brings US purity and forgiveness and calls us to 72 00:06:50.279 --> 00:06:58.079 a certain calling. The lawsuits among believers, food sacrifice to idols, ministerial 73 00:06:58.199 --> 00:07:01.480 pay, clothes in church, all of these things, the Lord's supper, 74 00:07:01.600 --> 00:07:09.800 spiritual gifts, worship practices. He keeps connecting it and relating it to the 75 00:07:09.879 --> 00:07:15.720 Gospel. We are called to do these things because of what Jesus has already 76 00:07:15.720 --> 00:07:21.040 done for us. That's been there all along. It's come up in many 77 00:07:21.079 --> 00:07:28.560 ways, but now he wants to focus on that explicitly, to remind them 78 00:07:28.600 --> 00:07:33.480 of the Gospel in its in its particularities, and I'd like to focus on 79 00:07:33.519 --> 00:07:38.680 it this morning with you in three ways, thinking about its content, its 80 00:07:38.720 --> 00:07:44.319 effect and it's importance. So first, it's content. What does Paul say? 81 00:07:44.360 --> 00:07:47.240 The Gospel is Gospel, of course, is a word that means just 82 00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:54.079 good news. Right, you receive news throughout the day, throughout the week, 83 00:07:54.319 --> 00:07:58.240 hopefully not too much, but you received news, some of it's bad, 84 00:07:58.240 --> 00:08:03.560 some of its good. This is good news. It's news about something 85 00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:07.800 that has happened. And what has happened? What is the news that has 86 00:08:07.839 --> 00:08:13.120 been proclaimed, the news that has been preached? Well, Paul says it 87 00:08:13.279 --> 00:08:18.519 is this. In verse three, he begins. I delivered to you as 88 00:08:18.519 --> 00:08:22.000 a first importance, what I also received. That's as a reminder, by 89 00:08:22.040 --> 00:08:26.480 the way, that Paul is not just making something up, he's not telling 90 00:08:26.600 --> 00:08:31.200 stories, he's delivering the message. That's his job. And what is the 91 00:08:31.240 --> 00:08:39.679 message, Colan? That Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures. 92 00:08:39.720 --> 00:08:43.080 This is the first thing he says. So if somebody asks you, 93 00:08:43.480 --> 00:08:46.159 what is the Gospel, and he will say more. There's a lot of 94 00:08:46.200 --> 00:08:50.720 things we can add and ways we can fill out the news, but what's 95 00:08:50.720 --> 00:08:54.559 a headline right? What's the headline for the story? This would be a 96 00:08:54.639 --> 00:08:58.799 very good one to use. Christ died for our sins, in accordance with 97 00:08:58.840 --> 00:09:07.440 the Scriptures. Christ died for our sins. In accordance with the Scriptures, 98 00:09:07.720 --> 00:09:15.919 Christ is a word that means anointed. It's a title that is applied to 99 00:09:16.039 --> 00:09:20.840 Jesus. It means the same thing as Messiah in the Old Testament. This 100 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:30.360 anointed one is one who is anointed by God to fulfill a particular calling, 101 00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:35.480 which means when we think Christ, we think not just Jesus, we think 102 00:09:35.480 --> 00:09:43.759 of the Trinity, because he is anointed with the spirit by the father, 103 00:09:43.759 --> 00:09:48.240 as modern way to put it, among other ways, he is anointed for 104 00:09:48.320 --> 00:09:52.159 a particular task. And it also reminds us, what we'll think about at 105 00:09:52.159 --> 00:09:56.039 the end of this phrase, that this is an accordance with the scriptures, 106 00:09:56.080 --> 00:10:00.919 with a plan that has been coming and being revealed for a long time. 107 00:10:01.960 --> 00:10:05.360 The Messiah that we read about in the Old Testament is the Christ who is 108 00:10:05.440 --> 00:10:11.960 Jesus in the new. This hope, this expectation, this longing for years 109 00:10:11.039 --> 00:10:16.840 after years after years, generation after generation, and not a vein hope, 110 00:10:16.240 --> 00:10:22.120 not a vein expectation, but one that God himself had promised. It comes 111 00:10:22.159 --> 00:10:26.720 into fulfillment when Jesus comes into the world, when he takes on human flesh 112 00:10:28.759 --> 00:10:33.960 in order that he might die, and that's our second word. Jesus Christ, 113 00:10:35.080 --> 00:10:39.559 the anointed one. He died. The son of God came into the 114 00:10:39.600 --> 00:10:43.080 world to take on a body like yours and mine, so that he might 115 00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:52.840 be able to die as we do. Jesus died not because something, an 116 00:10:52.879 --> 00:10:58.480 accident, happened to him. He died not because he really didn't want to 117 00:10:58.559 --> 00:11:03.360 and he sort of fell into the situation. Jesus came into the world for 118 00:11:03.480 --> 00:11:09.399 that very purpose. That's why he took on flesh and blood, so that 119 00:11:09.440 --> 00:11:13.639 he might die the death that we deserved, so that he might be our 120 00:11:13.639 --> 00:11:20.919 sacrifice and do or be our mediator, a sacrifice for our sins and do 121 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:24.519 what the next word says, or the next phrase, which is for our 122 00:11:24.559 --> 00:11:30.600 sins. His death had a purpose, and what is that purpose? It 123 00:11:30.679 --> 00:11:35.960 was to forgive our sins, to heal us from the effects of our sins, 124 00:11:35.960 --> 00:11:37.759 and we're going to get into this more as we look at the rest 125 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:43.480 of the chapter. When he rose again from the dead, he rose victorious 126 00:11:43.480 --> 00:11:48.320 over sin, over death and and and everything that is attached to that. 127 00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:58.480 Our Fall in Adam was fixed, was solved, repaired and healed by our 128 00:11:58.519 --> 00:12:09.600 reserve action. In Christ, Jesus died for our sins. Our relationship, 129 00:12:09.600 --> 00:12:13.360 therefore, to Jesus, is not one of equals or partners. It's not 130 00:12:13.399 --> 00:12:16.879 one that's temporary or, you know, just for a little bit while it's 131 00:12:16.919 --> 00:12:26.519 convenient. It's a permanent one that he himself establishes and by his own blood. 132 00:12:26.200 --> 00:12:31.480 When the Apostle Paul speaks to the elders in Ephesus and Acts Chapter Twenty, 133 00:12:31.559 --> 00:12:37.080 he tells them to a care for the Church of God, which Jesus 134 00:12:37.120 --> 00:12:43.440 obtained with his own blood. That's who we are. We are people whom 135 00:12:43.559 --> 00:12:50.360 Jesus cut a covenant for and not some animal representing what might happen to him. 136 00:12:50.919 --> 00:12:58.759 His own blood flowed and his own blood flowed not pointing to him, 137 00:12:58.759 --> 00:13:05.320 but it was him. He was the sacrifice that all the sacrifices pointed forward 138 00:13:05.440 --> 00:13:11.720 to. He was the solution, God's own solution in his own son for 139 00:13:11.919 --> 00:13:16.440 our sins. So Christ died for our sins. And finally, as I 140 00:13:16.440 --> 00:13:24.519 said, is the scriptures say accordance with the scriptures, Jesus came to fulfill 141 00:13:24.559 --> 00:13:30.240 what had promised before. It was not a surprise in some senses, is 142 00:13:30.360 --> 00:13:35.480 that Jesus came. Some people weren't surprised, although many were, but he 143 00:13:35.559 --> 00:13:39.399 came and did what he what God had promised to do, and you see 144 00:13:39.440 --> 00:13:43.480 that in his miracles, you see it in his birth, you see it 145 00:13:43.480 --> 00:13:52.080 in his death and in his resurrection. This is what we find his burial 146 00:13:52.120 --> 00:13:56.120 and resurrection, then, is what Paul speaks of next. So first we 147 00:13:56.200 --> 00:14:01.080 have the headline right, Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the 148 00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:07.080 scriptures. But then he goes on and he adds these things verse four, 149 00:14:07.159 --> 00:14:11.080 that he was buried and that he was raised on the third day, in 150 00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:18.960 accordance with the scriptures. The life and death are a part of the Gospel, 151 00:14:18.039 --> 00:14:22.919 and so is the burial and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Like 152 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:28.519 to read a little bit to you from the Gospel of Luke. First from 153 00:14:28.600 --> 00:14:33.799 Luke Chapter Nine. After feeding the five thousand, in Luke Nine, verse 154 00:14:33.840 --> 00:14:39.399 Twenty One or verse twenty two, he says to his disciples the son of 155 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:46.879 man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests 156 00:14:46.879 --> 00:14:54.039 and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised. That's what 157 00:14:54.120 --> 00:14:58.679 Jesus says to his disciples before all of that happens, and he's pretty clear 158 00:14:58.720 --> 00:15:03.200 about it, isn't he listen to what he says in the same chapter write 159 00:15:03.240 --> 00:15:11.120 a few versus later, he says in Verse Forty Four, let these words 160 00:15:11.240 --> 00:15:16.320 sink into your ears, the son of man is about to be delivered into 161 00:15:16.360 --> 00:15:20.879 the hands of men. But they did not understand this saying and it was 162 00:15:20.919 --> 00:15:24.919 concealed from them so they might not perceive it, and they were afraid to 163 00:15:24.960 --> 00:15:30.440 ask him about this saying. There are other places in the scriptures where Jesus 164 00:15:30.440 --> 00:15:33.320 repeats these things. He tells them what's going to happen, but they they 165 00:15:33.399 --> 00:15:41.320 have trouble understanding for various reasons. They don't believe for various reasons. But 166 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:48.200 of course, exactly as Jesus predicted, he he was delivered over, he 167 00:15:48.360 --> 00:15:52.759 did die, he was buried. Any rose again. Turning over to Luke, 168 00:15:52.840 --> 00:15:58.919 Chapter Twenty Four, verses one through nine, let's read about his resurrection 169 00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:06.399 on the first day of the week. But early dawn they went to the 170 00:16:06.440 --> 00:16:10.919 tomb taking the spices they had prepared, and they found the stone rolled away 171 00:16:10.919 --> 00:16:15.200 from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body 172 00:16:15.240 --> 00:16:18.840 of the Lord Jesus. While they were pupat perplexed about this, behold two 173 00:16:18.879 --> 00:16:23.679 men stood by them and dazzling apparel, and as they were frightened and bowed 174 00:16:23.720 --> 00:16:26.759 their faces to the ground, the men said to them, why do you 175 00:16:26.840 --> 00:16:33.600 seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. 176 00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:37.240 Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that 177 00:16:37.320 --> 00:16:41.320 the son of man must be delivered into the hands of Sinful men and be 178 00:16:41.360 --> 00:16:48.519 crucified and on the third day rise. And they remembered his words. Remember 179 00:16:48.559 --> 00:16:53.320 my point earlier about remembering. They remembered his words and, returning to the 180 00:16:53.320 --> 00:16:56.879 tomb, they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 181 00:16:56.919 --> 00:17:02.200 So there are these these two angels right saying Jesus has risen from the 182 00:17:02.200 --> 00:17:06.920 dead. He's no longer he's no longer dead, he's alive. Do you 183 00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:11.559 remember what he told you, that this is exactly what would happen? And 184 00:17:11.599 --> 00:17:18.119 at that moment they remembered. They remembered, they were reminded of the Gospel 185 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:22.279 and they heard it and they believe and they went and started telling others, 186 00:17:22.279 --> 00:17:29.720 exactly as we should do. So this good news is that Jesus died for 187 00:17:29.799 --> 00:17:33.200 our sins, that he did so accord to the scriptures that he wrote, 188 00:17:33.279 --> 00:17:38.240 was buried and he rose again from the dead. Now, continuing on in 189 00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:44.440 Verse Five, Paul then says he and that he appeared to Siphast, then 190 00:17:44.480 --> 00:17:48.240 to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one 191 00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:52.440 time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 192 00:17:52.440 --> 00:17:56.319 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, last of all, 193 00:17:56.319 --> 00:18:03.559 as to one untimely born. He also appeared to me. This is 194 00:18:03.599 --> 00:18:07.920 a really fascinating passage for all kinds of reasons. One of them is it 195 00:18:07.960 --> 00:18:15.480 does remind us that these things that we're talking about happened in a particular place 196 00:18:15.559 --> 00:18:22.759 at a particular time, and people saw it alive. People all saw it. 197 00:18:22.960 --> 00:18:27.440 As Paul writes this, he says you can go talk to them right 198 00:18:27.519 --> 00:18:33.960 now, some of these people who witnessed these things. Not so much time 199 00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:37.960 has passed that you can go at Corinthians. He saying to the Corinthians, 200 00:18:37.039 --> 00:18:42.160 you can go and get an eyewitness testimony to this fact that this person saw 201 00:18:42.279 --> 00:18:48.039 Jesus and not one person, not the story of somebody, of somebody, 202 00:18:48.079 --> 00:18:52.359 of somebody. He says he appeared to all these people and an over to 203 00:18:52.680 --> 00:19:02.799 two, over five hundred brothers at one time. This is amazing, right. 204 00:19:02.839 --> 00:19:07.839 Not only was though, all of this work testified to in the scriptures, 205 00:19:07.880 --> 00:19:11.039 proven by the fact that it happened, and then there were all of 206 00:19:11.079 --> 00:19:15.359 these witnesses as well. On top of all of that, and we'll get 207 00:19:15.400 --> 00:19:18.240 this to this in a moment, as we moved to the effect of the 208 00:19:18.279 --> 00:19:25.440 Gospel. It it made this powerful change in these people's lives. Paul uses 209 00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:32.359 himself as an example. I was persecuting the church, he says, but 210 00:19:32.400 --> 00:19:37.480 then I saw Jesus and now I'm willing to die for the church. What 211 00:19:37.640 --> 00:19:45.119 an amazing, amazing thing. It's a reminder that the Church of God, 212 00:19:45.200 --> 00:19:49.160 the people that Jesus raises, for the people that Jesus reveals himself to, 213 00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:57.759 is not an unnecessary thing on the side, not related to the Gospel. 214 00:19:59.720 --> 00:20:03.680 The Work of God for the Church, which he obtained by his blood, 215 00:20:03.680 --> 00:20:07.640 acts twenty. The Work of God for the Church and which he cans, 216 00:20:07.680 --> 00:20:11.720 converting men like Paul the Work of God for the Church and where he is 217 00:20:11.799 --> 00:20:17.200 causing like the women at the Tomb to remember the Gospel. It's for real 218 00:20:17.240 --> 00:20:21.559 people. It didn't just happen there in history and then we can kind of 219 00:20:21.559 --> 00:20:26.880 read about it. It happened in history for the world and then ripple effects 220 00:20:26.920 --> 00:20:33.359 continue to go out and affect even us. Well now I think I'm firmly 221 00:20:33.400 --> 00:20:37.839 in point two, so we'll just keep going. Paul says, what are 222 00:20:37.880 --> 00:20:41.440 the effects of this Gospel? He says several things. One in verse one, 223 00:20:41.519 --> 00:20:45.680 he says, in which you stand. It's a truth that we don't 224 00:20:45.759 --> 00:20:49.880 just hear. It's a truth we stand on, a truth, we depend 225 00:20:49.880 --> 00:20:56.920 on a truth we live out of. He also says of the Gospel it 226 00:20:56.039 --> 00:21:02.480 is the word by which you are being saying the word of God has its 227 00:21:02.480 --> 00:21:06.440 effect and causing us to be born again to new life, but it also 228 00:21:06.480 --> 00:21:11.559 helps us in our continuing growth in that life. The perfecting of the saints 229 00:21:11.720 --> 00:21:17.839 is a work of God and he does it through the Gospel. In other 230 00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:21.079 words, we don't just hear the Gospel once and say, okay, I 231 00:21:21.160 --> 00:21:26.079 understand that Jesus died and now I get to work doing my obeying part. 232 00:21:26.359 --> 00:21:29.640 We, of course, are called to obey. The law. Is Good 233 00:21:29.640 --> 00:21:33.200 like honey to our lips. It's what we were made to do, to 234 00:21:33.319 --> 00:21:37.200 live and light of. But the law doesn't empower us in the way that 235 00:21:37.240 --> 00:21:42.000 the Gospel does. The Gospel and the Work of God, He Paul says 236 00:21:42.039 --> 00:21:48.160 in another place, is the power of God unto salvation for those who believe. 237 00:21:48.799 --> 00:21:52.279 That's why, in my preaching and in our worship services and in our 238 00:21:52.279 --> 00:21:57.279 Bible Studies and fellowships, we're always talking about this over and over and over 239 00:21:57.319 --> 00:22:02.599 again. The Gospel, the work of Christ, for us, is of 240 00:22:02.720 --> 00:22:07.960 first importance. It's the thing that saves us, it's the thing that continues 241 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:14.599 to save us, it's the thing that will bring salvation to completion. And 242 00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:18.359 of course it's not just a thing. It is the word of God. 243 00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:25.799 It is the revelation of Jesus Christ and the work of the spirit in us. 244 00:22:26.640 --> 00:22:30.839 In the same way in which God created the world and wrought it into 245 00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:36.799 being and sustains it by the word of his power, he is bringing new 246 00:22:36.880 --> 00:22:41.279 life and new creation into being and sustaining it by the word of his power, 247 00:22:41.319 --> 00:22:48.440 and that word is the good news that Jesus Christ died for sinners and 248 00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:55.880 rose again. So that brings us finally to the importance of this message. 249 00:22:56.039 --> 00:23:00.319 We see it in a number of ways, most easily when Paul says at 250 00:23:00.400 --> 00:23:04.599 first three I delivered, for I delivered to you as of first importance what 251 00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:11.519 I also received. When we are focused on other things, that's when we 252 00:23:11.599 --> 00:23:17.039 lose our glasses. When we're focused on other things, that's when we lose 253 00:23:18.279 --> 00:23:22.559 we get distracted and we begin forgetting one of the things that the word of 254 00:23:22.559 --> 00:23:26.720 God does for us, one of the things that we enjoy on the Lord's 255 00:23:26.799 --> 00:23:33.599 Day as a resetting and a recalibrating and a reminding of who we are, 256 00:23:33.279 --> 00:23:40.799 of what God has done, and that this is of first importance. It's 257 00:23:40.839 --> 00:23:44.480 at the core of who we are in our life and our families and our 258 00:23:44.519 --> 00:23:48.519 communities, in our church. It's the thing that is saving us. It 259 00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:57.400 is the thing by which we understand all other things. It's also important in 260 00:23:57.440 --> 00:24:02.480 this negative sense. All says, unless you believed in vain, which is 261 00:24:02.519 --> 00:24:07.920 a reminder that it is possible to have a kind of false faith, a 262 00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:15.359 vain faith, a faith that isn't really faith. It's possible to believe in 263 00:24:15.480 --> 00:24:19.000 vain, not in the sense that you have true belief that doesn't achieve its 264 00:24:19.160 --> 00:24:23.319 end. Because what does Jesus say? He says faith is small as a 265 00:24:23.400 --> 00:24:27.559 mustard seed, or faith is as little as, or even mixed with, 266 00:24:27.680 --> 00:24:33.720 unbelief, is still capable of moving mountains. Right. He's not saying you 267 00:24:33.759 --> 00:24:40.359 have to believe at levels seventy five at least in order to in order for 268 00:24:40.359 --> 00:24:42.599 it to not be in vain. And then we sort of measure that anything 269 00:24:42.640 --> 00:24:52.160 that's faith and anything that receives Jesus is not in vain. There is, 270 00:24:52.160 --> 00:24:56.119 however, a false kind of faith, right. Jesus talks about this in 271 00:24:56.119 --> 00:25:00.640 one of his parables, a sort of seed that gets planted in the ground 272 00:25:00.720 --> 00:25:04.279 and then sport of springs up, the sun comes, it withers away and 273 00:25:04.359 --> 00:25:10.160 it dies. It's not really grounded, as we say, it's not really 274 00:25:10.279 --> 00:25:18.720 rooted. Right. Not True, and that's a warning to us. If 275 00:25:18.759 --> 00:25:23.920 you look at your life and and you test your heart by the standards of 276 00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:30.279 scripture and you say, you know, I don't really believe this. I'm 277 00:25:30.359 --> 00:25:33.839 not here this morning because I'm here to worship God. I'm here this morning 278 00:25:33.880 --> 00:25:40.440 because I'm trying to impress someone or make a point, or I'm here because 279 00:25:40.759 --> 00:25:45.559 I think that God will someholp be pleased by my actions and then save me. 280 00:25:45.599 --> 00:25:49.680 Anything like this, this is this is not faith. Anything that starts 281 00:25:49.720 --> 00:25:56.359 with you, know, I and me. These things are likely heading us 282 00:25:56.359 --> 00:26:03.960 in the wrong direction. So we should ask ourselves, who do I belong 283 00:26:03.039 --> 00:26:07.119 to? Am I like the thief on the Cross, or the people on 284 00:26:07.160 --> 00:26:11.799 the road, or the people in the desolate places needing to be fed? 285 00:26:11.200 --> 00:26:17.759 My like these people who Jesus encountered and said, I need you, Lord, 286 00:26:18.200 --> 00:26:22.279 help me, Lord, or are we like the other people who, 287 00:26:22.440 --> 00:26:25.000 when they spoke to the Lord and he told them things? You, they 288 00:26:25.039 --> 00:26:30.839 said Nah, not for me. Who are who walked away? We said 289 00:26:30.880 --> 00:26:37.799 the sacrifice is or I don't care that much, or you're a liar and 290 00:26:37.880 --> 00:26:42.000 I'm going to kill you. These were the various reactions of people who did 291 00:26:42.039 --> 00:26:48.960 not have faith, who did not believe. It's worth our asking the question, 292 00:26:49.039 --> 00:26:53.200 because this Gospel, this faith that we have in Jesus Christ, this 293 00:26:53.359 --> 00:27:02.799 faith in this word, is of first importance because, apart from faith in 294 00:27:02.880 --> 00:27:08.200 Jesus, this Jesus that we hear about in this news, we remain in 295 00:27:08.240 --> 00:27:17.400 our sins. Because why? Well, that's why Jesus died for our sins, 296 00:27:17.440 --> 00:27:22.680 to forgive us our sins. And if we reject him, then no 297 00:27:22.759 --> 00:27:26.000 one has died for your sins. You remain in your sins, you remain 298 00:27:26.200 --> 00:27:37.759 separated from God. Our faith must be in him, and the Scriptures promise 299 00:27:38.519 --> 00:27:41.880 that when we put our faith in him, no matter how small it is, 300 00:27:41.920 --> 00:27:48.279 no matter how beginning, no matter how mixed, he answers it. 301 00:27:49.240 --> 00:27:56.240 He gives freely, even more than we ask, and when he does, 302 00:27:56.359 --> 00:28:02.559 it has this effect that Paul's talking about. Instead of being bought in bondage 303 00:28:02.599 --> 00:28:07.559 to slavery and death, to fear and guilt and shame, he opens up 304 00:28:07.559 --> 00:28:12.319 our lives and he allows us to feel freedom for the first time. He 305 00:28:12.359 --> 00:28:19.039 allows us to stand, he allows us to not be living anymore in vain 306 00:28:19.279 --> 00:28:26.279 but with purpose and with meaning, and he promises that what he begins in 307 00:28:26.400 --> 00:28:34.920 us, he he willing to completion. That is the message that they've received, 308 00:28:34.960 --> 00:28:38.799 that is the message that we have received. Let's stand in it, 309 00:28:40.400 --> 00:28:47.759 let's believe it and let's always remember him. Let's pray our heavenly father, 310 00:28:47.880 --> 00:28:52.319 we thank you for giving your word to us, your son, and thank 311 00:28:52.400 --> 00:28:56.759 you also for the gift of Your Spirit by which we might perceive these things. 312 00:28:56.799 --> 00:29:02.440 As we see with the Lord's disciples and those very early days, even 313 00:29:02.559 --> 00:29:08.079 they who were with him could not perceive and understand until the spirit opened up 314 00:29:08.160 --> 00:29:14.400 their minds and their lives. Lord, we ask that, in the places 315 00:29:14.400 --> 00:29:18.039 where we are dull of hearing, where we cannot perceive, where we don't 316 00:29:18.160 --> 00:29:23.759 understand, we asked that you would help us, that you would humble us, 317 00:29:23.799 --> 00:29:30.400 that we might really know and believe that this good news is of first 318 00:29:30.440 --> 00:29:36.440 importance and that we might not believe a news of our own making, that 319 00:29:36.519 --> 00:29:41.880 we might believe the true news, the news of Jesus, his death and 320 00:29:41.920 --> 00:29:49.799 his resurrection, his victory over sins and his promise to heal us. Lord 321 00:29:49.880 --> 00:29:53.640 Jesus, we thank you for your work in the world. We thank you 322 00:29:53.680 --> 00:29:59.559 for your revelation to us that we might no longer remain in darkness but be 323 00:29:59.640 --> 00:30:03.240 brought into the light. We asked that you would help us to believe, 324 00:30:03.519 --> 00:30:07.759 that you would stir in us a hunger and a desire to know you, 325 00:30:08.039 --> 00:30:12.440 and that you would increase this day after day, that we with the Apostle 326 00:30:12.440 --> 00:30:17.680 Paul, might be willing to give up everything, even our own lives, 327 00:30:17.759 --> 00:30:21.799 that we might follow after you. Let us give up, of course, 328 00:30:21.880 --> 00:30:27.599 our sins, but also our possessions, our relationships, of whatever it takes 329 00:30:27.640 --> 00:30:33.200 that we might know you and follow you. This is a first importance. 330 00:30:33.640 --> 00:30:38.039 Help us to believe that and to live in light of it. We pray 331 00:30:38.119 --> 00:30:41.160 this in Jesus name. Amen.