By the Grace of God to set another immense fact. To the Greek the - - PDF document

11/28/2017 1

By the Grace of God

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

The Christian belief is that after death individuality will survive, that you will still be you and I will still be I. Beside that we have to set another immense fact. To the Greek the body could not be

• consecrated. It was matter, the

source of all evil, the prison- house of the soul. But to the Christian the body is not evil. Jesus, the Son of God, has taken this human body upon him and therefore it is not contemptible because it has been inhabited by God. To the Christian, therefore the life to come involves the total person, body and soul.

William Barclay

» Today – our concluding

sermon in this series on God’s grace

» A look at Paul’s teaching on

the resurrection – based upon God’s grace

• I. Paul’s Resumé of the

Gospel to Corinth

1 Corinthians 15:1-4

• 1. The Gospel Proclaimed

(v1&3)

» In every generation the

Gospel must be proclaimed

» The story must be told » The invitation to tell the

Good News

11/28/2017 2

• 2. The Gospel Received

(v1&3)

» In every generation the

Gospel must be received

» A constant handing down

• f the Gospel
• 3. The Gospel in which

You Stand (v1)

» The Gospel provides us

with stability

» It becomes our foundation

for living life through its storms

• 4. The Gospel in which

You are Being Saved (v2)

» A process that has begun

(through faith) but continues to be reinforced throughout

• ur lives (present tense)

» Assuming we keep saying our

‘yes’ – hold on! (v2b)

• 5. The Gospel: Death, Burial,

Resurrection (v3&4)

• I. Christ died for our sins (Isaiah

53) – it is the story of the cross

“For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)

• II. Christ was buried – the reality
• f his death
• III. Christ was raised on the third

day – raised by God – continues to live now – past perfect tense

• II. The Resurrection

Appearances

1 Corinthians 15:5-9

11/28/2017 3

Christ Appeared (v5,6,7,8)

» Christ was seen physically – not

simply a vision

» Cephas (Peter) mentioned first –

the one who had denied Christ

» Followed by the twelve disciples

Jesus Appeared to 500

» Perhaps a reference to

Matthew 28 at the time of the ascension

» He appeared to James – the

Lord’s brother who became the leader of the Jerusalem church

Jesus Appeared to Paul

(v5,6,7,8)

» Paul the persecutor of the

church; the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15)

» Together everyone listed

becomes a witness to the resurrection

• III. The Power of

God’s Grace

1 Corinthians 15:10-11

Power to Save and Shape

» Grace saved and shaped

Paul’s life – grace 3x in v 10

» “But by the grace of God

I am what I am”

» Grace is a summary of God’s

work in Paul’s life

Grace as a Power/Force

» Grace is seen as a power, a force,

an energy in the believer’s life

» Grace enlivens the Christian’s life » Not by works but by the grace of

God

» “You then, my child, be strong in

the grace that is in Christ Jesus”

(2 Timothy 2:1)

11/28/2017 4

Grace With Us

» God’s grace travels with us (v10b) » Grace is the power of Jesus in us » This grace continues to

empower us and is revealed in the resurrection (v11)

Questions to Consider

» When did grace break into

your life?

» How has grace continued to

manifest itself in your life?

» In what way does the hope of

the resurrection motivate you to carry on in your Christian journey?