What’s This Gospel Talk All About?
1. I Corinthians 15:1-4
2. Introduction: Have you ever been around a know it all? You know someone that thinks they know everything, but everything that comes out of their mouth makes no sense. Christa thinks that she is married to one of those annoying know it alls. I went to high school with someone like this. Everything she said made people laugh because it was so ridiculous. She was not skinny, but very rotund, yet she claimed to be a model and a figure skater. She said that she had just missed the Olympics in 1992! She was what I would call a Know it all or an I can top that person.
3. There is another type of know it all. That is a good know it all. Most of your good teachers are good know it alls. They don’t brag about what they know, but by the way they teach, the way they live, the way that they mentor, they are wise. They know a lot and want to pass it along to others.
4. Paul was a know it all, but he was a good know it all. He knew the gospel very well and he wanted the Corinthians to know exactly what the gospel was.
5. We shouldn’t be annoying know it alls but we should know what we believe. Tonight we will be learning exactly what the gospel says so that when we have a chance to share the gospel, we will be ready.
6. I Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in your with meekness and fear;
SO YOU ASK, WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW?
Glad you asked…
I. Christ died for our sins. vs. 3
1. We are obviously sinners. Has anyone in here not sinned?
The Bible says that we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God.
2. It also says that The wages of sin is death…
3. Therefore, someone or something, as in the Old Testament sacrifice, must die for our sin. Death is the penalty.
4. In the Old Testament, the high priest was in charge of offering the sacrifice and he had to follow the strict rules of sacrifice. If he broke any of these rules it was immediate death. He even had to wear bells on his shoes and a rope on his outfit because if he accidentally broke a rule of sacrifice, he would die and the bells would stop ringing and he would have to be dragged out.
5. This doesn’t sound like a lot of fun. Thankfully Christ was the perfect high priest and the perfect sacrifice and died for our sins and when we accept his salvation, his sacrifice, our sins are removed and we receive the righteousness of Christ.
6. 1Pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he
might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
7. Romans 5:18b even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
8. Christ’s death was according to the scriptures.
9. The scriptures at this time was the law (Moses), the prophets, and Psalms.
LAW-Picture of Christ in the sacrificial system
PSALMS-Messianic Plsams-Ps22-Fortells Christ’s death
Written over 1,000 years before the crucifixion, and before crucifixion was used.
vs. 16-Described his death
vs. 17-Described his torture
vs. 18-Fortold the parting of his garments
PROPHETS-Isaiah 53-Suffering Servant
10. Jesus was the living Word of God, and he said that he would die, be buried, and rose again, and he did what he said he would do.
II. That he was buried…
1. This is important because some people try to disprove Christ’s death, which would disprove the gospel.
2. People try to disprove Christianity by saying that Jesus did not really die.
3. One theory is called the “Swoon Theory”. It says that Jesus did not die, but merely passed out from exhaustion.
4. This is not possible.
a. The Romans were masters of killing. They knew when people were dead.
b. They did not break Jesus legs like they did to the other people crucified.
c. John 19:32-34. *Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. *But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: *But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
d. The Jews wanted Jesus dead. The rulers of the Jews rallied the people and incited a riot. They would have never let Jesus off the cross, alive.
e. John 19:38-40 And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave [him] leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. 39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound [weight]. 40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
5. The burial is important because of two reasons:
a. Without a burial there would be no sacrificial death.
b. Without a burial, there could be no resurrection.
6. To the Christian, the resurrection is vital. With no resurrection, there could be no resurrection of us, his children. If people can get you to not believe his death and burial, then they can destroy Christianity in your mind.
III. That he rose again the 3rd day according to the scriptures.
1. Jesus said that he would rise again.
2. Mat 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
3. He was seen of Peter, the disciples, and also 500 others.
4. In the court of law, they only need 2 people to have concurring testimonies to make it factual. Jesus had over 500!
CONCLUSION: How do I do this?
ABC’s of the Gospel.
Admit you’re a sinner
Believe Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose again
Confess Christ as your Savior.
