A Gospel Presentation

A Gospel Presentation

I Corinthians 15:1-11

The Resurrection is the doctrine that sets Christianity apart from all other religions. There is no denying the fact that Muhammad lived, but he died and remains dead today. Buddha once lived but he died, and that fact will never change. Joseph Smith, Charles Russell & Mary Baker Eddy all remain in their graves. After His death on the Cross at Calvary, Jesus’ body was placed in a borrowed tomb, but three days later He rose from the grave, and He lives forevermore.

Before His death, Jesus proclaimed to His disciples that He would rise from the grave and that is exactly what He did. In our selected text Paul states that the Resurrected Christ was seen by James, Peter, the rest of the Apostles, over 500 witnesses at one time and even by Paul himself.

These verses do more than describe the work of Christ and the importance of the Resurrection, they give us a clear summary of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In church life we hear a lot about the Gospel, but what exactly does that word mean? The word Gospel literally means "Good News". Sometimes, in order to truly appreciate "good news" you must also endure some really bad news. That is the case concerning the good news of Jesus Christ. The bad news is that many years ago in the Garden of Eden, Adam rebelled against God. This rebellion brought death, suffering and separation from God into this world. That sin has been passed down throughout the ages and each of us are guilty before God.

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned

The Bible also says that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). That is some really bad news! Unfortunately I have some news that is even worse. The consequences of sin bring physical and spiritual death. Furthermore, because we have sinned, we deserve to be punished by spending eternity in a Lake of Fire. To make matters worse, there is absolutely nothing that we can do about our sin.

Thankfully, I do have some good news, the good news is that God has done something that we would never do. Though "the wages of sin is death", it is also true that "the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord!"

God sent His only son, Jesus into this world. He lived a sinless life and suffered on our behalf. At Calvary He took our place and paid our sin debt. Jesus died on that cross, but on the third day, He rose again. Through faith in Him we can be saved from our sins and receive everlasting life and a home in Heaven.

What I have just shared with you is a simple gospel presentation. Many churches train their members how to deliver a gospel presentation. It seems that every other month there is a new program or method that is described as the "best way" to present the gospel to lost people. Whatever method you may use, the message never changes.

- In I Corinthians 15 we find a clear summary of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you will join me for just a little while, I want to share with you "A Gospel Presentation". The first thing I would like for you to grasp is the fact that:

I. GOD HAS A MESSAGE FOR YOU

God has a message for every person here. For some God's message will be a revelation that you have never heard before. For others, God may reveal truths to you that you have heard your whole life but never really understood, and for others, this message will not be new to you, but it will serve as an important reminder.

- As we examine verses 3-4 we will see that:

A. FOR SOME GOD'S MESSAGE IS A REVELATION

v3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

- There are 3 main subjects revealed in this passage. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Notice first of all:

1. A REVELATION CONCERNING JESUS' DEATH

Paul says that "Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures". On Thursday of Passion week Jesus and His Disciples journeyed to the Garden of Gethsemane. It was there that Jesus prayed in great agony. After much prayer Judas arrived and betrayed Jesus with a kiss and then Jesus was arrested.

Early Friday morning Jesus was falsely tried. He appeared before Annas, the Sanhedrin, Herod, and Pilate. Pilate eventually gave the crowd a choice and they chose Barabbas. When asked what to do with Jesus they cried "Crucify Him!". Jesus was then scourged by a Roman soldier. After this He was sentenced to die by crucifixion. He was stripped, mocked and beaten. He was spat upon, and they plucked His beard. Someone formed a crown of thorns and jammed it into His brow. They bowed before Him and cried "hail King of the Jews". Jesus was then forced to carry His cross to the execution site. Once there they drove large spikes through His hands and feet, and He was crucified. For some 6 hours He hung there and suffered. When all things were accomplished Jesus cried "It is finished". He cried "Father, into they hands I commend my spirit". After all of this, He bowed His head and He died.