An Indispensable Resurrection

An INDISPENSABLE RESURRECTION—1Corinthians 15:12-19

The Corinthian’s faith was founded upon the fact of Jesus’ resurrection.

The Christian faith is founded upon Jesus’ resurrection.

Why is Christian faith grounded in the resurrection? OR....

Why is the resurrection key/central/indispensable to the Christian faith?

7 reasons the resurrection is indispensable to the Christian faith.

Rom. 10:9—“that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus & believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

1—A Dispensable resurrection yields a...

BIFURCATED BODY(:12)

Explanation:(:12)

:12—“Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?”

“Some among you”

“Some”—but not all. There is a standard to which the church must align itself. That standard is not our opinion(a ‘dime a dozen’) but is God’s determination thru faith in Christ.

Argumentation:

Rom. 16:17—“Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions & offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, & avoid them.”

*1Cor. 1:10-13—“Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, & that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind & in the same judgment. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?”

1Cor. 3:3-5—“for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, & divisions among you, are you not carnal & behaving like mere men? For when one says, “I am of Paul,” & another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal? Who then is Paul, & who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?”

*1Cor. 11:18-19—“For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, & in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you.”

*Eph. 2:11-16—“Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands-- that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel & strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope & without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, & has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, & that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.”

1Cor. 12:12-14, 24-27—“For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.”..... “but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.”

Illustration:

Lightning strikes a large tree/Loses its beauty & appeal/BIFURCATED BODY

Application:

?Your Resurrection belief BIFURCATED the BODY of Christ?

?Your Resurrection Dispensable or Indispensable?

2—A Dispensable Resurrection yields a...

DEFICIENT DELIVERER(:13)

Explanation:(:13) Firstfruits

:13—“But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.”

Concept of Firstfruits:

Gen. 4:3-5—“And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.”

Ex. 22:29-30—“You shall not delay to offer the first of your ripe produce & your juices. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me. “Likewise you shall do with your oxen & your sheep. It shall be with its mother seven days; on the eighth day you shall give it to Me.”