God's Solution

Title: “God’s Solution”

Text: 1 Cor 15:1-8

Big idea: “God’s solution is substitution”

1 Cor. 15 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,5 and that he appeared to Cephas,[b] and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

Introduction:

As we make our way through Corinthians letter... Paul is now reaching his climatic speech – ch 15 ... after everything else has been addressed, Paul writes... “now let me remind you of our core convictions; our core truth; our non-negotiable...

Paul says, let me remind you of the gospel!

How to get to heaven when you die... and how to enjoy the journey”

Life is a journey...

My journey – using only geography is ... st john’s...topsail...Marystown...Corner Brook...Peterborough...Toronto...Scarborough...Port Perry...Topsail/CBS...

These are merely the places I’ve lived...

What about my family journey? ... Val has been doing family tree research...

Think about it... a nfld’er and ½ barbadian... both from an island

Both family trees from practically the same place – Ireland/England...

Life is a journey...

Some journeys are longer than others... our recent trip to Ontario – 7000 kms.

We have no idea how long our journey will last?

What about my ministry journey?

What about my spiritual journey?

But the ultimate journey is from birth to death... well... is there an after-life?

Is there a place called heaven? What about Hell?

Let’s talk about that journey today – it's the most important journey... it's magnificently greater than geography or career path... or family tree...

Though we are made in the image of God – we have sinned and rebelled against God and gone our own way...

The bible calls this sin... more precisely - God calls it sin.

We are born in sin

We practise sin

Sin is a power... the evil one himself has power over the human heart – because when you don’t serve Christ, you serve the devil. Shocking words.

Listen to scripture:

Eph 2: 2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient...

Jesus himself was tempted by the devil – that was no game; it wasn’t like a soccer “friendly”... Satan wants to overthrow Jesus and his kingdom and set up his kingdom...

1 Peter 5:8

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

History confirms this... wars and tyrants... bloodshed... senseless, needless wars.

Criminal activity confirms this...

Racism confirms this. – another shooting this week... such tragedy.

Internet password protection and banking security systems confirm this.

This world is absolutely beautiful – except it's fallen into sin and is under the curse of sin.

• We have been exposed to sin

• We have all experienced sin

• We have all committed sin.

Theology calls this “original sin”... we inherit this upon birth.

Romans states it plainly – “there is none righteous – not even one.”

The reality of sin – individual and organizational – is the easiest truth of all to prove!

David Brooks: p 53 of the road to character.

“Today the word “sin” has lost its power and awesome intensity. ...Most people in daily conversation don't talk much about individual sin -- if they talk about human evil at all -- evil is most often located in the structures of society - in inequality , oppression, racism and so on - not in the human heart. We've abandoned the concept of sin because we've left behind the depraved view of human nature.

...But “sin” is one of those words that it is impossible to do without. It is one of those words that has to be reclaimed.

The concept of sin is necessary because it is radically true.

To say you are a Sinner ...is to say that like the rest of us - you have some perversity in your nature. We want to do one thing, but we end up doing another period; we want what we should not want. None of us wants to be hard-hearted but sometimes we are ;