Just The Facts

JUST THE FACTS

I Corinthians 15:1-11

S: Resurrection

C: The hope the resurrection gives

Pr: WE (Christians) LIVE WITH CONFIDENT HOPE.

?: Why?

KW: Reasons

TS: We will find in our study of I Corinthians 15:1-11 three reasons that the Christian lives with confident hope.

Type: Propositional

The ____ reason we live with confident hope is the…

I. FUNDAMENTALS (3-4)

II. FACTS (5-7)

III. FAVOR (8-11)

PA: How is the change to be observed?

• Live with confident hope!

Version: ESV

RMBC 27 March 05 AM

INTRODUCTION:

1. Have you ever been overconfident?

ILL Confidence: vacuum cleaner salesman

This door-to-door vacuum-cleaner salesman, was eager to make a sale whatever it took, so when a lady opened her door, he rushed inside uninvited and threw a large bag of dirt all over her lovely carpet.

"What are you doing?" she screamed.

"Don’t worry lady," the salesman answered, as he confidently plugged the cord of the vacuum cleaner into a socket. "This baby will pick up all that dirt in no time flat or I’ll get down on my hands and knees and eat it myself," emphasized the salesman.

"Do you want it with ketchup?" she demanded. "We’ve just moved in and the electricity isn’t turned on yet!"

Wow…that hurt!

We can get hurt when our confidence is based on the wrong things…that’s for sure.

For…

2. Our confidence should be based on the truth.

It is alright to be confident.

But when our confidence is based on the untrue, we may be in for some rude awakenings.

TRANSITION:

As Christians, I believe our faith, and thus, our confidence has a secure base.

Now, for those of you that are visiting today, for much of last year, and earlier this year, we have been studying a letter the apostle Paul wrote to the church he founded in Corinth.

This has been a church, a gathering of believers in Jesus, who have been struggling.

They have, in fact, needed a lot of correction.

So, when we come to the passage we are studying today, we see that…

1. Context: Paul is encouraging the church in Corinth to remember where they got their start (1-2).

He writes…

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you — unless you believed in vain.

Paul is reminding them that this is what they believed.

He had brought the good word about Jesus, and it had changed them.

They were, in fact, the living evidence that the gospel was true and that it worked.

The fact that the people in Corinth had changed as a result of hearing the good news about Jesus, gave them confidence.

And this is for all believers in the Lord Jesus.

2. WE LIVE WITH CONFIDENT HOPE.

We Christians live with confident hope.

We testify today that our faith and our confidence is based on the truth.

For…

3. We will find in our study of I Corinthians 15:1-11 three reasons that the Christian lives with confident hope.

Please realize that the Christian faith is different from the rest of the religions in the world.

It is unique.

Other religions are various collections of concepts, thoughts of men, teachings, and ethics.

But though the Christian faith has those, it is not based on them.

Our faith rests solely upon certain great acts of God in history – recorded events – where God has intervened with love on behalf of humanity.

Which brings us to…

OUR STUDY:

I. The first reason we live with confident hope is the FUNDAMENTALS (3-4).

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…

You see…

There are essentials when it comes to the Christian faith.

There are historic matters that are vital to the faith.

These are the bare bones, so to speak.

First, Jesus was crucified.

Jesus suffered the worst punishment known to the Roman empire.

In fact, a Roman citizen would not be executed in this fashion.

It was saved only for those that were slaves or enemies of the empire.

Second, Jesus died for our sins.

According to the law of God, there is only one proper punishment for sin – it is death.

Jesus was able to die for our sin because He had no sin of His own to die for.

Third, Jesus was buried.

He was placed in a tomb that was not His own.

Rather, it belonged to those that had secretly believed in Him.

Fourth, Jesus was raised.