INTRO: Have you ever been so excited about something that you told complete strangers the good news? I’ve seen people go around in an excited manner telling people that the Twins won (people they don’t even know).
I remember when Felicia was born. I went around telling strangers what had happened because I was so excited about a new life!
Likewise we should have that kind of excitement about Christ because He has given us eternal life. Today we look at how Christ accomplished this and what we need to do.
I. Christ Has Done
II. Take a Stand
III. Pass It On
TEXT: I Cor. 15:1-3 (READ)
TITLE: Being Excited
I. Christ Has Done
A. Died for our sins – Romans 4:25 – “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”
1. Purpose: was to cover or wipe clean mankind’s sin.
Restore the relationship that was damaged with Adam and Eve.
a. Jesus was a ransom to pay for our sins.
Ex. Picture a broken hearted father willing to do anything within his power to bring back his lost child.
2. How: Lord’s battle began when He was born. Hardships any human would go through.
a. A lot more – brief chronology of His life.
1. Tempted by the devil in the desert 40 days and nights. No one could stand.
a. Hebrews talks about Jesus feeling full weight of sin and temptation.
Ex. Hurricane, little breeze
b. Hebrews 4:15b – “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, yet, without sin.”
Note: Many times in life, go tell someone a problem or concern and you feel they have no idea what you are feeling or going through.
2. Family thought He was nuts. Mark 3:21 – “When His family heard about this, they went to take charge of him for they said He was out of His mind.” (Overworked, meeting people’s needs.)
3. Friends do. Spend three years of His life with eating, sleeping, sharing his life with them. Let him down (denied they knew him or ran off). Could not stay awake with Him for one hour in the most difficult time in His life. (One turns Him in. His friends let him down. I know One who won’t.)
3. Mental and emotional battles
Note: Jump ahead, Jesus life
a. Jesus predicts his death. Scholars believe Jesus knew that at the beginning of his ministry. Three years (knew what was going to happen, how and why).
Ex. Being captured in a war, tortured and killed (knew in advance).
b. Garden of Gethsemane – name means oil press s- pressure intensified. See this in reading gospels together.
1. GK expressions used to describe His emotions seem to be used in a crescendo-like fashion ranging from sorrowful to being faced down upon the ground.
2. Luke gives us another image of the intense emotional battle he was going through.
“Sweat was like drops of blood” showing us the intensity of His emotions.
Note: Mental – what about physical.
4. Physical torture – spank or beat – terms don’t show intensity of what happened, like flogging.
Jesus was taken and turned over to the high priest where He is beaten, and also the soldiers beat and flog Him.
a. Flogging – wooden handle with leather straps intertwined with bone or metal. Arms tied above, two men take turns. Jews do 40 – 1 but Romans had no limit.
1. Flogging was not normally done before crucifixion. Scholars have suggested Pilate was trying to persuade the crowd not to crucify Jesus so he gave him a sever flogging but to no avail.
b. Crucifixion spikes in wrists and through arch of feet pull up to breathe, otherwise suffocate. Collarbones cut off air. Why Romans broke legs if they were taking too long to die.
Isa. 52:14 describes what Jesus’ appearance was – “His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and His form marred beyond human likeness.” (Mental and physical torture have taken its toll).
5. Spiritual battle – Most intense battle Satan and all the demons of hell are battling with our Lord.
a. Beautiful words – “Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing.”
b. Jesus taking mankind’s sins alone, entering the torments of hell alone with the souls of
all of mankind at stake. (Full weight)
1. My God, my God why have you forsaken me (God, Father would not look upon sin.)
- Hell is a place void of God’s presence “Martin Luther.”
c. The lamb being led to the slaughter for the purpose of wiping away mankind’s sin.
d. Love and sacrifice is hard to express in words, but let me try with this story:
Ex. Father draw bridge.
Turns me to my second point.
II. Take a Stand (READ v. 1, 2)
A. Corinthians have received Paul. Visited them on his second missionary journey.
1. Background of city (seaport city, very rich city, corrupt, bridge of the sea, trading center, religion was pagan worship Aphrodite, 1000 temple prostitutes).
2. Values and morals are: work hard, play hard. Sexual immorality, pagan values.
B. Hold firmly or they believed in vain.
-Have received the Lord, church was started by Paul.
1. Going through hardship (environment they were in). Take a stand and hold on.
a. Or you have believed in vain, what good is it?
1. Judas example: spent three years with Master, had some religious encounter. Lord called him. He fell away.
-Book of Ezekiel talks about when a righteous man falls, his good deeds will not be remembered.
C. Free Choice – to choose.
1. Sin – Adam and Eve could have anything to eat, but not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
a. Chose to disobey and we see the consequences – death.
2. Accepting Christ’s free gift – eternal salvation – our choice:
a. Accept – eternity in heaven.
b. Reject – eternity in the lake of fire.
TS – if we accept we also have an obligation to tell others.
III. Pass It On (v. 3)
A. Of first importance (GK) literally the first thing done. Paul on his second missionary visit, literally first thing done was to preach or teach the gospel.
1. Paul felt that was the most important thing in life. Tell people about Jesus Christ (could tell by his lifestyle his grit, his tenacity not to give up.)
Like Jeremiah 20:9 – “But if I say, ‘I will not mention him or speak anymore in His name’ his Word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in, indeed, I cannot.”
2. We need to be like this today, concern for lost souls going to hell, telling them about Jesus.
Matthew 28:19 – Great Commission – “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”
3. Not only the clergy responsibility, it is everyone’s who is a believer of Jesus Christ.
Ex. Everyone is dying around you because of a terrible disease and you have the antidote and the answers of how to administer it. All that needs to be done is to help tell everyone about it.
D.L. Moody was walking down the street and he stepped up to this man that he did not know and said, “Sir, are you a Christian?” The man replied, “Mind your own business.” And D. L. Moody said, “It is my business.” Like Brother Moody, we Christians need to make it our business that others know the Lord.
CONCLUSION:
I. Christ Has Done
A. Purpose – Jesus was a ransom paid for our sins.
B. What He had to go through.
1. Physical, mental and spiritual
II. We Need to Take a Stand
A. Paul encouraged the Corinthians to take a stand.
B. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
C. Free Choice.
III. Pass It On
A. First Importance
1. Paul
2. Jeremiah “fire within my bones.”
We need to make it our business when it comes to people’s souls!
