The Good News

May 03, 2025

In 1st Corinthians 15 we have the entire Gospel.

Verse 3 tells us that Christ died for our sins.

Verse 4 tells us that he was buried and rose on the 3rd day.

So important is the resurrection to the Good News that Paul talks about it for almost the entire chapter. He tells his readers that if the resurrection isn’t true than our preaching is in vain, our faith is worthless, our dead loved ones are lost and we are still dead in our sins.

Verse 23 tells us that Christ is coming back and when he returns, he will set all things right again.

Yay!! The shortest sermon in history!!

Not so fast… The Good News only takes you so far.

There is no benefit to antibiotics if you don’t actually take them.

There is no benefit to soap and water if you don’t actually get in the shower and turn on the tap.

There is no benefit to the Good News if it doesn’t change you.

I’m going to ask you 2 questions:

• Do You believe that Jesus died for you, was resurrected and is now in heaven preparing to return for you?

• Has it transformed your life?

You see, being a Christian is about more than just listening to the words your pastor preaches every week or being morally better than the people around you. It is possible to be a “good Christian” in the eyes of the world – yet not KNOW Jesus. Being a church goer and a Christ Follower are not the same thing.

Matthew 7:21-28 - "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. 22 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' 23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.' 24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. 25 "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock. 26 "And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. 27 "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall." 28 The result was that when Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were amazed at His teaching;

So, how do we move from being church goers to Christ followers?

How do we move from hearing ABOUT the Good News to being PARTAKERS IN the Good News?

What is the journey of the Disciple?

• Acknowledge what you are without Jesus and accept his sacrifice on your behalf:

Romans 3:10-12 - As it is written, "There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one."

Romans 5:8-10 - But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

• Do something about it and receive the gift of forgiveness:

Acts 3:19 - Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;

1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

2 Corinthians 5:17-18 - Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

• You are called to Follow -

Matthew 4:19 - "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."