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Turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 
chapter 15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15. We're going to make six observations 
on the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. From 1 Corinthians 15 
verses 1 to 11. The specific context. There were 
some who had plagued the church in Corinth with the denial of 
the resurrection, the future bodily resurrection of the dead. So the Apostle Paul is going 
to deal with that doctrine, that there does lie in the future, 
for God's people, a resurrection from the dead. Well, the foundation 
of his rebuttal and the foundation of his argument is the gospel 
concerning the life, the ministry, the death, and the resurrection 
of our Lord Jesus. That's the first section, 1 Corinthians 
15, 1-11. Based on that foundation, he 
then argues for a future resurrection of God's people. For our time 
this morning, with reference to our meditation, our thoughts 
relative to the Lord's Supper, we can make six observations 
on the Gospel itself from 1 Corinthians 15, 1 to 11. I'll just pick up 
reading in verse 1. Moreover, brethren, I declare 
to you the Gospel which I preach to you, which also you received 
and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold 
fast that word which I preach to you. unless you believed in 
vain. For I delivered to you, first 
of all, that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins 
according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that 
He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He 
was seen by Cephas, then by the Twelve. After that, He was seen 
by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater 
part remained to the present, but some had fallen asleep. After 
that he was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last 
of all he was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, 
who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted 
the church of God. But by the grace of God I am 
what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored 
more abundantly than they all. Yet not I, but the grace of God 
which was with me. Therefore, whether it was I or 
they, so we preach, and so you believe. Amen. Let us pray. Father, we thank you for the 
Holy Scriptures, and we pray now that you would just fill 
us with your Spirit, give us an appreciation, a fresh appreciation 
for the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. We thank you for our 
Redeemer. We thank you for our Savior. 
We thank you for the Lord, who has washed us and cleansed us, 
and who has made us fit for heaven. And we pray in Jesus' most precious 
name, Amen. The gospel is rooted in history. The word gospel represents good 
news. Well, it's good news concerning 
a historical message. Gospel isn't simply something 
that promotes a warm feeling or promotes an emotional response. When we concern ourselves to 
study the gospel, we are studying a historical event that is rooted 
in the life the death and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. Notice that the apostle says 
in verse 3, I deliver to you first of all that which I also 
received, that Christ died for our sins. Well, Christ's death 
presupposes Christ's life. You cannot have a saving interest 
in the gospel of Jesus Christ while you are negligent of the 
facts contained in the gospel. The Apostle Peter describes it 
in language that is very vivid, very full of expression, when 
he says in 2 Peter 1, verses 16-18, For we did not follow 
cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power 
and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses 
of his majesty. for he received from God the 
Father honor and glory when such a voice came to him from the 
excellent glory. This is my beloved Son in whom 
I am well pleased. And we heard this voice which 
came from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain." 
It's not cunningly devised fables. It's not some mystery religion. 
It's not some esoteric philosophy. It is a message rooted in the 
person and the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. To hear some Christians 
today, you would think that the gospel is nothing more than a 
good feeling that is held on to by certain people. That is 
not the gospel of Jesus Christ. In 1 John 1, he says, that which 
was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have 
seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands 
have handled concerning the word of life. The life was manifested 
and we have seen and bear witness and declare to you that eternal 
life which was with the Father and was manifested to us. The 
gospel is rooted in history. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, all 
record historical facts concerning the person and work of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. The historical prophets before 
them were foretelling a day when this Jesus would come, born of 
a woman according to Isaiah. born under law according to the 
apostle, and he would come to redeem those who were under the 
law. This is not disconnected from 
historical data. It is rooted in history. The 
second observation that flows from 1 Corinthians 15 is that 
the gospel is revealed by God. The Gospel is revealed by God. Notice in verses 3 and 4. For 
I deliver to you, first of all, that which I also received, that 
Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He 
was buried, and that He rose again the third day according 
to the Scriptures. There are two types of revelation. There is general revelation, 
God revealing himself through the created order. The psalmist 
speaks of this, or celebrates this, in Psalm 19. Paul speaks of this in Romans 
chapter 1. He says, that which may be known 
of God is manifest to them, for God has made it evident within 
them. The created order declares the 
deity, the Godhead, the glory, the power and the righteousness 
of our God, but the created order does not reveal to us blood atonement. The created order does not reveal 
to us the life and the death and the resurrection of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. There is general revelation, 
there is special revelation. And God has revealed himself 
in the Gospel. And notice that Paul says that 
this is according to the Scriptures. Now, I know that you know that 
when Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 15, the entirety of the New Testament 
canon was not in place. The Scriptures that he is referring 
to are the Old Testament Scriptures. What scriptures actually foretold 
the death and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus? Well, hopefully 
your minds are immediately going to Isaiah 52 and 53, where the 
servant of the Lord will suffer, where God will lay upon Him the 
chastisement for our peace, where all we like sheep have gone astray, 
that God has laid the iniquity of us all upon His dear Son. 
Isaiah 53 is gospel. It is all about Christ and His 
death. Daniel chapter 9, that prophecy 
concerning the 70 weeks, a lot of eschatological debate focuses 
on that chapter. We ought not to miss the clear 
passage, or the clear statement, though, that he would be cut 
off, that he would die, that he would render up his life in 
atonement for sin. Prophet Micah spoke that one 
would be born out of Bethlehem, Africa. See, the whole of the 
Scriptures testify concerning God's work of redemption, God's 
grace in the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Psalm 
16 testified to the resurrection of our Lord. Remember, Psalm 
16 was that place that Peter went to, or Peter appealed to, 
on the day of Pentecost. He says David was not writing 
about himself here. David, however, being a prophet, 
foretold the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, that his 
soul would not undergo decay, that the Lord God would indeed 
raise his son from the dead. That's why this gospel, this 
revelation by God, is absolutely crucial for us as God's people 
to understand, and for us to testify to others. You see, we 
need to understand what it is the Lord has revealed so that 
we may call sinners to repentance and faith. If we don't understand 
this message, if we don't know this truth, we are ineffective 
in terms of witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. Thirdly, the Gospel 
is Christ-centered. The Gospel is Christ-centered. Notice. died, Christ was buried, 
Christ rose again. You trace through the sermons 
in the book of Acts, and you will see this emphasis on Jesus 
Christ the Lord. In Acts 2, oftentimes people 
see this as a celebration of the Spirit, and His person, and 
His work. And while I'm not here to suggest 
that we ought to downplay the role of the Spirit in His work, 
the primary focus in Acts 2 is upon Jesus. When Peter says, 
this Jesus poured out that which you now see and hear. This Jesus 
God has made both Lord and Christ and calls all men everywhere 
to believe in and to repent from their sins. before the Sanhedrin, 
Philip to the Ethiopian, to the household of Cornelius, in Pisidian 
Antioch, to the Philippian jailer, in Athens, at Corinth, in Ephesus, 
the summary statement to the elders from Ephesus, in Jerusalem, 
Paul before Felix, Paul before Agrippa, Paul to the Jews in 
Rome, his primary message And that which he explains here is, 
first of all, is upon the Lord Jesus Christ. We must make much 
of Christ. We mustn't ever forget that He 
is the main thing with reference to our status before God and 
our message to a watching world. The Gospel is Christocentric, 
Christ-centered. Fourthly, the gospel is received 
by faith. So we hear these facts, we hear 
these truths, what are we supposed to do? We're supposed to believe 
that. We're supposed to believe the 
truth. Notice Paul's emphasis in verse 1. Moreover, brethren, 
I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also 
you received and in which you stand. How do we receive it? 
By faith. Remember Paul to the Philippian 
jailer, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. 
This is how we receive Christ. It's by believing the truth about 
Christ. That is clear in verse two. By 
which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which 
I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. You see, faith 
is the means by which we come into saving connection with our 
Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is the instrument by which 
God justifies. He doesn't save us on account 
of our faith, but He saves us through our faith. It is the 
instrument by which the sinner rests upon, receives, and relies 
wholly upon Jesus Christ to save him from his sins. And then notice 
in verse 11, Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach, 
and so you believe. If you have happened in here 
this morning and you don't know Jesus Christ, the Bible does 
not tell you to go out now and live a better life. The Bible 
does not tell you to try and earn your way into heaven. The 
Bible's word is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you 
shall be saved. Those of us who have believed 
are going to eat bread and drink wine this morning, not because 
we're being rewarded for something we have done meritorious, but 
because this bread and this wine points us back to Jesus. That's the function. That's the 
purpose for these elements. That is why we have been given 
the Lord's Supper, so that we will never rest in our sufficiency, 
we will never rest in our ability, we will never rest in what we've 
accomplished, but we will continually be pointed back to what Christ 
has accomplished. The Gospel is received by faith. A fifth observation from the 
passage is that the Gospel is essential. The gospel is essential. This isn't one of those doctrines 
that you can sort of take or leave. This isn't one of those 
doctrines where good men differ. This is one of those doctrines 
that if you don't believe it, you're going to go to hell. Notice 
what Paul says. Verse 2. If you hold fast that 
word which I preached to you, I'm sorry, verse 2, by which 
also you are saved, So what's the inference, or what's the 
implication? If you don't believe this truth, 
you're not saved. If you don't believe this truth, 
you're lost. If you don't believe this truth, 
you are damned. If you don't believe this truth, 
you are condemned. You see, the Bible is crystal 
clear. Make no mistake. God is a holy God. God is a righteous God. God is 
a God who must punish sin. He has taught this throughout 
the scriptures. See, oftentimes, unbelievers and many Christians 
say, oh, that's hard to take in. It's hard to take in when 
God would rain hell out of heaven onto Sodom and Gomorrah for their 
simple expression of an alternate lifestyle. Covenant-breaking, 
God-hating rebels against His majesty wreak hell. That's the 
clear testimony of scripture. Even prior to that time, when 
God rained hell out of heaven, there was another instance where 
he rained rain out of heaven. And he flooded the entirety of 
the earth except for eight people. You see, sinners, and unfortunately, 
some believers say, well, that just seems like a little bit 
of overkill. That's because we don't understand sin. We really don't. See, we like to take the Bible 
and put it under the microscope and vote for what is and what 
isn't acceptable and pleasing to us. What do we read in Psalm 
135? Our God is in the heavens. He does whatever He pleases. 
Consistent with His righteousness, consistent with His holiness, 
consistent with His wisdom, consistent with His justice. The Gospel 
is essential. by which also you are saved, 
if you hold fast that word which I preach to you, unless you believe 
in vain. It is essential, as taught by 
our Lord Jesus Christ. I love it when people will throw 
a bone to Christ and say, well, yes, he was a good teacher. Yes, 
he was a noble man. Yes, he was a great moral example. 
Well, that good teacher That great example said, I am the 
way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father 
except through me. See, it isn't Christians, it 
isn't the Christian church that is somehow bigoted, that is somehow 
exclusive, that is somehow prejudicial. It is the Lord Jesus Christ who 
has said very clearly, there's only one of two places to be. 
You're either with me or you're against me. Now, just think about 
that for a moment right here, right now, because it's easy 
to think about the heathen. It's easy to think about the 
Arminian. It's easy to think about less than consistent Christians. It's easy to think about everything 
else but ourselves. Right here, right now, do you 
have a saving interest in Christ? Right here, right now, are you 
looking to him alone to save you from your sins? If the answer 
is no, then believe the gospel. If the answer is no, then come, 
Jesus says, unto me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and 
I will give you rest. The answer is yes, praise God. Praise God. I know there's a stanza by Watts 
in 271 that I think we do well to reflect on often. Why was 
I made to hear thy voice, and enter while there's room, when 
thousands make a wretched choice, and rather starve than come? But the same Himrath said, pity 
the nations who are not, constrain the earth to come, send thy victorious 
word abroad, and bring the strangers home. See, the essential character 
of the gospel ought not to promote Christian bigots. Because while we insist on one 
way of salvation, that way is gracious, that way is magnificent, 
that way is glorious, that way is through Christ. who came into 
this world, who so identified with his creation, that he was 
born of a virgin. He was born in humility. That 
he was able to say in his earthly ministry that the birds have 
their nests and the foxes have their holes. The Son of Man has 
nowhere to lay his head. So while we're exclusive, we're 
not bigoted. We are preaching a full and a 
glorious Christ. We are praying to God, pity the 
nations of our God, and constrain the earth to come. You say, well, 
that'll never happen. Should we pray it? Should we 
beseech the Lord? Should we call upon Him that 
His will be done on earth as it is in heaven, that His name 
be hallowed, that His kingdom come in power and in glory? So 
I think as Calvinists, we fall prey to results-based stuff just 
as much as Arminians. Arminians are always looking 
for the results. Well, how many people did you get in the altar 
call? We as Calvinists, we've got this predestination unto, 
you know, there's only going to be a handful of us. So why 
bother praying? Why bother beseeching? Why bother 
evangelizing? That's not biblical Calvinism. 
Jesus was a Calvinist. Paul was a Calvinist, Isaiah 
was a Calvinist, I'm using that language as a theological identifier. They affirm the absolute sovereignty 
of God. But affirming the absolute sovereignty 
of God means affirming the absolute glory of Calvary, the beauty 
and the majesty of the cross. That Christ is a real Savior 
for real sinners. I love what Paul says prior in 
1 Corinthians chapter 6 at verse 9. Do you not know that the unrighteous 
will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither 
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, 
nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor 
revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. It's good for us to condemn sodomy. 
It's good for us to condemn murder. It's good for us to condemn abortion. 
It's good for us to condemn all these heinous acts of rebellion 
and sin. But it's good for us to affirm 
a real Savior for such real sinners. Paul says, and such were some 
of you in the Corinthian church. People that have been redeemed 
by the power of the blood of Jesus Christ. Those who have 
been fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homo, homosexuals, 
sodomites, thieves, thavages, drunkards, revilers, extortioners. He says, in such were some of 
you, but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you 
were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit 
of our God. And that brings us to consider, 
sixthly, that gospel is powerful for the worse. sinners the gospel is rooted in history 
it's revealed by God it's Christo century received by faith it's 
essential and sixly it is powerful for the worst of sinners I like 
this one I like the other five too but I really like this look at Paul verse 9 for I am 
the least of the Apostles who have not worthy to be called 
an apostle Because I persecuted the Church of God. Read the Book 
of Acts, brethren. Says I'm not worthy. I persecuted. He stood by there 
when Stephen was being stoned to death. Remember that scene? Stephen 
testifying before the godless Sanhedrin? His face shone like 
an angel. He had wisdom. The Spirit of 
God was upon him. He traces Israel's redemptive 
history, and how it focuses in and centers in on the person 
and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Stephen brings a sermon to bear 
on his hearers, and he says, you always resist the Holy Spirit. Just like your fathers. What 
did it do to them? It stuck their ears and mashed 
their teeth. take this man, take him out of 
the Holy City. Don't make any mistake, brethren, 
they thought they were following God's law. They didn't want to 
spill his unholy, ungodly, unsanctified blood within the city. Funny 
how just a few years before they claimed and realized that they 
had no authority under Rome to execute capital offenders. But 
in this instance, we'll go ahead and make a concession. What does the text say concerning 
Saul of Tarsus? They took their robes off and 
laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul of Tarsus, who 
stood by in agreement, consented. Same word Paul uses in Romans 
1.32. He gets bored out of his own experience. 
Remember what Romans 1.32? I mean, it's bad, Paul says, 
to be a sinner. But it's doubly black to consent, 
to agree, to nod your head when others are sinning that sin. 
Calvin calls Romans 1.32 the summit of evil. The summit of 
evil. I don't think it's any accident 
that Paul uses that word. Because that's precisely what 
he did when Stephen was being stoned to death. He was agreeing. He was consenting. He was giving 
his heartfelt approval for that spectacle. What about his conversion? What 
was Paul doing? Was he on his way to Bible study? 
Was he going to Sunday school? Was he going to study the confession 
of faith? Well, he had paper, all right, 
but it was extradition orders. Go to Damascus. Find anybody 
that are trapped in this sect of the Nazarene and bring them 
back to Jerusalem so that we can try them and execute them. That's what Paul was about. And 
it's on the road to Damascus that Jesus comes to him and says, 
I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. You may be here this morning 
thinking that you have sinned in such a way that there's no 
hope for you. It is a blessing and a privilege 
to be able to tell you there is hope for you. Paul said, I am the least of 
the apostles who am not worthy to be called an apostle because 
I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God, I am 
what I am. Not by his performance, not by 
his wisdom, not by, you know, he now has seen things in their 
proper light, but by the grace of God, I am what I am. Galatians 
chapter one in verse 13, he highlights his role, or he highlights his 
place prior to his conversion. For you have heard of my former 
conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the Church of God beyond measure, 
and tried to destroy it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond 
many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly 
zealous for the traditions of my fathers." It's pretty bad when you're going 
to kill a man over the traditions of your father. who separated me from my mother's 
womb and called me through His grace to reveal His Son in me, 
that I might preach Him among the Gentiles. I did not immediately 
confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem 
to those who were apostles before me, but I went to Arabia and 
returned again to Damascus." There's that revelation again. 
Gospel is revealed by God to the apostle Paul. In Ephesians 
chapter 2, Ephesians chapter 2, and you He made alive, who are 
dead in trespasses and sins, in which ye once walked according 
to the course of this world, according to the prince of the 
power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of 
disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves 
in the lusts of our flesh." Paul includes himself in this list. 
Paul includes himself in this depiction of man apart. from the gospel of salvation. 
He does the same thing in Titus chapter 3. Titus chapter 3 verse 
3. For we ourselves were also once 
foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, 
living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. Paul 
includes himself in this list or in this portrayal of what 
men apart from the gospel look like. He says, But when the kindness 
and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works 
of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, 
He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing 
of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through 
Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His 
grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal 
life. And, of course, the one you're 
all familiar with in 1 Timothy chapter 1. 1 Timothy chapter 
1. Beginning in verse 12. And I 
thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has enabled me, because He 
counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. Although 
I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent 
man, but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly and unbelief. 
and the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant with faith 
and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, 
and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the 
world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this 
reason I obtain mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might show 
all longsuffering as a pattern to those who are going to believe 
on Him for everlasting life. Now to the King Eternal, Immortal, 
Invisible, To God, who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever 
and ever. Amen. So the gospel is powerful 
for the worst of sinners. Let us close in prayer and praise 
God for this reality. Our Father, we give you praise 
and thanksgiving for your mercy to us. We give you glory and 
adoration for the gospel of Jesus Christ. We know that you are 
sovereign, that you are good, We know as well, Father, that 
you have orchestrated the salvation of a great multitude which no 
man can number. I just pray for any and all who 
may be here that do not know you, we pray that you would convict 
them. We pray that you would show them 
their sin and show them the blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 
the one in whom is all power and all ability in the saving 
of sinners. We thank you that Paul was able 
to continue in Ephesians 2.4, but God, who is rich in mercy. and who has great love has saved 
us, has delivered us. Father, we give you praise and 
adoration and we give you glory and we do so through Jesus Christ 
our Lord. Amen.