Gospel Hope!

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1 Corinthians  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  35:17
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All right. Well, good morning. And welcome. If you have a Bible feel free to open up to the letter of 1st Corinthians chapter 15 at some point. We hope to cover the first 20 vs of this here this morning Lord be with us encourage us that our hearts would be once again excited as we're reminded of the Gospel of the good news of Jesus. And so may that be implanted deep within us and maybe a motivation which we also live out and serve and care for one another because of what you have done for us in Jesus name. Amen. Amen, a couple weeks ago. I was finishing up next door studying for Sunday and I had some food with me and I sat if you never been next to her to Cobalt they have these high tables that have these fires there. It's a long table and I was sitting there right by the door and this gentleman kind of Came out of the door and he looked around and he surveyed the entire patio area which had not a single soul in it, but me and he looked at me and he goes, can I sit with you?

I'm a pacific northwest corner, of course, the answer is no but I'm going to be passive aggressive and say sure. All right, that's just what we do here if you're new here so goes. Okay. What are you okay, I'm going to take off my mask and sit down and so he sits at the end of the table when he looks at me and he asked me a question and I respond to it and I can tell this guy wanted to have a conversation and he happened to be wearing a Dallas Cowboys sweatshirt. And I just had a snarky remark for him whether he likes sports or not. It's a great denominator in the sense of a little bit. So he even said something to me and we struck up this conversation and when she begins to let me into his entire. It's probably late 40s early 50s incredibly broken.

All right, so we're just going to go like on that verge of consumption at the moment and so he is talkin and talkin and talkin and his language is laced with four letter explicit all over the place. And finally he looks at me and he goes or what do you do for a living?

Like how do I not see it for that are explicit right now or I was going to be a conversation killer go to see that church over there. He's like, yeah I go. I'm the pastor over there and he goes, I'm explicit. Sorry.

I want ya me too, man. Cry so it's it's okay. Like I played Xbox Live growing up. I've heard worse trust me. Okay. I'm already you know what? That's about. That's not a big deal. I said, I just really hope that you would know the help of Jesus and you come to church Sunday and that you'd be feeling welcome to not to walk into these doors. I went to Sunday school and I'm not kidding if the sunday-school back then we're as hot as the Sunday school teacher today. I probably would still be a Christian.

This is the most honest brutal conversation. I've had with anybody in a while and he finally goes, you know, we're dangerous for those feet Jesus Catholic.

Anytime somebody I Think Jesus to me. It's going to be a great conversation. I Think Jesus came so that like right now in this moment you and I can just walk away from it a little bit happier in a little bit better. I looked at him and I said well, I don't think you get to redefine the message in the mission of Jesus. And I was not rude I was not on I was sincere but I don't think you get to read to find he has a mission. He has a message and you don't get to look at a note listen to me this morning. You may not like the Mist in or the message of Jesus. You may want to reject the mission and the message of Jesus, but you don't get to make it more palatable for your taste. So then you can kind of add Jesus to your box of God that you want to worship and serve and have just in case you might need him. I looked at him you don't just get to find what I mean by that is we are image bearers. If you follow the story in Genesis, we were created to Bear the image of God not have ever been downstairs. I caught the dungeon. It's also known as the kids Wing right downstairs. If you're coming back up the stairs. We have an angled mirror. This is what it means in a sense to be created in the image of God. What does an angled mirror do you can certainly look at an angled mirror and NCR reflection back as we are to reflect this image bearing aspect towards God put an angled mirror helps you see around that corner so you don't run into somebody barreling down the stairs and hot coffee in their hands cuz I get called down as you're coming back up the stairs reflecting this way and this way to be an image Bearer is we're burying this image reflecting the glory of God. Not only as we worship praise and give adoration to God, but then we're taking that into the Earth and the world as well reflecting His Image back into creation inviting people into the very story of God. Now in Genesis 3 that image is shattered as we chose and determined really what the message of God was for ourselves. We said God your way of right and wrong is not what we want to follow but we want you to determine for ourselves. What is right or wrong and ever since then we've been wanting to craft God in our image, but this gentleman was doing with me. We wanted Jesus that is convenient but didn't have to die for sin because that's a little defensive. We want a Jesus that's an example but doesn't declare that. He is the way we wanted Jesus. That's a great teacher but didn't sacrifice his life and atone for sin. We wanted Jesus that makes us feel good, but doesn't bring conviction into our lives. Jesus was not crucified and resurrected to make us a Kinder people but a safe people. And we cannot miss the men the mission and the message of God Christ story and our stories converge. An orderly changes us and makes us knew because of the birth of the Holy Spirit has done within us and we have a failed Humanity God brings is Redemptive aspect and causes them to go out into the world. And is Michael assuring earlier to do the things that Jesus does in that way in this world inviting people into the very story of God Jesus and you can look at Hebrews 2:4 this for field human rule rule over the Earth suffers death on our behalf by the grace of God brings many sons to Glory breaks. The Devil's Tower of death by his flesh and blood and helps us to overcome Temptation. Now don't hear me wrong upon coming to know Jesus our lives are radically changed in the way in which we live in Acton operate univ Paul wrote the Epistles in the house for the faith tree care love for one another Jesus influence. All of that, but you can't take the message of Jesus to be that is the thing. The thing is him. He is Central he is the focus and that's what Paul is coming around to you in just a minute that we're going to look at right here. We do not get to redefine the message of Jesus, which is what it snow often happening even in popular evangelicalism. The message of Jesus is here's your marriage kind of a mess it snow in here's the terms and conditions and it'll be better if you're not successful get to know him and he'll help you out a little bit more and leave a convoluted in a messy message that has been preached over and over again. So we have this idea that it's all about Prosperity Health these different aspects in which we talk often against here Redeemer any idea that the Prosperity Gospel in any format fails us deeply Paul begins to give us the gospel and sew in 1st Corinthians 15. He says now, I would remind you Brothers of the Gospel that I preach to you which you received and what you stand if I wish you were being saved what he saying is in case you guys all forgot You got these problems these issues the struggles in your church. I want to punch you back to the gospel the good news of Christ by which you are standing the foundation, which your faith rests upon the good news of Jesus hold fast the word high priest you unless you believed in vain for I delivered to you at the first importance, but I also received that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures that was buried. He was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures and that he appear to see Fishers Peter into the 12. Can you pair two more than 500 Brothers at one time? Most of them are still alive the sum of falling asleep. Then he appeared to James the end of the Apostles last of all as to one untimely born. If you're also to me for I am the least of the Apostles unworthy to be called an apostle cuz 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 on the contrary. I worked harder than any of them was not I but the grace of God it was within me whether than it was I or they so we preach and so you believed really intriguing because the things that the world turns to light and lean into when it comes to the person of Jesus or his compassion. Are his acts of mercy and Grace and his wise thinking in the way in which he handled religious rulers and leaders and people are drawn to this idea of Jesus, but that's not what Paul hits on in the section. He says when it comes to the gospel the gospel becomes almost as offend as he declared earlier on in this letter to all those who don't believe why is the gospel and a fence because it declares that your righteousness. Your goodness is not enough and it would declare to a religious World your works and your acts of sacrifice and religiosity. They're not going to cut it either and it would cut any human straight to the core because we want to look at some desperately want to be justified. Then we went to justify ourselves we want to say but this is why this is how is it would cut to the very core of who we are as Human Paul is declaring about Christianity is Christianity is not a philosophy a set of ideas or spirituality. It isn't a rule of Life a political agenda. It includes and gives energy to all these things but at the heart and it's something very different and Romans 1:16. He said it is the power of God to say the gospel is the power of God to save not a power it is the power of God. The gospel is the good news that something outside of you has come to you your eyes are open to it and you are now totally different you see everything different than in which the ways you thought before anybody familiar with the Matrix. I got some smiles and some hands that raised up like when it's offered those two pills and the world in which he was living in and just grinding away at and suits and all the rest when the layers were pulled back when he took the oath and he saw it was behind the scenes. He thought everything entirely the patient's perspective. The gospel is this power that reveals this Cosmic battle that have been going on the weird thing called you participate and engagement and we see life in a radically different way, but it's not something that you've achieved or not. You've earned or that you have gained. It is the power of God. It is a substance not just a concept. If anybody is a Christian realizes this I just christian messages. This Nexus power that has come to us and utterly changed us and for the few things in the gospel preached to you. It comes to you personally you receive it and you stand on it that mean the gospel is something that you receive really important goes against everything that we truly want to believe cuz we want to believe in the gospel something that we can obtain to that we can get if we behave our way in and he starts out by saying this is the good news. Where is every other religion would acknowledge that there is some type of higher power out there. There's a waiting that you get to that power you go to their Temple you sacrifice you burn incense you participate in the ritual and if you do these things these guys are going to benefit and bless you on Earth. They're also going to help flea give you some kind of After life in abundance where the gospel is very different if it's a God who has come to us. tabernacled amongst us And invited us in you receive it you believe it you accept that. The essence of Christianity is not just the golden rule in Behaving nicely. But it's the good news that God has done something to you. Now this creates this attention and in our hearts and here's why. Religious people don't like the gospel. I don't like the gospel religious people when they hear of other people receiving Grayskull. How come they're getting that? How come they're advancing? How come he's working in their life religious people have an animosity towards the gospel because it creates the spiritual superiority in which we look our noses down on others and say I can't believe that I would do that for them. Why would we ever take that position? Because we think that's somehow with how is it up to God is the way we behaved and acted in our spiritual. Kai's track this in 1st Corinthians. This church was priding themselves on their gifts their knowledge their wisdom. I'm appalled I'm of Apollo time of Peter a spiritual one and they were jockeying for position to draw attention to themselves. It was a cultural problem in that cultural problem in this day and the gospel absolutely Raticate that and quit looking at your religiosity to determine your position for look at what Jesus has done to understand who you are in Christ thought about what you do for Christ. It's about what he's done for you to sit back and rejoice in being a son and a daughter of God and may you joyfully serve out of your position in Jesus because the good news has come to you. But feel so expensive in our culture. Cuz we're a hashtag work hard play hard. That's why I have what I have and culture right? I deserve this. I learned of this that's why I am right and we have that in the cultural mindset. We often even carry that into a Christian and we think look at all I do for God to justify our position with God that is not the gospel search pictures in the Old Testament of the gospel story. Just the shadow of it comes from the actual Exodus story. There are the Israelites enslaved there in bondage to Pharaoh Taskmaster. I need desperately want to be delivered and they're crying out to God through God raises up Moses that all these plagues and gnarly stuff happens and then it comes to this moment forgot that looks like a lamb and unblemished lamb have a barbecue. He's going to want it going to be the last time you meet for a little bit right and I want you to celebrate. Take the blood and put it on the doorpost and they do that. If you're familiar with the story, there's the angel of death we can get into all that someday when we go through Exodus can be kind of fun. It was an angel. That passes over and firstborn of Egypt dies. The first one of Israel does not their ushered out and the singing Xmas of Tina's Glorious song The Deliverance of God. There's not a single Israelite that would have said yeah, we really handled those Egyptians, didn't we we really learned this from God didn't we? Yeah, he's doing this because of how we are know if you actually look into the story they were just as guilty because Idols that they took with them and they brought them to the Wilderness. They were just as sinful, but it was by believing and receiving the message of God's they acted on that buy Appliance the doorpost that they were delivered and set free. Therefore not one of them could boast because of their position I Christian we could become so notorious for this that we've been in the church so long that at some point we finally go or should I just move so much scripture must really love me and care about me. I'm stoked that you know scripture that excites me. supposed to like in courage in the ways of Jesus, but it's not a way to get on this without because you with Johnny terms of adding more favor to your life and some people can go their entire lives in church as religious. Not your man know him really. Well love this guy early on. Golden hour Leon though. He was a deacon in his church. And he put on this Persona every day of how much he loved God and then his life went through a topsy-turvy time and wife left him and problems were happening and it was 10-15 years later. He says Brett snowed. Everybody was a deacon I served and then I met the Risen Jesus. My fear for American cultural Christianity is there so many people in here who don't know Jesus. They know religion who get offended when they see God doing things in other people's lives and they look their nose on them. Why can't they stopped that look at how great I am. If you have a hint of that you can even sniff that that you need to stop look within your heart and say do I know this Jesus? How do I know if I'm just a religious person? Do any of you interesting of Christianity as a terribly hard task? Do I need to do anything? If I could just get out from underneath of my church, I could just be free then I would be joyful anyone who understands the gospel realizes they've been set free to serve and worship Jesus bouncy this new good Master not the old slave who was killing them destroying them promising them the good life, but it was like cotton candy. You grab that you put in your mouth, right as it dissolves into nothingness sugary sweet and God is no substance. The gospel brings. Joy into our lives. I understand sorrow I shared many personal stories from my life and my family's life into which yeah, we get we get lost pain suffering, but there is a joy that permeates in the face of that because of the god that I know I don't serve to get joy I served because I have joy at her Jesus and what he's done in my life religion won't bring joy in your life. If you're like, I don't want to be here this morning. If you're here, I would suggest you just go ahead and get up and leave because you're probably here cuz of religion I need to do some business with Jesus. I did not want to be here some morning quite honest. I didn't want to be here this morning, right? I'm tired. I didn't sleep last night. Woke me up all night exhausted and then is were worshipping God to steal our hearts going. Oh my goodness. What's my motivation gospel Amnesia can creep into everybody and I begin to think on and Daddy and read this text and worship God and it transforms my heart and there's a joy in the midst of it. The gospel is not something. You do something that you believe. Something that you believe and it's something that's been done for you. If you are constantly trying to please God you're going to be a terribly frustrated person just will be but when you realize what he has done for you and then you live out of that erratically changes you another reason why this becomes expensive for people is the gospel of something you need it. Yeah, you need it cuz you're not as good as you think you are going to burst the bubble now. When I use it Go 2009 living in Bend we had this neighbor. And his neighbor was gnarly would be like the easiest way to describe him. I mean this guy their household it was crazy and one day I got into a conversation with him. And again, it was another Jesus conversation cuz that's hopefully how they tend to go with me and he does I know your password on what you preaching me know that Jesus stuff is why I'm a pretty good guy. I've only been in jail for drug possession.

Like okay, you're not like those other guys and like I want to play some my heart broke for him and I understand why we can also giggle at that because we know what he's doing. He's looking at the people he determines our bad. He's putting himself in comparison to them and he think I'm a good person. I mean, I do things pretty ride. I'm trying to provide for my family and he doesn't want to hear back and look behind the layers and actually recognize that there might be something awful within him to be born again means you first heard and seen the bad news. You are not as good as you think you are.

He said you are not as good as you think you are. You did not handle last week conversation as well as you could have. I tried but did you handle it perfectly? What are we doing? What you Christians? You're not very good either. We know you're not telling us anything. We have looked in our lives in a sense. You are absolutely right. That's why we need this grace of God to come into our hearts and flood us to Transformers. So then we can go forth and try to wake and stylish is his kingdom. You're right. You don't have to look very hard in this room to find people that have done some pretty awful stuff. You don't have to look very far in the scripture just get into the first four chapters of Genesis murder people who enslave look at the Heroes David David had some bad stuff with a guy's wife and then murdered him. That's not Jesus. Use the key to always talk about a great game. It is Paul just said Murdered I took Christian out of their homes and put them in prison. You must come to grips with the reality of the bad news that you're not as good as you think you are in order to understand this gospel. I understand who Jesus is. What we do is try to get you a shin. This might be you today. You came here and they promised you brunch and you thought it'd be a nice message and we laughed at first but I'm serious. Now I'm uncomfortable with help books. They're going to tell you to look at your life and tell yourself how important you are. I love this example a shirt often. So I hope it just stinks in with each and every person I can get up in the morning and look in the mirror every day and be like looking good guy. All right. Oh, man, you got it today. Okay, but it's not until somebody actually validates that yesterday. I thought my mask on right I'm in the store because I need to buy cream for our coffee and some other things. I didn't get kicked out and and I'm checking three things out and his lady who is checking me out. She looks she looks at me and she goes you need a bag for that. And I said, I think I'm fine. She goes I think you are too and then she goes to work this out. Of course you didn't cuz you could see what's behind this but I snowed my wife. I have no idea. How don't look to me for that kind of advice. I'm just sitting there. Please. Let's get out of here. humiliating what kind of validated me in that moment when somebody else says something like yeah, I can get behind that when somebody else says you did a good job reach and just feel like in the dumps afterwards and somebody else send a text message. I can tell myself all day. You did Great Britain. You did not write mostly. Try it go south self about valuing yourself and put yourself up. It doesn't work. The second. Somebody comes along side of you and says you have meaning your value your purpose. I 2 I believe that's what God has done for us you created in His image and he comes and validate that message says you're my son. You're my daughter. I love you. I'm going to justify you. I'm going to give you my righteousness. I'm going to share my life with you. I'm going to give my life for you and you are worth it and I care for you. That is the good news of the Gospel. You can try all day long telling yourself how great you are and gosh darn it people like me. It does not work. We need something outside of someone outside of ourselves to tell us that are significant and value and that's precisely what this good news of Jesus. I would just break down these first few verses. I know my time is running out. So we're going to close out here in just a little bit. But what exactly is this good news? One of my favorite authors and even speakers though. He's pretty boring to listen to is Tim Keller and they found a loss I lied.

I want to paint a rose your truth and what really existed so tell her says this about the gospel. He said the gospels the good news that three Christ the power of God's kingdom Adventure history to renew the whole world only believe rely on Jesus is work and record rather than hours for our relationship to God that Kingdom power comes upon us and begins to work through us. Since you saying you receive it, you didn't achieve it you recognize that you couldn't do it and he gives his righteousness to you, which means that is a deeply personal experience. a change of you everything looks different. You can put your whole life religion and I'm sorry get a better hobby. I am if you don't know Jesus it will be so Monday. So so exhausting and what depletes you answer religion. But when you know, Jesus erratically reshapes, how you view everything our days no doubt about it, but changes us how how did it happen to me just for these last few verses and actually what we're going to talk about next week in further. Detail of Christ is proclaimed is raised in the dad. How can some of you say there is no resurrection of the Dead there's no resurrection of the dead and not even Christ has been raised Christ has not been raised in our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain and found to be misrepresenting God because we testified about God that he raised Christ and we did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised the dead or not raised. Not even Christ have been raised and if Christ has not been raised your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. And those also have fallen asleep in Christ have perished if in Christ, we have hope in this life only we've all people are the most pitied if you open up the Bible and play like Bible roulette and that's all you read. You would hate your life o my goodness Paul where did he pities her miserable and our sins are not forgiven. He's painting is horrible off a picture as as wonderful author really declaring the state that you're actually in if Christ is not risen from the dead but he says, but in fact Christ has been raised from the dead. Firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep what he's saying is the weight of this reality becomes and moves in your life. Is it resurrected Jesus one whom he said appeared to 500 people after his death. He showed himself. He revealed himself the one who came and died in order to give you relationship right restored Redemptive relationship with him is going forth into the world and proclaiming that message to others is because he has been resurrected the hinge upon which our faith hangs on turns on if there's no Resurrection don't come here anymore. But if you believe in Resurrection, maybe this musician that what is going to be future has been brought into the now that Christ Reigns on our hearts has made us new and we are Kingdom people and it didn't packed and effect. Waiting for you to live our lives have relationship. Think about sexuality think about money think about works and influences every area of our life that we live in this new way to be human. That's what we want to talk about here weekend and weekend. How the gospel that God that saves then Reader X and reshapes and redefines. We're going to peer into that in a little bit deeper ways next week your religious and you like Joy you need Jesus if you're good. Cool. You're not that good. I played that game. My Act of rebellion growing up was not going to Royal Rangers just like this Christian Boy Scouts and going to youth group. I play the Good Kid card. I didn't tell you behind the car. It was ugly. It was dark. It was religious and it was a game and I was losing and then meeting Jesus realizing you Jesus it and moving on my heart reshaped everything and give you a new lands in which I saw let's pray that God may you move in this room today. our hearts that have a secure your shell of religiosity with a gospel this morning broke through And they see the Risen Jesus. They seen their own sin their own ugliness and in their hearts and with their mouths, they confessed it at your lord and those that maybe don't know she you haven't heard about you or who wanted to redefine with the mission of Jesus is ABC this morning why you came? Not to be served but to serve to give your life as a ransom for many. That you offered yourself up and you've invited them to be participating. With you and what you want to accomplish giving us new lives new Hearts started working us change us challenges VR joy in Jesus name. Amen.

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