FBCWest 385 | Of First Importance
Recorded On: 04/12/2020
Bulletin
FBCWest 385
April 12, 2020
“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and truth.”
“Luke 24:1 - 12”
Praise and Worship
SCRIPTURE READING –
“Like a Lion”
“Resurrecting”
“Because He Lives”
Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
OFFERTORY PRAYER
SPECIAL MUSIC – By Pru Hungate
Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“Of First Importance”
PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection
““
Acknowledgements and Announcements
Benediction “Won’t Stop Now”
Sermon Notes
1 Corinthians 15:1 & 2 The gospel preached
1 Corinthians 15:3 – 8 Of first importance: Jesus’ death burial and resurrection according to the Scriptures
1 Corinthians 15:42 Believers will be resurrected
1 Corinthians 15:50 – 57 God gives us the victory
Philippians 3:7 – 11 To know Him, the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings
Scritpures
Transcript of Service
Today we celebrate.
What people often call Easter other people because of the Pagan symbol. An SUV that calls it resurrection Sunday and I believe the Biblical name for his first fruits. But whatever you call it, we celebrate the fact that the tomb is empty.
I've heard it said that.
For the first time in almost 2000 years.
Churches.
Are empty.
But that's OK, because the tomb is also empty.
And so we're celebrating his resurrection, regardless of whether it's in the confines of a building or in your homes, because that's where we should be celebrating our faith anyway. Is in our homes.
And so I want to talk a little bit about the resurrection.
But I also want to tell you that resurrection Sunday was not the only day that Jesus was here on earth after his crucifixion.
Where you see that Jesus was on earth for 40 days?
After that resurrected Sunday.
And he appeared numerous times at various places.
To the entire group of Apostles or two groups into other believers.
And sometimes some of the Apostles wouldn't be together in like Thomas.
When the other Apostles told him that Jesus had risen from the tomb, he goes. I'm just not going to believe.
I'm not going to believe until I see his nail pierced hands and this side because I was there. I saw them crucify him. I know he's dead.
And Jesus appears to Thomas.
Without asking any questions, it goes here Thomas.
Place your hands.
In Thomas, is my savior an my God?
And we've come here not to just celebrate a man who raised from the dead. But the son of God, who raised from the dead.
Now it's interesting.
And I'm going to start the message with First Corinthians chapter 15, filing with verse one. It says Hall writing says this to the church at Corinth. Now I make it known to you brother and the gospel which I preached you, which also received, in which you also stand.
By which you were also saved.
If you hold fast, the words which I preach to you, unless you believed in vain, I was funny. Gospel means good news.
That's what gospel means, and the announcement of the Gospel was there at Jesus's birth.
And the good news continues to his death, burial and resurrection. But it's interesting that good news starts off with what we would call bad news.
His death.
But the Gospel is good news because Paul is going to explain what the Gospel is in some very short words.
So he says in Versary, for I delivered to you as a first important's
All the same, This is key.
You may believe in various doctrines or have disputes as to free will versus predestination or Rapture versus whatever are. You may have all the kinds of theological debates on what is a proper baptism. But Paul says this is the one most important element. It's a first importance.
But I receive also receive.
So Paul says.
Just as you were taunted by Christ, I was taught it by Christ, and I'm going to preach what Christ taught me.
He said that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures you see, Christ just didn't die. He died according to the scriptures.
Now some.
Look at it as saying, well, Jesus followed the various prophecies predicted of him. Kinda like checking off boxes.
I kind of have a different view. My view is this is what Jesus did and this is what the prophets foretold Jesus would do. It wasn't Jesus kicked off boxes. The Prophet said, this is how you'll know the Messiah. This is how you know the man who dies and is buried in his resurrection because the scriptures tell you of him.
Now.
Description is also talk about another person who will die.
That spoken of in revelations and it says that there is this Antichrist if you will and say to always while he's the father of Wise. He never has seems an original thought. He coffees God. And so if Jesus died and raised again then his.
Minions will do the same and so revelation says that.
He would receive a mortal head wound.
And then rise again. And many people would be amazed and follow him because they do not understand the Scriptures.
The Scriptures foretold that Jesus, the son of God the Messiah would die in just the way that Jesus did.
But he not only died the way the Scripture said, but he died for a reason. He died for our sins.
And he was varied.
And I might add, though Paul doesn't, according to the Scriptures.
Because he was placed in a rich man's tomb that was borrowed and Isaiah predicts the very same thing.
And that he would was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures.
The fact of Christ Resurrection is testified by the Scriptures. It is specified by the Holy Spirit. It is testified by the women who went in the empty tomb. It was testified by his disciples. It was testified by those who came in contact with him over the 40 day period.
The fact of Christ Resurrection is a short.
It is a fact of history. Josephus even discuss, is it so? When people say, Well, only the Bible talks about it, she this is mentioned by the Jewish historian Josephus.
And so Paul is going to say that he did these things according to the Scriptures. So it was a testimony of that. Then he said he appeared to Seafest. Who is Peter?
Then to the 12.
After that he appeared in more than 500 brethren at one time.
Now we have this idea that somehow Jesus was a failure administry that he only had 12 disciples and some women and wanted his disciples.
Betrayed him, and yet the scripture says that he appeared to 500.
Brethren, at one time.
Both of whom remain until now, but summer fall asleep. That's always saying that they passed away. Paula saying the fact of the resurrection, sure, because there are I witness, is to it. And Paula saying, if you want to know you doubt me, go to Jerusalem and talked to the eye witnesses and they will tell you.
You see Malta myth happened hundreds of years after the event, and usually in a different place. But the fact of Christ Resurrection takes place immediately after his death, burial and then resurrection, and there are contemporaneous witnesses to it.
Then he appeared to James and to all the Apostles. So again, Paula saying that Jesus is appearance at the resurrection, was on numerous occasions to numerous peoples and numerous settings.
And we can be assured. And then Paul says.
And last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared to me also.
Now, if you doubt all the other white eyewitnesses paulsson excellent eyewitness of the risen savior, because it was his.
Zealous duty to persecute.
The church to arrest and see that the believers were condemned until the resurrected Jesus met him on the road to Damascus.
So even to Paul Jesus appears.
Now.
The Gospels were written and, as John says, he wrote the things that he wrote that we might come to belief.
It is interesting.
Because we have the scriptures which testify of Jesus.
But yet there were those in various other parts of.
The Middle East and other places.
What was called Asia minor we call Turkey and in Greece and other places that did not see the resurrected Jesus.
But the spirit, the Holy Spirit gave the witness is such power.
That their testimony fell on believing ears.
And the scripture says in John Day, yes, it. It must have been a fantastic thing to see Jesus, having watched him being beaten.
And abused and mocked and crucified his body bloodied and torn apart.
Wrapped in some cloth and to see him alive.
And Strong.
And beautiful.
And yet still with the marks on his hand inside.
But the scripture says as bless it is that was.
It is more blessed for those of us who have not seen and yet believe.
And so for those of us who have not seen and yet believe, because we believe the testimony of the Scriptures, we believe the testimony of the Holy Spirit, we believe the testimony of the father. We believe the testimony of those eyewitnesses God has caused us to have faith, and by having safe, as the scripture says, that our sins are forgiven.
I awesome benefit by the good news of Jesus death, burial and resurrection.
And then there's another benefit.
For believers in verse 42 of that same chapter.
And it says this.
So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a partial body, it is raised and imperishable body by believing in Jesus and his resurrection not only our our sins forgiven.
And not only is it that we have life and have it eternally.
We will have a resurrected body.
A body that will be imperishable. Right now, this body has a shelf life.
You can live and never get sick.
And yet your body will age.
And there will come a time that it will cease to function.
Others of us will get diseases or illnesses and die from those things. Others may die of accidents or other tragedies.
But the believer is promised not only just eternal life.
But a resurrected body that is no longer subject of pain or disease or heartache.
Or all those other things that we will be and have a body like Jesus.
Now people in Paul discuss is that because it goes well, we don't quite understand this new body an whatever and Paul kind of is abrupt with him and says you fool and he says, you know when you plan to see what comes up as the plant isn't the same as the scene and he's saying that's the same way it is with our body then when will be resurrected this body.
Was built for earth.
Until we send.
And then it was built.
To decay.
But this new body will never decay.
And then.
Paul tells us.
There's another benefit to the resurrection.
And in verse 50 of that same chapter, he says this.
Now I say, this brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, nor does a parish will inherit the imperishable.
All is again renewing the the fact that we do not receive this body. We do not receive.
The resurrection based on who we are of what he did for us. Our belief in him, so our flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom.
Jesus allows us to Behold, I tell you a mystery.
We will not all seek now again. Paul uses the term sleep not because he doesn't want to use the word death.
In our culture, we don't like to say die, so we say kick the bucket or we say they passed on or you know they they did whatever. We have all kinds of numerous sayings for death but falls not saying sleep because he's thinking that well. I don't want to upset people about saying the word death. He's saying your body is asleep.
But you're not dead.
And so he doesn't use the word death because those who have fallen asleep in Christ aren't dead.
But we will all be changed.
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.
Which is NS. It is quick, a twinkling of an eye.
At the last trump for the trump will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
For the perishable, must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
Of when parish will will have put on the imperishable, and the mortal will have put on immortality then will come about the same that is said, and I want to stop there.
It's kind of powerful unpaired. Well, it's back and forth. The best way to describe it is Paul saying You're taking off the old ratty clothes.
And you putting on ones that never gets oiled.
Never wear out their different. You've removed the old and you put on the new.
This isn't it is written, death is swallowed up in victory.
Oh death, where is your victory? Oh death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin and Jesus died for our so there's no longer sting because we've been forgiven.
And the power of the sinners law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. We don't earn the victory. We don't merit to victory. We acquire the victory because Jesus died according to the Scriptures, was buried, and was raised again according to the Scriptures and the whole celebration of the resurrection. Whether we call it Easter or resurrection Sunday.
Or first fruit is a celebration of the entire gospel is not just that he raised from the dead. It is that our sins are forgiven, that are we are now no longer subject to death, that we have eternal life, that our bodies will be changed, in the twinkling of an eye, and that we will live in his presence forever the most.
Vicious enemy is death and death has been defeated.
So.
What do we do with that?
Paul, in another book in Philippians Chapter 3, verse Seven, talks about his life and before that he talks about all the various. If you will awards and degrees and all those things that he was as a Jew and a rabbi, and he excelled more. But then he says this.
Whatever things were gained to me, those things I have counted as Los for the sake of Christ.
He said I don't care what degrees I have. I don't care how people thought of me as an accident rabbi that all is unimportant.
For the sake of Christ more than that, I can't all things to be lossed in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord.
For whom I've suffered the loss of all things, an count them, but rubbish. Now that's a nice word. All the same everything.
That you can do in this lifetime.
I count in the nice word is rubbish.
But the real term is human excrement.
That's what all considers this life outside of Christ.
So that I may gain Christ.
And we found in him not having a righteousness of my own, derived from the law. Here's the one for sued. The law was zealous for the law, and because he met Christ and understand that the law could never save him.
That Jesus is death, burial, and Resurrection did so.
And so his goal is not to acquire accolades, but to know Jesus.
They know in Foley.
And the righteousness that comes from Christ.
But a year or so ago, I was driving through a McDonald's drive-through eating breakfast or lunch, and there was a guy.
For some reason who just having a bad day I guess, and he was at a sign. Basically anti Christian and he talked about you, Christians and yourself righteousness.
I tempted to want to get in a conversation with him, but I decided.
Why irritate him? But I acknowledge that I'm not self righteous.
Righteousness of Maine.
Is a filthy racks.
The righteousness that I claim is Jesus is righteousness.
He's the one who makes me righteous, so it's not self righteousness. It is Jesus righteousness applied to me.
Which comes from God on the basis of faith.
Then so he goes first I want to know him.
That I may know him.
No in Foley.
So the question I have first on this day that we celebrate his resurrection.
Do you know him?
And I encourage you to know him, but if you know him, are you satisfied with the knowledge that you have of him, or is there still a hunger to know him more to know him more fully, to understand him, so that when he speaks, you know clearly it is his voice and not another?
Again, a while ago there used to be these little vans that would say what would Jesus do? We wish so we should. So know him that we wouldn't have to ask what would Jesus do? But because what we do is what Jesus would do.
That I may know him.
And the power of his resurrection.
Horses.
I want to know Jesus.
And I want to know that power that raised him from the dead.
And the awesome thing is, is that just not a theological pursuit?
The reality is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead resides in US.
It's called the Holy Spirit and when we come to believe in Christ as our Lord and savior, he comes in to us and the power of that resurrection is there.
Now, unfortunately.
It seems that our bodies take awhile to change in our mind, takes awhile to change.
And that's why we look forward to the resurrection when we will have a new body, an A new mindset.
For bosses, I want to know him and I want to know the power of his resurrection. Now. Unfortunately, most of us would stop there.
I don't know him. I wanna know his power and if you hear most pastors, they talk about knowing him and about his power and we all want all the good benefits. But notice the third thing that Paul Pursueth.
And the power, I'm sorry and the Fellowship of his suffering.
Horses I wanna. I wanna know how Jesus suffered because in there there is a fellowship.
If.
You have ever gone through really difficult times.
With another person.
You kind of understand that.
Men and now women or in the farm forces who go through battles.
Where it looks like they may die. There is a bond that is formed within them. The last a lifetime.
Even separate from that my brother when he was in the military, never had to go through a battle, but going through the various trainings and whatever.
He developed a friend who lived on the other coast.
And yet he would continue contact with that person.
Because they have gone through the same experiences.
I have a good friend.
Who he and I?
When people judged us and doubted us and accused us, we formed a very special bond. Now we don't see each other constantly, but there is at von, even though that it happened decades ago.
There is a fellowship.
Of suffering.
And Paul goes the way I may know Jesus better and the way I may know his resurrection power better is to fellowship in those sufferings.
After the resurrection.
When did disciples were told to cease their preaching?
And were beaten and arrested an sent away. They came back not going for Maine. How they mistreated Maine.
They came back rejoicing, saying that we were counted worthy to suffer for Jesus.
Because in that they understood the Fellowship of his suffering.
And so today is a day of victory in today is a day that we celebrate. Jesus is overcoming the death on the cross and his resurrection, and this is the day that we celebrate that he has forgiven our sins and we celebrate that we will be changed at our bodies will no longer be that. And then we will have eternal life. But we should also celebrate the facts that we need to know him better that we need to understand.
The power of his resurrection might better and we should not be timid in acknowledging that we need to know the Fellowship of his suffering.
In Jesus himself told us.
That the teacher.
Is not above the students?
If they mistreated Jesus that way, they will miss treat you that way.
And so it's not a lack of faith when you suffer is not a lack of doing the will of God that you suffer. It may be so that you may understand more fully what Jesus did for you and that you can communicate with him even in a richer, more full level.
And so.
We celebrate today.
For his resurrection.
But we celebrate every Sunday his resurrection because the church has gone from the Sabbath to Sunday's. Acknowledging that Jesus rose on this day and that we should start our week out in worship and it knowledgement of him. But I tell you this, if you only eat one meal a week.
You said, I suspect you won't be strong enough.
To do what needs to be done. So if you only come and worship God on Sunday, if you only acknowledge his resurrection on Sunday if you only wonder about knowing him more on Sunday, the only wonder more about his resurrection on Sunday if you only know one want nor about his suffering on Sunday, you'll be weak.
But if you know him better each and every day.
You know him.
More fully.
And it is interesting.
Now use this as my last analogy.
Before I close.
You will hear people who say, well, I've read the Bible once.
As if that some kind of.
Achievement.
I've read the Bible more than once.
And every time I've read it, I find deeper and more meaning.
And when we fellowship with the savior.
Daisy
He certainly doesn't become boring.
It becomes more rich and more full and more meaningful, and you fall more and more in love with him.
Because you understand more and more what he did for you.
And how he loved you, being who he is.
And who you are.
The good news there. Paul. Preach there we preach.
Of the first importance.
That Jesus died according to the scriptures for our sins, that he was very. and I will say, according to the Scriptures and heroes the third day, according to the scriptures. So that we might know what God is doing and what he has in store for us, and that we can trust him. 2000 years ago.
20 minutes ago.
In 20 years from now.
Because the greatest.
Enemy that we may face is death.
And God gave us victory and we know it because Jesus rose from the dead and all gods people said.