1 Corinthians 15:1-2 – A Gospel Reminder

In 1 Corinthians 15:1-2, the Apostle Paul reminds believers of the Gospel they had already heard, believed, and stood upon. Why would Christians need to be reminded of the Gospel? Because, like a compass guiding a ship through a storm, the Gospel continually reorients our hearts and lives in a world that is difficult to navigate.

In this message, we walk through the foundational truths of the Gospel by considering the character of God, the sinfulness of man, and the sufficiency of Christ. From the opening chapters of Genesis to the saving work of Jesus Christ, we are reminded that the Gospel is not merely the message that saves us—it is the message that sustains us.

Whether you are hearing these truths for the first time or the thousandth, may this Gospel reminder strengthen your faith, deepen your worship, and point you once again to the hope found in Christ alone.

Transcript

1 Corinthians 15:1-2 – A Gospel Reminder

Intro

• Please take your Bibles and turn with me to 1 Corinthians 15 and find verse 1.
  • As you do…
• Imagine this scenario with me…
  • You are on board a ship at sea… 
    • Far enough away from the land that it cannot be seen on the horizon.
  • Imagine that a storm blows up and this is no ordinary storm because it lasts for days…
    • During this time the sea is angry, the wind is howling, the sun and stars are blacked out.
  • As you picture that…
• Here is my question…
  • How do you know which way to steer the ship?
    • Land cannot be seen.
    • The sky cannot be seen.
    • No matter which way you turn you see nothing but the ocean.
  • Thankfully you have another useful tool, you have a compass and with a compass you can always know the direction in which you are heading.
    • And likewise, which way to turn.  
• Church, the scenario described is one in which we can relate to.
  • Not because we are on a literal ship in a literal storm, but the day in which we are living can be just as difficult to navigate as a ship on a stormy sea.  
    • It can be very difficult for us to know which way we are going; it can be difficult to decide which way to turn.
  • Thankfully though, we also have a compass which is the Gospel.
    • It is the Gospel that guides us…
    • It is the Gospel in which we stand, and…
    • It is the Gospel that I want to remind you about today.
• You may be wondering; do we really need to be reminded of the Gospel?
  • Some of us might be wondering, is it even necessary to be reminded of it?
    • You might even think…
    • That it is unbelievers who we really need to hear the Gospel.
  • After all, this is the church, so do we really need to be reminded about it again?
    • Yes, and again, and again, and again.
      • Martin Luther, one of the men who sparked the Protestant Reformation once said this…
      • “We need to hear the Gospel every day because we forget it every day.”
    • This quote captures a struggle found within the Christian life, it captures the struggle between the spirit and the flesh.
  • It exposes the fallen state of man and the upward battle that we face day by day.
• Which is why I have you in 1 Corinthians 15, to show you that not only is it a good thing to be reminded of the Gospel, but it is also a Biblical thing.  
  • Before we read our text let me remind you a few things that would be helpful to keep in mind…
    • This is a book written by the Apostle Paul…
    • Written to the church, the believers, at Corinth…
    • They lived among one of the most pagan places of the day…
      • Just about anything you could imagine could be found in Corinth.
    • More than that, some of it found its way into the church.
      • Paul writes to correct them on this in the previous chapters…
    • However, when he gets to chapter 15 he makes a very interesting statement.
  • It is this statement that we will read together now and that will serve as our jumping off point this morning.  
• Before we ready it though I want to mention that we will not be staying here in 1 Corinthians but will be turning to a couple of different places.
  • I would encourage you to turn with me as we are reminded of the Gospel this morning. 
  • With that in mind, let us read our text and open in prayer. 

1 Corinthians 15:1-2

• Paul writes, near the end of this letter, displaying his desire to remind them that which they had already heard, and that which they had already believed.
  • Again this was a statement penned to those who confessed Christ.
• This confronts us with an interesting question…
  • Why is this necessary?
    • There exists many today who believe that when it comes to the Gospel…
    • We hear it, we believe it, and then we move on from it.
  • Yet is this right?
    • No, just as a person lost at sea does not move on from the compass.
    • They check it, realign their ship with it, then they check it again.
• So today let us follow the example of the Apostle Paul as I remind you brothers and sisters of the Gospel.
  • The Gospel in which you have believed.
  • The Gospel in which you currently stand.
  • The Gospel in which you are being saved if you have truly believed.
• As we consider it together today, I urge you to check the direction of your life and see if it aligns with the message of the Gospel.
  • 1 Corinthians 15, as I already stated, is going to be our jumping off point so let us now turn to the book of Genesis chapter 1.
  • The book of Genesis is a book of beginnings, so it is fitting that the Gospel also finds its starting place in the beginning.  
• The first aspect of the Gospel I want to speak to you about is…

The Character of God

• When I say the character of God what I am talking about is, who God is.
  • How He has revealed Himself according to His written Word.
  • Again, the best place to start is at the beginning, for in these first few chapters of the book of Genesis much is revealed about our God.
    • Let’s consider them together.  
• Right now I have you in Genesis 1, take a look at verse 1 with me…
  • 
    Genesis 1:1-5
    
    
    • These verses set up the trend for the next 5 days, God speaks, and the universe is brought into existence.
    • Now let’s pause for a moment and think about what these verses and what this chapter is teaching us about God.
  • First, we are confronted with the reality that God is…
    • Powerful…
      • He preexisted creation, He is the cause of Creation, and He creates by the Word of His mouth.
      • Think with me for a moment about making a pencil…
        • Have you ever considered the amount of manpower, and materials that have to be present for a pencil to be made?
          • Graphite, Cedar, Metal, and Rubber all are brought together in a multiple day process involving multiple people just to produce a pencil.
          • And we are not creating anything we are using what we already have.
      • Not so of our God.
        • He started with nothing and brought about everything, and that did not even seem as hard labor.
        • In just 27 verses our God has completed His work.
    • Furthermore, when we examine that work, we will find that in this powerful display we also find that…
      • He is also intelligent…
        • Something that is displayed in every part of His creation…
        • Seen by examining the smallest of details or marveling at the grandeur of the galaxy. 
      • He is also creative…
        • Just simply surveying all of the various plants and animals we can see this.
        • We may watch a movie and marvel at how creative a person can be…
          • May we do this same with our God and His Creation.  
      • He is also logical…
        • You will notice that our world is governed by a set of laws that are unchanging and that we are subject to.
      • We could consider all of that, and much more, if we just consider this first chapter.  
        • As we read this chapter, we must guard against becoming so familiar with its truths that we no longer stand in awe of what God has done.
        • Let us have the same response as Isaiah the prophet…
      • Isaiah 40:28 – “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.”
    • We cannot just stop here though because God being Powerful is just one important character trait.
      • Turn over to Genesis 2 and find verse seven.
  • In Genesis 2 we find the detailed account of the creation of man…
    • We see in Genesis 1 God speaking and stars being flung across the sky, we see God speaking and animals appearing from nothing.
    • However, when we turn to Genesis 2, we find God’s intimate creation of mankind.
      • What does this chapter teach us about our God?
  • That God is…
    • Personal…
      • He does not create and wants to be distant from His creation…
        • He creates and then desires to be intimate with His creation.
      • Our God is a relational being.
        • Something that is even displayed in the existence of the Trinity.
        • Our God is One that exists in three Persons.
          • He exists as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
      • He did not create to be separate from His creation, He did not create to be distant from man, He created to be in relationship with man.
        • 
          Genesis 2:7
          
          
      • Marvel at this…
        • The God who formed Adam in this way was Powerful enough to speak things into existence…
        • Yet was also Personal enough to interact in this way with man. 
    • This is not only present at Creation, it is also present in the Gospel itself.
      • Does not the Gospel, the reconciliation of man to their Creator, point to a God who desires a Personal relationship with man?
      • Certainly it does.
    • Let us keep turning the pages, move with me to the next chapter, Genesis 3.
      • Though we will not be reading any one verse across this chapter it will still do us well to turn there and consider what we see. 
    • Keep in mind what we have learned about Him thus far…
  • He is Powerful, He is Personal, but something happens in Genesis 3 that shows us that our God is also…
    • Pure…
      • What happened?
        • The fall of man…
          • God’s personal creation rebelled against Him.
          • Taking the fruit that they were commanded not to take.
        • In so doing they brought upon the earth…
          • Pain, Suffering, Death.
        • You may wonder then, how does this chapter show God to be pure?
      • He shows Himself pure by the way He responds to this rebellion.  
        • Mankind was cast from the garden that they were designed for…
        • In that action we are  confronted with the reality that God is pure, that He is Holy…
          • Meaning that He cannot sin, it is not in His nature.
          • It also means that He will not tolerate sin.
            • That is why we see Adam and Eve for the remainder of their lives not getting to return to the garden of Eden.
            • Sin had separated them from the sinless one.
          • This also points to God being the standard for morality, He is the standard for truth.
            • That which is right and wrong flows from Him.
        • Within this purity we see something else…
    • God is also Judge.
      • This purity we are looking at is exactly what drives His judgement.
        • It is why He can look unbiasedly upon that which He has made and pronounce judgment.
        • There is no appeal to a higher court, the verdict is final.
      • Adam and Eve never returned to this garden and they ultimately faced death.  
• I said it earlier, I shall say it again…
  • This is where the Gospel begins, with who God is.
    • He is Powerful, displayed in Creation.
    • He is Personal, displayed in His relation with man.
    • He is Pure,displayed in His judgment upon sin.
• Now obviously there are other aspects of the character of God with which we could discuss, but it is fitting for us to now move on to the second aspect of the Gospel…

The Sinfulness of Man

• Let us leave Genesis behind and move forward into the New Testament book of Romans…
  • Go to Romans 3 please, as we will begin there as we consider the sinfulness of man.  
• Now, before we read anything, I want you to know that we could observe this truth in three places…
  • We could look out and observe the day-to-day action of man…
    • We would find that we are wretched creatures.
    • We are consumed with sin, and it is present everywhere we look.
    • Yet it is not only outside of us… 
  • We could also look inside…
    • We need to go no further than our own hearts to see this sinfulness.
    • For within each of us is the capacity to do any manner of wrong we observe as we look out.
    • What I mean is this…
      • The same sin that is present in our world is the same sin that is present in our very lives.  
      • If you disagree with that then you are deceived at how fallen you truly are…
    • There is a third place to look however, and that is where we will spend our time.
  • We could look in the Word of God
    • Asking the question, coming to it with the question…
      • What does the Bible say about man?
    • If it paints an accurate picture of God, certainly it will likewise paint an accurate picture of man.  
  • Which is why we are opened to the book of Romans. 
• The book of Romans is a book that is meant to explain the Gospel.
  • Paul who authored this book paints quite the picture of man.
  • He takes nearly 3 chapters in writing about the sinfulness of man.
• The second half of Romans 1, He is writing about the Gentile people…
  • How they had gone their own way and worshiped the creation rather than worshiping the Creator.
• Then at the beginning of Romans 2 and throughout it, he turns his attention to the Jewish people…
  • Where he reminds them that they likewise had…
    • Rejected God and worshiped other gods, even to the point of murdering the Righteous One.
    • The point he makes is that the Jewish people are found doing the same as what the Gentiles were guilty of.
  • We need to look no further than their own history, it is proof enough.
    • Time and again they turned from God.  
  • Then finally Paul makes it to…
• Romans 3, and here he begins to conclude this first point.
  • He concludes that the Jews are not any better off than the Gentiles, but both Jew and Gentile are under sin.
    • Then he begins to summarize this point and drive home the depravity of man.
    • Look with me at verse 10, let us read three verses together as Paul strings together verses from the Old Testament to drive this point home.  
  • 
    Romans 3:10-12
    
    
    • By the Word of God mankind is condemned.
    • This is true even if we take the most basic of laws.
• Consider the 10 Commandments…
  • Is there one that you have not broken?
    • We are told in the fifth commandment to “Honor your Father and your Mother”.
      • Which of us can claim to not have broken this law?
      • It does not get any better if we consider the others…
  • The sixth commandment is simply, “You shall not murder”.
    • However, Jesus raised the bar and pointed us back to our hearts…
      • Matthew 5:21-22a – “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment;”
    • Jesus here points to something deeper than our actions, He points us to our heart.
    • In so doing He is letting us know that anyone who is angry in this way is still guilty of sin.  
  • The seventh command tells us that “You shall not commit adultery”. 
    • Jesus speaks to us in the same way regarding this law.
      • Matthew 5:27-28 – “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart”
  • The eight commandment is, “You shall not steal” and the ninth is, “You shall not bear false witness”.
    • Have we not all been guilty to some degree, even as a child taking something that is not ours and lying to try and hide that sin?
    • What I want you to see is this…
  • We are all guilty before the One who is Pure.
• Friend, I want you to know the Law was not given for us to try and measure up to it, it was given to us to show us that we can’t.
  • In Romans 3:20 Paul concludes those three chapters with this statement…
    • Romans 3:20 – “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”
  • Mankind, on our own, stands condemned before a Holy and Just God.  
• Think about this conflict in light of what we have learned about God and man…
  • We are powerless before the One who is All Powerful…
  • Our impurity is sickening when compared to the One who is Pure.
• May we tremble as we read these verses in Romans…
  • They are not speaking about another; they are speaking about us.
  • And friend it matters not your age, your ethnicity, or how good you think you are, on your own you stand guilty before a Holy and Just God.
  • We must feel the weight of this…
    • We have to pause and dwell up on this…
    • Otherwise we will completely misunderstand the Gospel.  
  • To make light of the Holiness of God, or to make light of the sinfulness of man is to make light of the Gospel itself.
    • Let us not do that today…
• As we continue forward there is something I have intentionally left off that I now want to share.
  • The word Gospel means Good News…
    • Which is odd considering what we have learned so far, for all we have seen up to this point is the conflict that exists between man and God.
    • Though the conflict is necessary it would not be the Gospel without our final consideration this morning.
• Let me share with you a final aspect of the Gospel…

The Sufficiency of Christ

• It is true there is nothing you can do regarding your guilt before God, but that does not mean that something could not be done.
  • The good news is that something has been accomplished, in Christ.  
• Jesus, who was born of a virgin, who was truly God and truly Man…
  • Lived a life of Purity, He was without sin...
  • In His earthly ministry He displayed the Power that only God possesses.
  • In His life we see just how committed God is to a relationship with His creation.  
    • For Jesus did not just come to interact with His creation, He came to redeem His creation.
• Redeem is a rich word that means to purchase, to buy back, it’s the picture of something being lost and then the cost that is paid for it to be found.
  • Here is the picture…
    • Mankind is lost to sin, we are slaves to sin, and we can do nothing to change that.
    • Yet Jesus came to “seek and save that which was lost”, He came to free us from the power of sin.
  • It cost Him His very life.
    • Broken He hung on the Cross as He suffered and died under the judgement of God.
    • He paid the debt that we owe, we desperately need to feel the weight of this.
  • We are not talking about paying off a house, or paying off a car, we are talking about the debt that you owe for the sins which you have committed.
    • That’s not a 30-year note, that is a debt that will only be paid by eternity.
    • Left on our own we are without hope, and will face the judgement that we all rightly deserve, there is not one of us that can plead “not guilty”.
• Yet, by the death of Christ who was the perfect sacrifice, we can be forgiven, we can be saved.
  • You should still be open to Romans 3, let us consider this glorious truth together…
    • 
      Romans 3:22-26
      
      
  • May God help us to not read this as something that is distant from us, but as something in which everyone of us is found.
• This is the good news…
  • Mankind was lost to sin, but Christ came to pay that debt that was owed.
    • Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
  • For it was by the death of Christ that we have hope.
    • Not in what we have done, but in what Christ has done.
    • His death was sufficient to pay the debt that we owe for sin.
    • Praise be to His Holy Name for the salvation that is offered to us in the Gospel.
  • This morning my prayer and hope is that you are found in Christ today.
• Here we will close as we…

Reflect and Respond

• Do you know this hope today?
  • Let me remind you briefly what we have discussed…
    • God is Powerful, He is Personal, He is Pure
    • Man is sinful, we have rebelled, and sin is as much a part of us as the beating of our hearts.
    • Because of that we stand condemned.
  • Yet, God sent forth His Son who lived a life of perfection and died upon a cross paying the sin debt we owe.
    • Three days later He rose again in Victory and in His life, death, and Resurrection we have Hope.
• I ask you again, do you know this hope today?
  • Not intellectually, but personally, intimately.
  • You can only know this hope by placing your faith in Christ alone by repenting of your sins.
  • Have you done this?
    • If not, I urge you to do so this morning.  
• Christian, don’t forget where we started…
  • This is the Gospel in which you believed…
  • The Gospel in which you stand…
  • The Gospel in which you are saved…
• May your life continue to be guided by this Gospel, let us pray.