Rsbc

Date: March 13^th 2005

Sunday Morning

Series: Christ the Sum and The Substance of the Bible

Sermon # 35

 

Subject: “ According To The Scripture”

Text: 1 Cor 15-1-8

 

Intro: It interesting to me that men today believe what they believe what they do about the death of Christ based upon what some man said, some teacher in seminary said, or Bible college instead of according to the scriptures.

 

This is not to say that what men say and what is taught in Bible College and seminary is not correct, it is correct so long as it is according to the word of God. Paul made this so clear in these verse, that is the death of Christ.

 

The gospel although not a new subject is not confined to the NT, in fact in is as old as man’s plunge into sin, and predates that also for in covenant the LORD JESUS CHRIST according to..Revelation 13:8  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

 

I... THAT THE SCRIPTURES DECLARE THE GOSPEL RATHER THAN MAKE IT A OFFER TO MEN: VS 1

 

I do not offer you Christ this morning, I declare him to you. In the Book of Galatians Paul said that the gospel was preached by the Lord to Abraham: Galatians 3:8  And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

 

When we read the gospel of Isaiah chapter 7 in the promise of his coming it was a declaration not an offer: verse 14 “ Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign, Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

 

When we read of the gospel of Isaiah chapter 53 which tells us of suffering and death of Christ for his people, it was not an offer... it was a declaration of what he was going to do for the sins of his people...

 

The great question: Isa 53-1 “ Who hath believed our preaching”

The undesirableness of Christ: Isa 53-2 “ no beauty that we should desire him”

The detestable Christ: Isa 53-3 “ despised and we esteemed him not”

The substitution of Christ: Isa 53-Bore our griefs, carried our sorrows smitten of God”

The rest of the chapter declares that he was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, chastisement of our peace was upon him, by his stripes we are healed, he was put to grief, his soul was made an offering for sin, in him and in him alone was the Father satisfied.

 

II.. THE SCRIPTURES DECLARE THAT WE STAND IN THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL...VS 1

 

It is so clear to me now and has been for some time now that to believe the gospel is to be saved by his grace...verse 2 You must rely upon what Christ did and not what you can or can not do.

 

If you believe any other or preach any other it is to be cursed by the LORD. No I am not talking about simply believing in an Arminian gospel but believing a gospel of man and not of GOD.  

 

The Mormon Church believes a gospel about Jesus, but not the true gospel of Christ. Romanism teaches a totally different gospel than that taught by the word of GOD, JW believe and teach a totally different gospel than the word of GOD teaches. These people if they remain in unbelief with their false gospels how can they be saved? They will die in their sins...

 

What does it mean to believe in vain?

 

1^st. I believe it means a sinner believes he saved himself by doing something:

2^nd. To believe in another Jesus which was not preached unto sinners is believing in vain.

3^rd. To rely upon something other than the finished work of Christ is to believe in vain.

 

III... THE SCRIPTURES DECLARE THE VERY ESSENCE OF THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST: VS 3-4

 

1^st. A startling fact to those of us who have tasted the grace of GOD: vs 3

 

“ He died for our sins” Sometimes I believe that we have heard this so much that it does not effect us anymore. To think of Christ dying for sins is staggering to say the least. He who was holy, undefiled and made higher than the heavens is judge as a guilty sinner for my sins...

 

A. He did it while we had no strength

 

Romans 5:6  For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  Which means that you could not save your self, you had no strength, you could not come to Christ on your own, you had no strength, you could not satisfy the LORD you had no strength...

 

B. He did it while we were yet sinners..Romans 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

 

 

1 Peter 2:24  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

 

The bearing of our sins was seen in type by the Old Testament goat..Leviticus 16:22  And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

 

2^nd. A concluding succession...vs 4

 

By this I mean one thing followed another, he died and then he was buried, then he arose from the dead....there are some scriptures that verify that he was buried according to scriptures..

 

1^st. The prophecy of it:  Isaiah 53:9  And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

 

 

2^nd.The fulfillment of it: Matthew 27:57 ¶ When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple:

Matthew 27:58  He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. Matthew 27:59  And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, Matthew 27:60  And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

 

IV... THE GREAT CONCLUSION TO THIS DAY OF ALL DAYS: VS 4 “ ROSE AGAIN”

 

Herein is this great foundational truth of his resurrection:

 

That Christ was seen alive: vs 5-8

 

He was seen by women who was told by angels he is not here come and see the place where the LORD laid, go tell his disciples he is risen from the dead... He was seen of the twelve, then he said he was seen by above 500 brethren seen him vs 6 then of James and all the apostles...vs 7 then Paul said last of all by me...vs 8

 

I love the story of the Emmaus disciples:

 

Luke 24-13-35

 

a. Puzzled disciples: vs 17-24

b. Illuminated disciples..vs 25-35

 

We know in our hearts that Christ is risen not from some emotional experience but by the word of the LORD, and those that saw him, we believe this by faith. For those that would doubt a resurrection of the dead, or the resurrection of Christ Paul paints a dismal picture...

 

1^st. No resurrection of the dead, then Christ is still dead: vs 13

2^nd. No resurrection our preaching is vain..vs 14

3^rd. No resurrection our faith is vain..vs 14

4^th. No resurrection we are false witnesses..vs 15

5^th. No resurrection we still in our sins..vs 17

6^th. No resurrection our dead love ones have perished..vs 18

7^th. No resurrection we are of all men miserable..vs 19

 

Let us consider some conclusion this chapter should lead us to:

 

1^st. It should lead us to a renewed faith in the word of GOD....

 

Luke 11-27-28 “ And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and th paps which thou has sucked. But he said Yea rather blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

 

Luke 8:21  And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.

 

2^nd. It should lead us to a steadfastness in the true gospel of Christ and never waver from it...

 

Paul told the Galatians these words:

 

Galatians 1:6  I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

 

Isn’t it amazing how quick people who believe the truth or say they do leave the truth and go after a gospel not of the LORD but it is after man.