The Gospel
1 Corinthians 15:1-11

C.H. Spurgeon once said: “People have often asked me, ‘What is the secret of your success?’ I always reply that I have no other secret but this, that I have preached the gospel—not about the gospel—but the gospel; the full, free, glorious gospel of the Living Christ, who is the Incarnation of the Good News. Preach Christ, brethren, always and everywhere.”

The preaching of the Gospel was also the secret to Paul’s success. Paul declared in Romans 15:20, "Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation." Also, we he stated in Romans 1:15-16, "So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

Dr. Baldwin, who was pastor of a church for 41 years said, “I testify that at thirty, after examining as best I could the philosophies and religions of the world, I said, ‘Nothing is better than the Gospel of Christ.’ At forty, when burdens began to press heavily and years seemed to hasten, I said, ‘Nothing is as good as the Gospel.’ At fifty, when there were empty chairs in the home and the mound builders had done me service, I said, ‘There is nothing to be compared with the Gospel.’ At sixty, when my second sight saw through the delusions and vanities of earthly things, I said, ‘There is nothing but the Gospel.’ At seventy, amid many limitations and deprivations, I sing:

“Should all the forms that men devise
Attack my faith with treacherous art,
I’d call them vanities and lies,
And bind the Gospel to my heart.”

Paul begins chapter 15 (the great Resurrection chapter) by saying, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel.” The word “gospel” simply means, “Good news.” As Paul begins his discussion on the resurrection, he directs our attention to the gospel. Notice with me:

1. THE MEANING OF THE GOSPEL DECLARED

In Vs.1-4 Paul declares the meaning of the Gospel.

 A. As It Relates To The Saviour

Historically and doctrinally the Gospel is defined by death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In verse 3, he spoke of Christ as the redeeming Christ: "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures."  Paul tells us that the death of Jesus Christ was not an incidental death. There was a great purpose in His death. He “DIED FOR OUR SINS”

I remember when I was preaching in Costa Rica. One particular day the missionary I was with carried me to a little town in the mountains. There was a church that was built on what was considered the most holy place in Costa Rica. Supposedly, hundreds of years earlier, a black virgin had appeared there. I stood in that Church and watched people crawl on their knees down the aisle. The floor was made out of stone and by the time some reached the altar, their knees were bleeding. As I stood there I could not help but think, "It is not our sacrifice, but His sacrifice that cleanses from sins."

Dr. Archibald Alexander of Princeton had been a preacher of the Gospel for 60 years and a professor of divinity for 40. On his deathbed he said to a friend, “All my theology is reduced to this narrow compass—Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.”

Paul declared in Romans 5:6, "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." Also, in he stated in Romans 5:8, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  Christ died for our sins. That was the purpose of His death.

Paul also tells us that His death was neither incidental or accidental. His death was  “ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES.” It was according to a pre-determined and pre-written plan. It was not an afterthought but forethought. It was conceived before the foundation of the world.  

Paul also spoke of Christ as the resurrected Christ. We read in verse 4, "And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures." He was not died but He also rose again from the dead. He was both the redeeming and resurrected Christ.

Thomas Jefferson was a great American statesman and an important father of our country. From a religious standpoint he was a religious rationalist. He edited a Bible of his own choosing entitled, “The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth.” He did not believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus and this ended his Bible, “There laid they Jesus, and rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulcher and departed.”

Praise God the Bible does not stop there. Just a few verses further from where Jefferson stopped we read: "In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. [2] And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. [3] His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: [4] And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. [5] And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. [6] He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay" (Matt. 28:1-6).

At the University of Chicago Divinity School, each year they have what is called “Baptist Day.” On this day each one is to bring a lunch to be eaten outdoors in a grassy picnic area. Every “Baptist Day” the school would invite one of the “greatest minds” to lecture in the theological education center. One year they invited Dr. Paul Tillich. Dr. Tillich spoke for 2 and  a half hours, attempting to prove that the resurrection of Jesus was false. He quoted scholar after scholar and book after book. He concluded that since there was no such thing as the historical resurrection the religious tradition of the church was groundless, emotional mumbo-jumbo, because it was based on a relationship with a risen Jesus, who, in fact, never rose from the dead in any literal sense. He then asked if there were any questions.

After about 30 seconds, an old, dark skinned preacher with a head of short-cropped, wooly white hair stood up in the back of the auditorium. “Docta Tillich, I got one question.” All eyes turned toward him. He reached into his sack lunch and pulled out an apple and began eating it. “Docta Tillich”…CRUNCH, MUNCH…”My question is a simple question.”…CRUNCH, MUNCH…”Now, I ain’t never read them books you read”… CRUNCH, MUNCH… “and I can’t recite the Scriptures in original Greek”… CRUNCH, MUNCH… “I don’t know nothin’ about Neibuhr and Heidegger”… CRUNCH, MUNCH… and then held up the core of the apple he had just finished, “All I wanna know is” This apple I just ate—was it bitter or sweet?”  

Dr. Tillich paused for a moment and answered in exemplary scholarly fashion: “I cannot possible answer that question, for I haven’t tasted your apple.” The white hair preacher dropped the core of his apple into his crumpled paper bag, looked up at Dr. Tillich and said calmly, “Neither have you tasted my Jesus.” The 1,000 plus in attendance could not contain themselves. The auditorium erupted with applause and cheers. Dr. Tillich thanked his audience and promptly left the platform.