WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.000 this year has been designated a special month. 00:00:02.839 --> 00:00:06.339 The flags are unfurled and we are particularly 00:00:06.339 --> 00:00:08.900 focused on missions and I wish everyone would 00:00:08.900 --> 00:00:11.179 have been in the Sunday school hour as Josh updated 00:00:11.179 --> 00:00:14.560 us what's going on there in Africa, particularly 00:00:14.560 --> 00:00:16.820 in Kenya and Nairobi with the Somali believers 00:00:16.820 --> 00:00:20.100 there or the Somali people, I should say. Very 00:00:20.100 --> 00:00:23.399 few believers. But, you know, we're so very fortunate 00:00:23.399 --> 00:00:25.960 that God has blessed us and he's blessed us with 00:00:25.960 --> 00:00:27.839 men like Josh who's willing to go to difficult 00:00:27.839 --> 00:00:30.359 places. And this is where his heart is. And if 00:00:30.359 --> 00:00:31.920 you were there in Sunday school, most of us would 00:00:31.920 --> 00:00:34.479 say, I would rather not be in that part of the 00:00:34.479 --> 00:00:36.880 world. And yet God has placed that calling on 00:00:36.880 --> 00:00:38.740 you and given you a courage, dear brother. Thank 00:00:38.740 --> 00:00:41.719 you. And then we have John and Barb Wendler and 00:00:41.719 --> 00:00:43.380 their family there in Paraguay. And they're not 00:00:43.380 --> 00:00:45.520 just working with the... People, they're working 00:00:45.520 --> 00:00:47.479 with different indigenous groups there in Paraguay, 00:00:47.539 --> 00:00:49.479 different language groups, and we're so very 00:00:49.479 --> 00:00:51.200 thankful to have you guys. They've been our missionaries 00:00:51.200 --> 00:00:53.320 for many years as well, and may the word continue 00:00:53.320 --> 00:00:56.100 to bless you, dear brother. Josh, we want to 00:00:56.100 --> 00:00:57.579 hear from the Lord this morning. Would you come 00:00:57.579 --> 00:01:11.060 and open the word of God to us? All righty. Well, 00:01:11.260 --> 00:01:15.579 good to be back with you again. Journey told 00:01:15.579 --> 00:01:17.319 me when I went to pick her up from Sunday school, 00:01:17.420 --> 00:01:19.140 she asked me if we could stay at this church. 00:01:19.319 --> 00:01:22.459 So, not sure what type of bribery's been going 00:01:22.459 --> 00:01:26.099 on downstairs, candy and whatnot, but apparently 00:01:26.099 --> 00:01:30.219 Sunday school's pretty good. So, I don't know 00:01:30.219 --> 00:01:32.260 who her Sunday school teacher was, but whoever... 00:01:32.260 --> 00:01:36.079 Ah, yes. You did a good job, apparently. She 00:01:36.079 --> 00:01:39.459 wants to stay. If you have a Bible, please turn 00:01:39.459 --> 00:01:42.620 to the book of 1 Corinthians. Book of 1 Corinthians, 00:01:42.760 --> 00:01:51.459 chapter number 15. I'm sorry for the loss that 00:01:51.459 --> 00:01:56.640 your church has experienced, and it just so happens 00:01:56.640 --> 00:01:59.560 by the providence of God that the title of the 00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:03.799 sermon today is Hope in the Resurrection. Hope 00:02:03.799 --> 00:02:09.280 in the Resurrection. Yeah, it's never easy to 00:02:09.280 --> 00:02:11.939 lose a loved one, especially when it's unexpected. 00:02:12.909 --> 00:02:15.110 My grandfather just passed away. I was telling 00:02:15.110 --> 00:02:17.669 Pastor Ryan that. And so also on Friday we'll 00:02:17.669 --> 00:02:22.689 be having a funeral back home. And there's much 00:02:22.689 --> 00:02:25.729 sorrow in the loss of a dear friend, relative, 00:02:25.930 --> 00:02:30.129 someone that you love. But at the same time there's 00:02:30.129 --> 00:02:35.030 that knowledge of the hope of salvation for those 00:02:35.030 --> 00:02:38.150 who are in Christ Jesus. And so we do rejoice 00:02:38.150 --> 00:02:43.710 in that. I would like to read verses 1 through 00:02:43.710 --> 00:02:47.830 9 this morning, and then we will get into the 00:02:47.830 --> 00:02:52.150 introduction of this letter. It says in 1 Corinthians 00:02:52.150 --> 00:02:54.830 15, 1, Wherever, brethren, I declare unto you 00:02:54.830 --> 00:02:58.750 the gospel which I preached unto you, which also 00:02:58.750 --> 00:03:02.169 ye have received, and wherein ye stand, by which 00:03:02.169 --> 00:03:05.430 also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what 00:03:05.430 --> 00:03:07.810 I preached unto you, unless you have believed 00:03:07.810 --> 00:03:10.860 in vain. For I delivered unto you, first of all, 00:03:10.879 --> 00:03:14.139 that which I also received, how that Christ died 00:03:14.139 --> 00:03:17.120 for our sins according to the Scriptures, and 00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:19.659 that he was buried, and that he rose again the 00:03:19.659 --> 00:03:22.680 third day, according to the Scriptures, and that 00:03:22.680 --> 00:03:26.000 he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve. After 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:28.180 that he was seen of about five hundred brethren 00:03:28.180 --> 00:03:31.800 at once, of whom the greater part remain unto 00:03:31.800 --> 00:03:36.360 this present. But some are fallen asleep. After 00:03:36.360 --> 00:03:39.370 that he was seen of James. then of all the apostles. 00:03:39.729 --> 00:03:43.610 And last of all, he was seen of me also, as of 00:03:43.610 --> 00:03:46.669 one born out of due time. For I am the least 00:03:46.669 --> 00:03:50.090 of the apostles, that am not meet to be called 00:03:50.090 --> 00:03:52.930 an apostle, because I persecuted the church of 00:03:52.930 --> 00:03:59.129 God. Now, we're jumping in the midst of this 00:03:59.129 --> 00:04:01.270 text here, 1 Corinthians 15. It's already been 00:04:01.270 --> 00:04:04.469 14 chapters that have come before, and so a lot 00:04:04.469 --> 00:04:09.150 has happened, of course. Just by way of a brief 00:04:09.150 --> 00:04:16.290 introduction, we know that Paul wrote, we have 00:04:16.290 --> 00:04:18.410 at least, two of Paul's letters written to the 00:04:18.410 --> 00:04:20.250 church there at Corinth, a church that he was 00:04:20.250 --> 00:04:24.810 heavily invested in. We know that Paul was there 00:04:24.810 --> 00:04:27.829 at the inception of this church, and Acts 18 00:04:27.829 --> 00:04:30.459 we're able to read about. while Paul is on his 00:04:30.459 --> 00:04:33.459 second missionary journey, the about year and 00:04:33.459 --> 00:04:36.160 a half that he spends there preaching and teaching 00:04:36.160 --> 00:04:38.899 to the believers that are there in the city of 00:04:38.899 --> 00:04:41.860 Corinth. We know many things about the city of 00:04:41.860 --> 00:04:45.360 Corinth itself. We know that it was a large city, 00:04:45.459 --> 00:04:49.180 that it was a hub not only for market and agricultural 00:04:49.180 --> 00:04:53.060 and business in general, but also it was a hub 00:04:53.060 --> 00:05:00.589 for various religious beliefs. Poseidon, Aphrodite, 00:05:00.709 --> 00:05:03.769 different deities that were worshipped in various 00:05:03.769 --> 00:05:07.470 temples scattered across the city. And so in 00:05:07.470 --> 00:05:12.350 a big city with diverse religious beliefs, diverse 00:05:12.350 --> 00:05:18.550 economic income from slaves all the way up to 00:05:18.550 --> 00:05:22.490 the rich and powerful in the elite class, there 00:05:22.490 --> 00:05:28.839 is a small church. There is a church of... Gentiles 00:05:28.839 --> 00:05:32.399 and Jews, followers of Christ, those who have 00:05:32.399 --> 00:05:35.740 believed the gospel. And in this church, we know 00:05:35.740 --> 00:05:38.620 as we begin the book of 1 Corinthians, we know 00:05:38.620 --> 00:05:42.120 that Paul greets them. And then right away, Paul 00:05:42.120 --> 00:05:47.740 begins to address issues that were going on in 00:05:47.740 --> 00:05:49.759 the church. He begins to tackle some problems. 00:05:50.519 --> 00:05:54.480 Now, I'm sure there are no problems here. I've 00:05:54.480 --> 00:05:57.110 not heard of any. And judging by from what Journey 00:05:57.110 --> 00:06:01.470 has said, there are none. But in this church 00:06:01.470 --> 00:06:06.329 that the Apostle Paul had helped start, there 00:06:06.329 --> 00:06:09.149 were some problems. There were some issues. In 00:06:09.149 --> 00:06:13.009 chapter 1, Paul begins to tackle the problem 00:06:13.009 --> 00:06:16.730 of division and factions. Those who were wanting 00:06:16.730 --> 00:06:18.990 to follow after this leader and some who were 00:06:18.990 --> 00:06:24.250 wanting to follow after another. deals with this 00:06:24.250 --> 00:06:27.230 for several chapters. Then in chapter 5, he begins 00:06:27.230 --> 00:06:31.430 to deal with sexual integrity and church discipline 00:06:31.430 --> 00:06:35.350 and specific issues going on in that realm within 00:06:35.350 --> 00:06:40.170 the church. Then he begins to deal, as we continue 00:06:40.170 --> 00:06:43.449 on into chapter 8 through 11, he begins to deal 00:06:43.449 --> 00:06:47.649 with Christian liberty. He begins to deal with, 00:06:47.769 --> 00:06:50.209 can you eat this meat that was offered to idols 00:06:50.209 --> 00:06:53.360 or not? Are you actually worshiping at the table 00:06:53.360 --> 00:06:57.639 of demons or not? And he begins to work through 00:06:57.639 --> 00:07:02.759 some of these issues. Then, Paul addresses problems 00:07:02.759 --> 00:07:04.939 concerning the church and how they worship God 00:07:04.939 --> 00:07:07.199 together, specifically around the Lord's table. 00:07:07.740 --> 00:07:12.019 What to do, what not to do. And finally, as we 00:07:12.019 --> 00:07:14.699 get to chapter 15, and of course there's more, 00:07:14.800 --> 00:07:17.019 you can drill down deeper into each one of those. 00:07:17.629 --> 00:07:21.610 But as we get to chapter 15, Paul begins to deal 00:07:21.610 --> 00:07:25.089 with doubts concerning the bodily resurrection. 00:07:25.810 --> 00:07:28.769 There were some in the church, apparently, who 00:07:28.769 --> 00:07:31.189 were doubting whether or not there was indeed 00:07:31.189 --> 00:07:35.110 going to be a bodily resurrection from the dead. 00:07:35.670 --> 00:07:39.920 And Paul addresses this question. And of course, 00:07:39.939 --> 00:07:43.480 he gets into it more in 12, verse number 12 there. 00:07:43.519 --> 00:07:45.579 He says, Now if Christ be preached that he rose 00:07:45.579 --> 00:07:48.019 from the dead, how say some among you that there 00:07:48.019 --> 00:07:50.680 is no resurrection of the dead? And then in verse 00:07:50.680 --> 00:07:53.959 14, And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching 00:07:53.959 --> 00:07:58.740 vain, and your faith is also vain. And so Paul 00:07:58.740 --> 00:08:02.740 is now going to answer this issue, this problem 00:08:02.740 --> 00:08:04.680 within the church of Corinth, where there were 00:08:04.680 --> 00:08:06.819 some who were doubting whether or not there truly 00:08:06.819 --> 00:08:10.100 was a resurrection of the dead. And as he does 00:08:10.100 --> 00:08:12.759 this, as he answers this question, he's going 00:08:12.759 --> 00:08:15.259 to lay out for us the hope of the resurrection 00:08:15.259 --> 00:08:21.259 by giving us a brief synopsis of the gospel, 00:08:21.439 --> 00:08:26.259 by laying forth these core and fundamental truths 00:08:26.259 --> 00:08:31.180 that we believe in the gospel. And so that is 00:08:31.180 --> 00:08:32.960 what I want us to spend time here this morning 00:08:32.960 --> 00:08:36.559 thinking about and looking at in chapter 15, 00:08:36.700 --> 00:08:38.980 these verses that we have read. What is this 00:08:38.980 --> 00:08:42.220 hope of the resurrection of the gospel that we 00:08:42.220 --> 00:08:46.659 have? So as we begin, verse number one. Moreover, 00:08:46.720 --> 00:08:50.379 brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which 00:08:50.379 --> 00:08:55.100 I preached unto you. So Paul is reminding these 00:08:55.100 --> 00:08:57.879 believers. He's reminding brothers here. He says 00:08:57.879 --> 00:09:00.179 brothers, brothers and sisters, believers, those 00:09:00.179 --> 00:09:03.220 who have claimed the name of Christ to be believers. 00:09:03.799 --> 00:09:07.000 He is reminding them. of something that they 00:09:07.000 --> 00:09:10.139 already know, something that they should know, 00:09:10.179 --> 00:09:12.740 that they should have at the forefront of their 00:09:12.740 --> 00:09:15.899 mind, but it is good to be reminded. And he's 00:09:15.899 --> 00:09:18.200 going to give a fuller account of what this gospel 00:09:18.200 --> 00:09:22.080 is that he has preached unto them. But here, 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:25.539 as he begins this, he says, I remind you of the 00:09:25.539 --> 00:09:28.179 gospel I preached to you. He's reminding them 00:09:28.179 --> 00:09:33.240 of the message that they had received, which 00:09:33.240 --> 00:09:37.570 also ye have received. Paul says, the message 00:09:37.570 --> 00:09:40.590 of the gospel that was preached to the believers 00:09:40.590 --> 00:09:43.129 who were there in the church at Corinth, it was 00:09:43.129 --> 00:09:47.129 a message that was received by them. Of course, 00:09:47.149 --> 00:09:49.009 the gospel message, I'm sure it has happened 00:09:49.009 --> 00:09:52.190 to you, but you have maybe shared that message 00:09:52.190 --> 00:09:55.149 with someone at work, a family member, someone 00:09:55.149 --> 00:09:58.509 on the streets, and it has not been received. 00:09:59.230 --> 00:10:03.509 Most of the time, that's how it seems to go. 00:10:04.360 --> 00:10:06.899 Many times we feel as if we're banging our heads 00:10:06.899 --> 00:10:09.320 against the wall as we try to share the gospel. 00:10:10.080 --> 00:10:14.279 It is not a message that is received oftentimes, 00:10:14.500 --> 00:10:18.960 but to them it was. To these believers, they 00:10:18.960 --> 00:10:23.519 did receive it. And just by way of thinking about 00:10:23.519 --> 00:10:27.440 that reception of the gospel, it is good for 00:10:27.440 --> 00:10:29.960 us to be reminded that the gospel is not something 00:10:29.960 --> 00:10:32.460 that we can choose to ignore. The gospel message 00:10:32.460 --> 00:10:38.529 is not a message. That we can simply walk away 00:10:38.529 --> 00:10:42.789 from without consequence. Jesus spoke of the 00:10:42.789 --> 00:10:45.870 parable of the sower in Matthew 13. As the gospel 00:10:45.870 --> 00:10:48.850 or the word is spread into the soils. Which he 00:10:48.850 --> 00:10:51.289 would later go on to tell us is the hearts of 00:10:51.289 --> 00:10:54.590 men. There are some soils where it is hardened 00:10:54.590 --> 00:10:58.049 and it is snatched up by the evil one. There 00:10:58.049 --> 00:11:01.769 are some where the gospel is briefly seen to 00:11:01.769 --> 00:11:05.190 be something to be treasured. But soon it is 00:11:05.190 --> 00:11:08.149 choked out by the cares and concerns of this 00:11:08.149 --> 00:11:11.730 world and others as well as the parable goes 00:11:11.730 --> 00:11:17.230 on. But the gospel demands a response. The gospel 00:11:17.230 --> 00:11:24.789 demands that we receive it. And so the only real 00:11:24.789 --> 00:11:27.269 proper response to the gospel by the grace of 00:11:27.269 --> 00:11:31.340 God is that in faith we do receive it. That in 00:11:31.340 --> 00:11:36.620 faith we do cling to the message of Christ. And 00:11:36.620 --> 00:11:39.080 we don't want to take for granted, even in a 00:11:39.080 --> 00:11:42.720 place like this, I think, is this considered 00:11:42.720 --> 00:11:44.519 -ish, the Bible Belt? Maybe the very tip of the 00:11:44.519 --> 00:11:47.600 belt? You guys might just briefly be at the tip 00:11:47.600 --> 00:11:52.340 of the belt. But even at a place like a Sunday 00:11:52.340 --> 00:11:56.919 morning service in a good Baptist church, close 00:11:56.919 --> 00:12:00.750 to the Bible Belt, Even within the walls here, 00:12:00.929 --> 00:12:04.110 the message of the gospel, we must be reminded 00:12:04.110 --> 00:12:07.190 for those who believe of the sweet truth, but 00:12:07.190 --> 00:12:10.590 also for those who have not yet believed in faith, 00:12:10.909 --> 00:12:14.190 that the only proper response for the gospel 00:12:14.190 --> 00:12:18.149 is that we indeed receive it in faith. The only 00:12:18.149 --> 00:12:22.090 way for the application of the work of Christ 00:12:22.090 --> 00:12:25.549 to our account is through the receiving of the 00:12:25.549 --> 00:12:29.090 gospel message of Jesus Christ, Again, we will 00:12:29.090 --> 00:12:33.710 get into here soon. But Paul says, the gospel 00:12:33.710 --> 00:12:35.470 message that I have preached to you, which you 00:12:35.470 --> 00:12:40.090 have received, and wherein ye stand. This is 00:12:40.090 --> 00:12:43.350 where you stand. Not only did they believe when 00:12:43.350 --> 00:12:45.990 Paul first preached to them, not only was there 00:12:45.990 --> 00:12:49.649 a reception, yes, there was a life -giving faith 00:12:49.649 --> 00:12:53.590 that they had in that moment when they believed 00:12:53.590 --> 00:12:56.730 the gospel. When God opened their eyes and the 00:12:56.730 --> 00:12:59.490 scales fell from their eyes and they, in faith, 00:12:59.669 --> 00:13:02.769 clung to the gospel. Not only did that happen 00:13:02.769 --> 00:13:05.289 at a point in time, but they are continuing, 00:13:05.389 --> 00:13:11.009 Paul says, to stand in that same gospel. They 00:13:11.009 --> 00:13:14.149 continue in the same belief, in the same gospel 00:13:14.149 --> 00:13:16.889 message, up to the present. Their faith was not 00:13:16.889 --> 00:13:20.070 only a one -time event that faded, but rather 00:13:20.070 --> 00:13:25.100 it was a living faith. It was a faith that continued 00:13:25.100 --> 00:13:30.159 to abide in Christ, in the same message that 00:13:30.159 --> 00:13:34.100 they had received. Paul goes on to say, By which 00:13:34.100 --> 00:13:39.879 also ye are saved. By which also you are saved. 00:13:40.639 --> 00:13:44.200 There is a sense in which salvation is a once 00:13:44.200 --> 00:13:48.639 -for -all event. But the Scriptures speak... 00:13:49.039 --> 00:13:52.039 Of salvation, past, present, and future. That 00:13:52.039 --> 00:13:54.960 you are being saved. That you will be saved. 00:13:55.399 --> 00:13:59.840 There is a sense in which we are saved when we 00:13:59.840 --> 00:14:04.419 place our faith in Christ Jesus. But we are continually 00:14:04.419 --> 00:14:07.679 being saved by that same gospel message each 00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:11.200 and every day. As our faith continues in Christ 00:14:11.200 --> 00:14:15.139 Jesus. And ultimately on the day when we stand 00:14:15.139 --> 00:14:19.340 before our Lord in glorified bodies. When we 00:14:19.340 --> 00:14:24.940 will be fully in the presence of our King, where 00:14:24.940 --> 00:14:28.100 we will experience salvation in its fullest. 00:14:29.019 --> 00:14:32.259 And so Paul reminds them that they have received 00:14:32.259 --> 00:14:34.399 this message, that they are standing in this 00:14:34.399 --> 00:14:36.820 message, that they have been saved by it, and 00:14:36.820 --> 00:14:40.019 they indeed are being saved by it. He goes on 00:14:40.019 --> 00:14:42.559 to say, If ye keep in memory what I preached 00:14:42.559 --> 00:14:48.779 unto you, unless you have believed in vain. Paul 00:14:48.779 --> 00:14:53.840 reminds them that they are to keep in memory 00:14:53.840 --> 00:14:57.519 what had been preached. They are to continue 00:14:57.519 --> 00:15:00.980 in this faith. They are not to forget and so 00:15:00.980 --> 00:15:03.639 easily set aside as we read about in Galatians 00:15:03.639 --> 00:15:05.440 where Paul says, you know, I'm shocked, I'm amazed 00:15:05.440 --> 00:15:08.440 that it seems that you have so quickly forgotten 00:15:08.440 --> 00:15:12.700 the gospel. That you have so quickly forgotten 00:15:12.700 --> 00:15:16.399 the one who has saved you and now are turning 00:15:16.399 --> 00:15:20.500 to. These works, these other things, and Paul 00:15:20.500 --> 00:15:22.860 goes off on in Galatians, there in Galatians 00:15:22.860 --> 00:15:26.899 1. But Paul is reminding the believers, remember 00:15:26.899 --> 00:15:31.259 this gospel message. Remember what has been preached 00:15:31.259 --> 00:15:36.039 to you. Continue in your faith, unless, he says, 00:15:36.299 --> 00:15:42.440 unless you have believed in vain. Now, I don't 00:15:42.440 --> 00:15:45.259 believe that Paul is saying here that if indeed 00:15:45.259 --> 00:15:47.909 you do forget the gospel, You will fall away 00:15:47.909 --> 00:15:52.590 from the faith. I'm not saying that if you... 00:15:52.590 --> 00:15:58.049 I love the song, He Will Hold Me Fast. All of 00:15:58.049 --> 00:16:02.789 us, if we were capable, we would. We are prone 00:16:02.789 --> 00:16:05.570 to wander. We would run. We would fall away from 00:16:05.570 --> 00:16:07.610 the faith. And it is only by the grace of God 00:16:07.610 --> 00:16:12.269 that we continue in the faith. And so, I'm not 00:16:12.269 --> 00:16:13.649 saying that you can fall away from the faith 00:16:13.649 --> 00:16:16.440 here. But I believe what Paul is saying here 00:16:16.440 --> 00:16:20.700 is that the faith that we have, the faith that 00:16:20.700 --> 00:16:24.879 a true believer has is a living faith. It is 00:16:24.879 --> 00:16:27.440 an abiding faith. It is a persevering faith that 00:16:27.440 --> 00:16:32.620 will keep you unto the end. And so the saving 00:16:32.620 --> 00:16:37.200 faith that we experience in the gospel is a faith 00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:41.419 that is not brief, but a faith that continues. 00:16:41.799 --> 00:16:46.460 A faith... that abides. And so Paul is again 00:16:46.460 --> 00:16:50.659 reminding the believers to continue in this faith 00:16:50.659 --> 00:16:53.779 that they received, to continue living out the 00:16:53.779 --> 00:16:59.019 gospel in their lives. And so as we persevere 00:16:59.019 --> 00:17:01.960 in faith, we don't lose sight of the fact that 00:17:01.960 --> 00:17:04.960 it is Christ's finished work on the cross that 00:17:04.960 --> 00:17:07.119 saves us. It's not our persevering. It's not 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:10.099 that I am believing good enough today, but rather 00:17:10.099 --> 00:17:12.920 we are saved because of His righteousness. Not 00:17:12.920 --> 00:17:16.400 because of ours. We're saved because of His work. 00:17:16.440 --> 00:17:19.039 Not because I'm good enough at having faith. 00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:23.099 We can never work our way into heaven. Our only 00:17:23.099 --> 00:17:26.640 hope is in Christ. It is in Him and His message 00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:30.420 that we put our hope and our faith in. And that 00:17:30.420 --> 00:17:34.799 hope and faith, it continues by His grace. We 00:17:34.799 --> 00:17:39.180 continue to believe. And so we continue to persevere. 00:17:41.319 --> 00:17:44.640 But Paul continues on. He says, For I delivered 00:17:44.640 --> 00:17:48.220 unto you, first of all, that which I also received. 00:17:49.779 --> 00:17:53.319 Now, in our context, context, I don't know what 00:17:53.319 --> 00:17:55.359 that is. That's from Iowa. That's where I'm from. 00:17:55.819 --> 00:18:00.500 That's how we say context. In our context with 00:18:00.500 --> 00:18:05.500 Muslims, many times, well, basically every time, 00:18:05.519 --> 00:18:08.470 Muslims hate the Apostle Paul. Don't ever bring 00:18:08.470 --> 00:18:10.789 Paul up because they hate him so much. They think 00:18:10.789 --> 00:18:14.009 Paul was the one who created Christianity. They 00:18:14.009 --> 00:18:16.869 think Paul was the one who warped everybody's 00:18:16.869 --> 00:18:20.589 mind and created all these doctrines and all 00:18:20.589 --> 00:18:23.769 sorts of problems. And so Muslims, they hate 00:18:23.769 --> 00:18:27.829 Paul. But I love this here because Paul says, 00:18:27.950 --> 00:18:30.269 I delivered unto you, first of all, that which 00:18:30.269 --> 00:18:36.119 I also received. Now, of course, we don't believe, 00:18:36.220 --> 00:18:39.700 as Muslims do, that Paul created a bunch of doctrines 00:18:39.700 --> 00:18:43.779 and things. But Paul here is using the same wording 00:18:43.779 --> 00:18:46.400 about delivering as he does back in chapter 11, 00:18:46.500 --> 00:18:50.180 verse 2, chapter 11, verse 23. He is informing 00:18:50.180 --> 00:18:54.779 his readers that he is passing on believed Christian 00:18:54.779 --> 00:18:59.799 doctrine. These are things, these are crucial 00:18:59.799 --> 00:19:03.220 truths about the gospel that Paul... did not 00:19:03.220 --> 00:19:05.500 create on his own, but these are things that 00:19:05.500 --> 00:19:08.680 Paul himself received from others. We know from 00:19:08.680 --> 00:19:12.900 Galatians 1 that Paul went and spoke with some 00:19:12.900 --> 00:19:16.319 of the apostles and Peter. We know even as well 00:19:16.319 --> 00:19:18.180 that Paul himself heard from the resurrected 00:19:18.180 --> 00:19:22.940 Lord. That Paul himself had experienced an intimate 00:19:22.940 --> 00:19:27.650 communion with The resurrected Lord. And so Paul 00:19:27.650 --> 00:19:29.710 is not making up something here. These are things 00:19:29.710 --> 00:19:32.410 that Paul is passing on that he has received 00:19:32.410 --> 00:19:34.410 from the Lord or he has received from the other 00:19:34.410 --> 00:19:38.589 apostles as well. And he says, of first importance, 00:19:39.029 --> 00:19:45.869 these are important truths. These are the crucial 00:19:45.869 --> 00:19:52.329 and bedrock foundational truths that we as believers 00:19:52.329 --> 00:19:58.039 must confess and hold to. And so Paul says in 00:19:58.039 --> 00:20:01.359 verse 3, For I delivered unto you, first of all, 00:20:01.380 --> 00:20:05.599 that which I also received, how that Christ died 00:20:05.599 --> 00:20:13.279 for our sins. Christ died for our sins. And again, 00:20:13.400 --> 00:20:16.680 coming from our context, it is not believed by 00:20:16.680 --> 00:20:20.039 Muslims that Jesus indeed died for our sins. 00:20:20.599 --> 00:20:24.059 For them, Christ never died. That is something 00:20:24.059 --> 00:20:27.750 that is made up. But I love how even one of the 00:20:27.750 --> 00:20:33.130 most famous atheists, Bart Ehrman, says that 00:20:33.130 --> 00:20:35.950 one of the most sure facts of history is that 00:20:35.950 --> 00:20:39.109 Jesus Christ was crucified by Pontius Pilate. 00:20:39.309 --> 00:20:42.430 If that's not true, then we cannot be certain 00:20:42.430 --> 00:20:45.410 of anything in history. And so the gospel message, 00:20:45.769 --> 00:20:48.130 as we begin to look at it, as Paul begins to 00:20:48.130 --> 00:20:53.650 unpack it here, it is a historical... It is a 00:20:53.650 --> 00:20:56.509 historical faith in which we believe in. The 00:20:56.509 --> 00:20:58.490 gospel is not something that we have dreamed 00:20:58.490 --> 00:21:03.410 up or has been crafted over years. It is indeed 00:21:03.410 --> 00:21:08.569 a fact of history that Jesus Christ died on the 00:21:08.569 --> 00:21:13.450 cross. And there's a fact and a reason here that 00:21:13.450 --> 00:21:17.190 we see. We see that Christ died for our sins. 00:21:17.309 --> 00:21:21.250 That is a fact of history. It happened. And Paul 00:21:21.250 --> 00:21:26.049 says, that Christ died for our sins according 00:21:26.049 --> 00:21:30.349 to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and 00:21:30.349 --> 00:21:33.210 that He rose again the third day according to 00:21:33.210 --> 00:21:38.349 the Scriptures. These things happened. And they 00:21:38.349 --> 00:21:43.670 happened because our sins. Christ died for our 00:21:43.670 --> 00:21:46.130 sins according to the Scriptures. These things 00:21:46.130 --> 00:21:48.289 where Christ died, where Christ rose from the 00:21:48.289 --> 00:21:52.559 dead, Those things happened for our sins. The 00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:56.759 problem is, today, with all of us, whether you're 00:21:56.759 --> 00:22:00.339 from Kitz Hill or from Iowa or from Kenya or 00:22:00.339 --> 00:22:02.799 anywhere else in the world, the problem is that 00:22:02.799 --> 00:22:06.460 we are all sinners. The death of Christ is not 00:22:06.460 --> 00:22:09.180 an accident. The death of Christ was purposeful 00:22:09.180 --> 00:22:11.119 and planned. We know that. We can read that in 00:22:11.119 --> 00:22:13.240 Acts 2 .23 or many other places all throughout 00:22:13.240 --> 00:22:17.019 the Scriptures. We see how God is... planning 00:22:17.019 --> 00:22:20.279 a way and making a way of salvation for sinful 00:22:20.279 --> 00:22:22.400 people, people like you and I who have sinned, 00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:25.839 who have ran from God, who deserve death, who 00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:28.839 deserve to be severed from the presence of God 00:22:28.839 --> 00:22:33.559 for all eternity. And we, living in this sin 00:22:33.559 --> 00:22:36.680 -filled, plague -filled world of problems, of 00:22:36.680 --> 00:22:44.380 passions, of pain, of death, in our sin, Christ 00:22:44.380 --> 00:22:49.779 died for us. to save us from that sin, to save 00:22:49.779 --> 00:22:55.579 sinners like you and I. His death shows the reason 00:22:55.579 --> 00:23:01.460 why God would come from heaven to earth in order 00:23:01.460 --> 00:23:06.279 to save sinful people like us. And so Paul reminds 00:23:06.279 --> 00:23:08.480 us of this truth. This is the gospel that he 00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:12.339 delivered unto those in Corinth, the gospel that 00:23:12.339 --> 00:23:15.579 we still today, 2 ,000 years later, Hold to and 00:23:15.579 --> 00:23:20.700 believe that Christ died for our sins. And again, 00:23:20.799 --> 00:23:23.259 this is according to Scriptures. Now, we could 00:23:23.259 --> 00:23:30.420 go into atonement and... 12 to 12 .05, and I'm 00:23:30.420 --> 00:23:33.400 on like 2 of 20, so we're going to run. We're 00:23:33.400 --> 00:23:35.019 going to run. So we're not going to go into it, 00:23:35.039 --> 00:23:38.380 but we could go into and spend much time just 00:23:38.380 --> 00:23:41.119 thinking and dwelling upon atonement. That is 00:23:41.119 --> 00:23:43.950 exactly what Paul is describing here in... these 00:23:43.950 --> 00:23:46.089 few words, that Christ died for our sins according 00:23:46.089 --> 00:23:48.230 to the Scriptures. The fact that there is atonement 00:23:48.230 --> 00:23:51.170 for our sins because there should be no atonement 00:23:51.170 --> 00:23:53.809 for our sins. There's no reason for it apart 00:23:53.809 --> 00:23:57.490 from the love of God and for His own glory. But 00:23:57.490 --> 00:24:01.490 we continue on. Paul continues to say, For I 00:24:01.490 --> 00:24:02.950 delivered unto you first of all that which I 00:24:02.950 --> 00:24:04.809 also received, how Christ died for our sins according 00:24:04.809 --> 00:24:08.410 to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and 00:24:08.410 --> 00:24:10.730 that He rose again the third day according to 00:24:10.730 --> 00:24:13.779 the Scriptures. So this Next statement, buried, 00:24:13.940 --> 00:24:16.460 affirmed that Jesus indeed died. He indeed was 00:24:16.460 --> 00:24:18.440 crucified, unlike those who would say he was 00:24:18.440 --> 00:24:21.740 not. No, Christ was buried. He was in the flesh. 00:24:21.940 --> 00:24:27.059 He was put into a grave, as the Scriptures said. 00:24:27.599 --> 00:24:29.700 And again, this is the second time Paul has used 00:24:29.700 --> 00:24:32.440 that, according to the Scriptures. Throughout 00:24:32.440 --> 00:24:34.859 the Old Testament, there were many prophecies 00:24:34.859 --> 00:24:36.859 that pointed to the coming of a Messiah, pointing 00:24:36.859 --> 00:24:39.839 to the one who would come and crush the head 00:24:39.839 --> 00:24:41.720 of the serpent and provide a way of salvation. 00:24:42.430 --> 00:24:45.190 for sinners. And of course, it was much grander 00:24:45.190 --> 00:24:49.609 and much more peculiar and spectacular than people 00:24:49.609 --> 00:24:53.569 were expecting or thinking. But indeed, it was 00:24:53.569 --> 00:24:55.650 according to the Scriptures. It was according 00:24:55.650 --> 00:24:58.670 to the plan of God as shown throughout Genesis, 00:24:59.029 --> 00:25:03.869 throughout Isaiah. The prophecies had been fulfilled 00:25:03.869 --> 00:25:07.769 in Christ. These are all fulfillments of the 00:25:07.769 --> 00:25:12.960 plan of God to redeem a people for Himself. And 00:25:12.960 --> 00:25:17.500 so he was buried and he rose again the third 00:25:17.500 --> 00:25:21.980 day according to the scriptures. Now, Paul will 00:25:21.980 --> 00:25:24.900 get into this later in this chapter. And he gets 00:25:24.900 --> 00:25:27.119 into it in other places like in Romans 6. But 00:25:27.119 --> 00:25:32.940 we are able to be partakers of the very same 00:25:32.940 --> 00:25:36.539 resurrection of Christ. Christ was buried and 00:25:36.539 --> 00:25:40.460 resurrected so that we might partake in his resurrection. 00:25:41.259 --> 00:25:45.500 Because of his burial and resurrection, we also, 00:25:45.759 --> 00:25:49.160 Paul will go on to make that case, will be raised. 00:25:49.420 --> 00:25:53.079 And so the hope that we have in the resurrection 00:25:53.079 --> 00:25:55.779 of Christ, the knowledge that he was buried, 00:25:55.859 --> 00:25:59.599 yes, but he rose, is the same hope that we have 00:25:59.599 --> 00:26:04.640 because we are in Christ. And so Paul will go 00:26:04.640 --> 00:26:09.240 on to make that case more clear later. But continuing 00:26:09.240 --> 00:26:13.299 on. He says, if you want me to stop, you don't 00:26:13.299 --> 00:26:16.259 have to throw your Bible at me. If I said something 00:26:16.259 --> 00:26:20.200 wrong, I'm sorry. I guess that's how you know 00:26:20.200 --> 00:26:21.920 when to be done. All right, pastor throws the 00:26:21.920 --> 00:26:27.519 Bible at you. All right, but continue on. It 00:26:27.519 --> 00:26:30.799 says, verse 5, and that he was seen of Cephas 00:26:30.799 --> 00:26:34.019 and then of the twelve. So, appearing to Peter, 00:26:34.160 --> 00:26:36.259 of course, the resurrected Lord was seen of Peter. 00:26:36.759 --> 00:26:40.240 And of the other disciples after the resurrection, 00:26:40.519 --> 00:26:43.240 Christ, you know, he didn't roam around as a 00:26:43.240 --> 00:26:47.220 ghost, but he was in a resurrected body. He ate 00:26:47.220 --> 00:26:49.299 with them. Thomas was able, you know, Thomas 00:26:49.299 --> 00:26:51.640 was told, come, touch. He ate with the disciples 00:26:51.640 --> 00:26:55.559 in Luke 24 and John 20. We see the case with 00:26:55.559 --> 00:26:58.839 Thomas. And so Paul is building his argument 00:26:58.839 --> 00:27:02.440 that we've seen him. The apostles have indeed 00:27:02.440 --> 00:27:05.359 seen the resurrected Lord. And he goes on to 00:27:05.359 --> 00:27:09.009 say, Not only was he seen of the apostles, but 00:27:09.009 --> 00:27:11.829 he was seen above 500 brethren. There's over 00:27:11.829 --> 00:27:15.490 500 people who are witnesses. If I were to come 00:27:15.490 --> 00:27:18.869 and tell you today some sort of crazy story, 00:27:19.009 --> 00:27:20.789 like someone rose from the dead or something 00:27:20.789 --> 00:27:23.670 crazy, that you would say, that's not possible. 00:27:24.369 --> 00:27:27.289 And you were to say, well, who can verify that 00:27:27.289 --> 00:27:28.950 story? And I'd say, well, nobody. It was just 00:27:28.950 --> 00:27:31.630 me. You'd have to have an awful lot of faith, 00:27:31.670 --> 00:27:34.369 an awful lot of trust in me. But if I say, you 00:27:34.369 --> 00:27:36.650 know what? Hundreds of people that witnessed 00:27:36.650 --> 00:27:39.329 this. And exactly what Paul is doing here, he 00:27:39.329 --> 00:27:43.230 says, many of them remain up to this present 00:27:43.230 --> 00:27:46.269 day. So if you want to go and fact check, if 00:27:46.269 --> 00:27:48.309 you want to go and see whether or not this story 00:27:48.309 --> 00:27:50.990 is reliable, go, talk to the witnesses. They 00:27:50.990 --> 00:27:53.730 are there. You can talk to most of them. A few 00:27:53.730 --> 00:27:55.450 of them have died. A few of them are gone. But 00:27:55.450 --> 00:27:58.190 most of them are there. Again, pointing to the 00:27:58.190 --> 00:28:02.470 reliability of the resurrection. Paul is building 00:28:02.470 --> 00:28:07.019 his case for the resurrection. He continues on 00:28:07.019 --> 00:28:11.700 and says, after that, he was seen of James and 00:28:11.700 --> 00:28:15.140 then of all the apostles. Now, there's several 00:28:15.140 --> 00:28:18.660 Jameses in the scriptures, which sometimes could 00:28:18.660 --> 00:28:22.900 be confusing. But the James Paul mentions here 00:28:22.900 --> 00:28:24.700 is most likely the brother, the half -brother 00:28:24.700 --> 00:28:27.059 of Jesus, who became an important leader in the 00:28:27.059 --> 00:28:31.259 church of Jerusalem. James, the son of Zebedee, 00:28:31.299 --> 00:28:34.779 he would have been already mentioned in the 12. 00:28:35.210 --> 00:28:38.369 Cephas in the 12 when Paul mentioned that previously. 00:28:39.390 --> 00:28:42.690 Cephas being Peter, the one who is oftentimes 00:28:42.690 --> 00:28:45.849 the leader, the spokesman of the disciples. And 00:28:45.849 --> 00:28:48.569 so most likely the James here is the half -brother 00:28:48.569 --> 00:28:51.710 of Jesus. Which is significant because there 00:28:51.710 --> 00:28:54.269 was a time when you go into the Gospels, you 00:28:54.269 --> 00:28:58.089 see that many of the family of Jesus did not 00:28:58.089 --> 00:29:00.170 believe who he was. They did not believe that 00:29:00.170 --> 00:29:02.549 he was indeed the Son of God, the Messiah, come 00:29:02.549 --> 00:29:08.160 to save a people. from their sins. But this half 00:29:08.160 --> 00:29:11.359 -brother, you know, you could talk to Journey. 00:29:11.559 --> 00:29:13.460 Journey knows me quite well. She's only six. 00:29:13.619 --> 00:29:16.240 But if you were to ask her and say, you know, 00:29:16.299 --> 00:29:18.500 does your daddy ever get angry? Does your daddy 00:29:18.500 --> 00:29:21.420 ever get upset? She could tell you the truth. 00:29:22.339 --> 00:29:25.180 She's seen me. Many of you, you know, you're 00:29:25.180 --> 00:29:27.140 going to see me for an hour, hour and a half. 00:29:27.279 --> 00:29:30.660 We might exchange a few words. Josh seems like 00:29:30.660 --> 00:29:33.279 a pretty okay, he's alright. You might throw 00:29:33.279 --> 00:29:36.059 your Bible at him. Apart from that, he's alright. 00:29:37.059 --> 00:29:41.579 But your family really knows you. And this half 00:29:41.579 --> 00:29:44.700 -brother of Jesus, who at one time doubted, at 00:29:44.700 --> 00:29:49.180 one time did not believe, indeed believes and 00:29:49.180 --> 00:29:51.460 becomes a leader within the church and is a witness 00:29:51.460 --> 00:29:54.920 of these things. And so Paul is just building 00:29:54.920 --> 00:29:58.380 on this again. There are all of these witnesses. 00:29:59.160 --> 00:30:00.680 And then, of course, the Apostle Paul himself, 00:30:01.000 --> 00:30:03.559 the one who persecuted the church, the one who 00:30:03.559 --> 00:30:07.299 hated Christians, who did what he could to snuff 00:30:07.299 --> 00:30:10.640 out the embers of the growing church in the beginning. 00:30:10.779 --> 00:30:13.640 This Paul who hated and persecuted Christians, 00:30:13.859 --> 00:30:18.000 now a passionate preacher of this gospel, a preacher 00:30:18.000 --> 00:30:21.579 of this hope of the resurrection. And he says, 00:30:21.640 --> 00:30:24.839 you know, last of all, as of one untimely born, 00:30:25.059 --> 00:30:28.960 he appeared to me. And so this zealous Pharisee 00:30:28.960 --> 00:30:31.880 who persecuted the church is now a follower of 00:30:31.880 --> 00:30:36.759 Christ. So, by way of quickly wrapping all these 00:30:36.759 --> 00:30:41.460 things up and conclusion, that now leaves a question 00:30:41.460 --> 00:30:45.480 for you and I. You and I don't have the exact 00:30:45.480 --> 00:30:51.180 same experience as these eyewitnesses do. I wasn't 00:30:51.180 --> 00:30:54.299 there in the room. We weren't there to witness 00:30:54.299 --> 00:31:01.059 these that the disciples and others saw. But 00:31:01.059 --> 00:31:03.960 if you receive the good news of Jesus in faith, 00:31:04.240 --> 00:31:07.519 then you indeed have been changed by the very 00:31:07.519 --> 00:31:11.619 same gospel that changed each and every one of 00:31:11.619 --> 00:31:15.000 those men. Maybe you haven't received the gospel 00:31:15.000 --> 00:31:17.619 of Jesus because you think you are too sinful 00:31:17.619 --> 00:31:22.519 or too far gone. That's a possibility even for 00:31:22.519 --> 00:31:26.289 someone in here today. Maybe you have stopped 00:31:26.289 --> 00:31:29.029 praying for someone because you think that their 00:31:29.029 --> 00:31:32.130 heart is just too hard. You think that person, 00:31:32.190 --> 00:31:34.190 I've shared the gospel with them for 40 years, 00:31:34.950 --> 00:31:37.890 they're still as angry and bitter as the first 00:31:37.890 --> 00:31:42.549 time. There's no point. It's hopeless. Why even 00:31:42.549 --> 00:31:48.130 try? But just as James and Paul were radically 00:31:48.130 --> 00:31:51.089 transformed by the gospel of Christ, just as 00:31:51.089 --> 00:31:54.609 we, who have believed in Christ Jesus, have been 00:31:54.609 --> 00:31:58.589 radically transformed by the gospel, so also 00:31:58.589 --> 00:32:01.150 that same message, which is the power of God 00:32:01.150 --> 00:32:04.990 unto salvation, is able to change and transform 00:32:04.990 --> 00:32:09.849 the heart of you or of that person you're thinking 00:32:09.849 --> 00:32:14.130 of today. As we think of the beautiful words 00:32:14.130 --> 00:32:16.750 of the Lord, of our Savior, when he says, Come 00:32:16.750 --> 00:32:19.730 to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and 00:32:19.730 --> 00:32:24.119 I will give you rest. The rest that we have in 00:32:24.119 --> 00:32:28.220 Christ Jesus is this hope of an eternity with 00:32:28.220 --> 00:32:32.519 God, a hope of a resurrection, a hope of a continual 00:32:32.519 --> 00:32:35.579 fellowship with our God. And so the church at 00:32:35.579 --> 00:32:37.240 Corinth was not a perfect church. It was filled 00:32:37.240 --> 00:32:40.640 with people who did not perfectly love God, and 00:32:40.640 --> 00:32:42.440 they did not perfectly love one another. They 00:32:42.440 --> 00:32:44.480 sinned against one another at times, just like 00:32:44.480 --> 00:32:48.359 we do. At times, they were even pressured to 00:32:48.359 --> 00:32:50.259 follow the mindset and the thinking of the world 00:32:50.259 --> 00:32:53.670 instead of God's Word. But Paul addresses many 00:32:53.670 --> 00:32:55.210 of those issues throughout the book, as we've 00:32:55.210 --> 00:32:59.289 talked about. But the advice that he gives, not 00:32:59.289 --> 00:33:02.130 really advice, but the things that he writes 00:33:02.130 --> 00:33:05.349 to them is not, just don't do that, just do this, 00:33:05.410 --> 00:33:07.690 try to be happier because of that, try not to 00:33:07.690 --> 00:33:11.970 sin because of this. It is always tied to the 00:33:11.970 --> 00:33:15.509 gospel. It is always tied to the hope that we 00:33:15.509 --> 00:33:20.829 have in Christ Jesus. We have been changed by 00:33:20.829 --> 00:33:23.809 the gospel, therefore continue to live in light 00:33:23.809 --> 00:33:26.269 of the gospel. We have a hope of the resurrection 00:33:26.269 --> 00:33:29.990 in these broken and sinful bodies, and so continue 00:33:29.990 --> 00:33:34.130 to strive to war for holiness, to war against 00:33:34.130 --> 00:33:37.529 the flesh because of the gospel. It is always 00:33:37.529 --> 00:33:44.579 brought back to the gospel. And so... This is 00:33:44.579 --> 00:33:47.400 something that we are able to rejoice about as 00:33:47.400 --> 00:33:49.380 believers. If we have believed in the gospel, 00:33:49.559 --> 00:33:52.000 the fact that there is hope, that there is a 00:33:52.000 --> 00:33:55.660 joy that we share in being together, praising 00:33:55.660 --> 00:33:58.579 the Lord in song, in prayer, and through the 00:33:58.579 --> 00:34:00.579 preaching of his word on Sunday, there is a joy 00:34:00.579 --> 00:34:03.059 that we have. There is a hope that we look to, 00:34:03.160 --> 00:34:06.160 a hope that we contain, not because of what we 00:34:06.160 --> 00:34:08.260 have done, of course, but because of the gospel 00:34:08.260 --> 00:34:11.849 of Christ Jesus, what he has done for us. And 00:34:11.849 --> 00:34:13.650 so we rejoice with the words of Paul that there 00:34:13.650 --> 00:34:15.610 is therefore now no condemnation for those who 00:34:15.610 --> 00:34:18.429 are in Christ Jesus. The significance of the 00:34:18.429 --> 00:34:20.730 bodily resurrection of Jesus is that our faith 00:34:20.730 --> 00:34:23.809 in Him is not in vain. We do not have an empty 00:34:23.809 --> 00:34:26.510 hope for the future. By this gospel message, 00:34:26.690 --> 00:34:28.710 we are empowered through the Spirit of God in 00:34:28.710 --> 00:34:31.610 us to live lives that do not conform to this 00:34:31.610 --> 00:34:34.710 world, but rather conform to the kingdom of God. 00:34:35.150 --> 00:34:37.590 And we have all the reason to remain firm in 00:34:37.590 --> 00:34:43.329 our faith in Christ because... He lives. Thank 00:34:43.329 --> 00:34:55.360 you. Amen. Thank you, sir, much, Josh. The same 00:34:55.360 --> 00:34:57.280 gospel that the Apostle Paul preached, the same 00:34:57.280 --> 00:35:00.500 gospel that has been handed down through history, 00:35:00.639 --> 00:35:02.920 is the same gospel we rejoice in and we cling 00:35:02.920 --> 00:35:05.800 to today. It's that same apostolic gospel. It's 00:35:05.800 --> 00:35:08.039 the same supper that we're going to celebrate 00:35:08.039 --> 00:35:10.159 that from that time of the apostles on, from 00:35:10.159 --> 00:35:12.539 the time when Jesus instituted it, this is the 00:35:12.539 --> 00:35:14.500 supper of the Lord. It's for those who have the 00:35:14.500 --> 00:35:17.480 covenant sign of baptism. We belong to him. Let 00:35:17.480 --> 00:35:20.400 us fellowship with our Lord and rejoice in this 00:35:20.400 --> 00:35:22.920 good news, euangelion, the good news, the hope 00:35:22.920 --> 00:35:24.960 of the gospel. Deacons, If you would come and 00:35:24.960 --> 00:35:25.860 prepare the table, please.