He Came, He Died, and He Rose (2024)

He came and He died, and He rose 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters,[a]of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it.2It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.[b]

3I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said.4He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.5He was seen by Peter[c]and then by the Twelve.6After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers[d]at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.7Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles.8Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him.9For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church.

10But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.11So it makes no difference whether I preach, or they preach, for we all preach the same message you have already believed.

Recap:

• • Paul is speaking to the Corinth church and reminding them of that which is most important

• vs 3: I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. – Solid foundation

• • You would think its basic knowledge to a Christian community that these things are the building blocks of our faith
    • That Christ died for our sins, He came, He died and He rose on the 3rd day

• Vs 1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospelwhich I preached to you, which also you received andin which you stand,

• And this the Gospel that you (at FVC/Global church) have received, which you stand on and by which you have been saved

• He continues in Vs 2 – by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unlessyou believed in vain.

• • Unless you showed up to Church out of routine and unless you have no reverence of this amazing gift and victory we have been given through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
  • Unless you don’t take forgiving of your sins as an important thing, unless we don’t count the cost of the Cross
  • During this time in Corinth Church as it is today:
    • There was false teaching that resurrection was spiritual and not physical

• Others were teaching that the resurrection for believers had already happened ~2 Timothy 2:18 (Nlt)They have left the path of truth, claiming that the resurrection of the dead has already occurred; in this way, they have turned some people away from the faith.

• • • They were contradicting the fact that Jesus came, He died and He rose

• As Paul puts it in 1 Corinthians 15:14(Nkjv) – And if Christ is not risen, then our preachingisempty, and your faithisalso empty.

• This is the goal of the enemy, destroy the structural pillars and everything that is being held comes down
• Paul continues to support his point that:
  • Jesus rose and appeared to Peter and the 12 disciples
  • He also appeared to more than 500 people at one time – of whom majority of them are alive (as Paul writes the letters to these people)
  • He was seen by His own brother – James who goes to fully believe and write the book of James – James 2:1 (Nkjv) My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ,the Lordof glory, withpartiality
  • And Paul, even though he was born at a different time, He got to see Christ as well – Road to Damascus
• Now brothers and Sisters, let me remind you of the good news- Signifying that they already knew. Its like me saying, Wednesday service people of FVC, let me remind you that there is the one who came and died for your sin, and He rose again to give you freedom by setting you free from your sins
• Sometimes we complicate things, I love that the Gospel is simple – He came, He died, and He rose – just as the Scriptures said

• Tainted evidence

• • The way to ruin anything good is to introduce a foreign object in the body of the healthy thriving organism
    • According to USA today: The total cost of cybercrime globally reached $8 trillion in 2023 — and is predicted to hit $10.5 trillion by 2025
    • Change Healthcare – In February 2024, a cyberattack on Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth, prevented healthcare staff from receiving patient payments for weeks.CBS News called it the “biggest ever cybersecurity attack on the American healthcare system”.
    • UnitedHealth – In April 2024, UnitedHealth reported an $872 million loss due to ransomware in its first quarter financial report.
    • AT&T and Giant Tiger -In April 2024, data breaches exposed millions of customer records at both companies.
  • How do most of these attacks start:
    • Attackers send emails, texts, or make phone calls that appear legitimate but contain links to malicious websites.These websites may contain malware that can sabotage systems.
    • DDoS attacks – These attacks overload a website’s resources to make it unavailable to legitimate users.DDoS attacks can also be used for extortion, such as demanding a ransom to stop the attack.
    • SQL injection – Also known as SQLI, this attack uses malicious SQL code to manipulate a database’s backend and access information that shouldn’t be displayed.This could include sensitive company data, user lists, or customer details.
  • The way to destroy something (Christianity) without the outright all full attack is to:
    • Send information that appears legitimate but contains malicious information

• 1 John 4:1(NKJV) Beloved, do not believe every spirit, buttest the spirits, whether they are of God; becausemany false prophets have gone out into the world.

• • • Overload the resources and make it unavailable

• Matthew 6:26 (Nlt) Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

• • • Introducing malicious code – Doubt, fear, anxiety,

• 1 Peter 2:1-3 (Nkjv)Therefore,laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,2as newborn babes, desire the puremilk of the word, that you may grow[a]thereby,3if indeed you havetasted that the Lordisgracious.

• • If they can destroy the idea of Christ resurrecting, then the whole thing goes down
  • Brothers and Sisters, let me remind you once again, the good new of salvation, which you have accepted and by which you stand
  • STAND – We ought to have a non- negotiable attitude towards the things of God
  • Many have fallen away from following Christ because they allowed malicious relationship, behaviors, company, and this neglect leads to the gateway for the attacker
  • The devil is roaming and looking for a path to get in
  • Most of us are not vigilant – we are walking casually and ignoring small thing – Just like a click on an email or website that we don’t recognize
  • Pastor Crystal preached and said that we do not trip over a car outside but it’s the little unseen things that are dangerous to our faith
  • Spend time in your word and know your word to root out all other malicious doctrine
  • Unfortunately, or fortunately, we live in an age where everyone has an opinion that can be shared instantly online to million if not billions
  • There has never been a time in History that we need to keep our guard up like today
  • Anything that contradicts the truth about our Jesus – we cannot give it any mind

• Isaiah 50:7 ( Nlt) -Because the SovereignLordhelps me, I will not be disgraced.
  Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his willAnd I know that I will not be put to shame.

• Ask God to constantly search your heart – take out any anxious thoughts that may grow and bear fruits that will lead you away from Christ
• Matthew 14:22-31 – We see Peter Walk on water -and bam! – Doubt, fear and discouragement – then he starts to sink
• Peter is walking on water – Huge!!! He stepped out of the boat- But here comes a virus- That appears legitimate, there is an overload of fear, that the legitimate information (That’s Jesus) manipulates his desire to walk toward Jesus
• The tainted evidence is very real and strong – But our God is Mighty to Save

• Have you seen Him?

• Vs 8 (Nlt) Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time

• • Paul – saw Him – I love that he counts himself as have seen Christ

• Acts 9: 3-5 (Nkjv) As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.4Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him,“Saul, Saul,why are you persecuting Me?”5And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”

Then the Lord said,“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.[a]Itishard for you to kick against the goads.”

• • I never thought of myself as one who would give an accounted as one that has seen Christ resurrected
  • I know that my life has been changed by Him, but I wasn’t there- However we all had that moment that God changed our lives – Proving that He is resurrected

• And even further; Romans 8:11(Esv)If the Spirit ofhim who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus[a]from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodiesthrough his Spirit who dwells in you.

• • You might not have been there, but you do bear the evidence of that Power that was activated when He came, died and rose again.
  • The enemy wants you to think that this is just History – but Paul is counting himself as one who carries the touch, that has the evidence that says, indeed I have seen Him, He who died for my sins and set me free
  • Do we believe or have we allowed this word to be chocked by the noise of this world
  • If you believe let your voice, be loud – This is how we share the good news

• Luke 8:4-8( Nlt) – 4One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him:5“A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it.6Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture.7Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants.8Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!”When he had said this, he called out,“Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

• Luke 8:11-15 ( Nlt) “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word.12The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved.13The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation.14The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity.15And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.

• • Paul is speaking to a people that had allowed the seed to be chocked, tainted, and muzzled
  • I have seen it here at Church, people come broken, God moves and they receive and move on without any produce

• We all have the ingredients to produce a huge harvest!!

• Again, Brothers and Sisters, let me remind you once again of the good news of redemption

• Share the evidence

• • Praise God for evangelism class that is coming up
  • I didn’t not intend of signing up -But
  • Our great commission is to share the good news

• Matthew 28:19–20 (NLT) Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,[a]baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.20Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

• 1 Peter 3:15 (Nlt) But[a]sanctify[b]the Lord God in your hearts, and alwaysbeready togivea defense to everyone who asks you a reason for thehope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
• Know what you have – and be excited about it !!
• We have to hold on to the gospel otherwise all the past success is not of any benefits – we have to finish well
• If God is not moving in our midst now, then this Gospel we preach is powerless
• Brothers and Sisters let me remind you once again that Jesus Came, He died for you, and He rose again so that we can have life and have a victorious life!