…and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. 1Cor 15:8-11

There aren’t many in the New Testament who persecuted the church as vehemently as Saul, but there are fewer others who loved and sacrificed their lives for the church like Apostle Paul. Paul had the testimony of testimonies. He testified to the world how he was saved, not by his works, but by the gospel. As a Pharisee he was set against God, but the resurrected Lord appeared to Paul to save him. The gospel is mighty, and those who are touched by it are transformed. Paul was an eyewitness to the resurrection of Jesus, and he became a new man upon his personal encounter with Christ. In these verses, Paul describes the impossible dilemmas he faced before the risen Lord saved him.

He was one untimely born. To be “untimely born” points to both Paul’s physical and spiritual problem. Based on Paul’s letters and historical accounts, Paul was physically unimpressive. He frequently referred to his poor bodily condition, and people within the church often spurned him because of his physical appearance. (2Cor 10:10; Gal 4:13-14) Spiritually, Paul was born dead in sin. He had absolutely no hope had God not intervened.

He was the least of the apostles. Paul felt inferior to the apostles. He had all the qualifications to be an apostle and was acknowledged by other apostles, but he referred to himself as the least. (Acts 18:9-10; 2Pet 3:16-18)

He persecuted the church. Paul thought he was not fit to be an apostle because he persecuted God’s church, a sin that he felt was impossible for God to forgive. (Acts 26:10-11) He was a blasphemer, who attacked the body of Christ in the name of God. (Jn 16:2) Paul was fully accustomed to the law- he knew the just consequences of his sins against the Almighty God.

In the depths of Paul’s dilemmas, Jesus shined light into Paul’s heart and appeared to him. Paul was completely transformed by the power of the resurrection, and immediately testified of the gospel. We will continue with God’s work of grace in Apostle Paul in next week’s sermon.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures… 1Cor 15:3-4

Can we be assured of the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection? Yes. The church was born by the message of Jesus’ death and resurrection, and its relentless testimony to the unbelieving world is the gospel of the living Lord. (Acts 2:23-24) There is another that testifies of the resurrection- Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. We expound these verses in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians to see how Old Testament Scripture testifies of the resurrection, and to learn why Scripture’s witness of Jesus’ resurrection is complete, perfect, and pertinent to us today.

“For…” Verse 3 begins with the conjunction “for” to explain a key component from verses 1 and 2. The Corinthians were saved by the power of the gospel. Verses 3 and 4 is where Paul outlines the gospel message.

“…I delivered to you…” The gospel does not originate from Paul- he is simply called to deliver God’s message. (Acts 9:15) Like Paul, we are all God’s servants, called to preach Jesus’ death and resurrection.

“…of first importance…” The gospel is the doctrine of doctrines. If you were to amass all knowledge about God, yet miss the gospel, you are nothing. Jesus never condemned the Pharisees for ignorance. Without the gospel, you can not be saved. We must be absolutely clear about the gospel. It is of first importance.

“…what I also received…” Before Paul delivered the gospel, he was a believer of it. He himself experienced God’s forgiveness in the gospel. Formerly a persecutor of the church, Paul was transformed and saved by the living Lord. (Acts 26:9-11; 9:20)

“…that Christ died for our sins…” Paul emphasizes each event in the gospel, beginning with Jesus’ crucifixion. He uses the title “Christ” rather than Jesus’ name to avoid any confusion. There were many men named Jesus in Paul’s day, and Paul wanted to clearly state that the Messiah Who was anointed by God was the One crucified and nailed to a cross. (Matt 1:1)

…and that He was buried…” Paul was faithful to historical facts. Jesus was buried in a tomb like a king after He was crucified.

“…and that He was raised on the third day…” In the gospel, God perfectly fulfilled His promise to save the world. (Jn 3:16) Jesus carried our guilt to the cross and His sacrifice was accepted by God because He was raised from the dead. We can be forgiven by God for our sins through Jesus Christ.

The common denominator in these two verses is “according to Scriptures.” We can know Jesus truly was raised from the dead because Scripture reveals it. Prophets in the Old Testament declared Jesus’ death and resurrection before it happened, and Jesus was raised from the dead in order to fulfill the God’s Word. (Is 53:5,9; Hos 6:2; Jn 5:39) Scripture’s testimony of the resurrection is sure, because God’s Word can not be broken. As Scripture says, God says. (Jn 10:35; Is 55:11) Any gospel that is not according to Scripture is not the gospel at all. Manmade gospels have no power to save, because only the Word of God has the power to save and transform sinners. (Heb 4:13) We must continually wrestle and meditate on the Word of God to be transformed. As Spurgeon declared, “No one ever outgrows the Scriptures.”

Why is Scripture trustworthy? Scripture never lies, because God can not lie, nor can He be tempted to lie. (Num 23:19) Scripture is trustworthy because it is inspired- God is the ultimate source of the Bible. It is therefore inerrant and infallible- it will never mislead or deceive you. (2Tim 3:16) God’s Word is authoritative. It is sufficient and contains everything we need to know and believe to be saved and to live a life pleasing to God. Believing in Scripture empowers believers to endure trials and suffering with love and joy. (1Pet 1:8) Christians who believe in God’s Word are in the world, but are not of the world. Their joy is rooted in Christ, not in emotions or circumstances. They live by faith, choosing to depend on Christ and His Word. They seek God’s presence as they go through trials, and are therefore refined by their sufferings because they abide in the Lord. The believer’s hope is fixed on heaven, and so he presses on in the reality of Jesus’ resurrection, looking forward to the new heavens and the new earth when Christ comes.

We must ask ourselves, Do I believe in Jesus’ resurrection as the Bible reveals? Jesus’ resurrection is according to the Scriptures. If our lives do not accord with the Scriptures, we must reexamine our faith. There is hope as we repent and have faith, because God’s Word is living and active today, tomorrow, and forever.

Now I make known to you brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 1Cor 15:1-2

Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Corinthians to address some troublesome issues that were arising within the church. He confronted those who were despising him and rejecting his authority in the church as their leader and spiritual father in Christ. (4:14-16) To them, Paul wrote, “let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment.” (1Cor 14:36-38) Another major issue- of which ch. 15 addresses- was that some were challenging the veracity of Jesus’ resurrection by denying the resurrection of the dead. (1Cor 15:12) They were attacking the very foundation of Christian faith, the source of Paul’s hope, the conviction behind the apostles’ untiring sacrifice to the churches. In response, Paul wrote this portion of Corinthians with one goal: to assure the church of the doctrine of Jesus’ resurrection. He presented four witnesses that testify of the resurrection, and we will focus on the first witness today- the church.

Before continuing in our ongoing focus on Jesus’ resurrection, one might ask, is the resurrection more important than the crucifixion? This question is illogical. Without the crucifixion, there can be no resurrection; without the resurrection, there is no salvation through Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus’ resurrection proves that we are forgiven through His crucifixion- it is the complete gospel. Our goal is for Christ’s death and resurrection to be believed upon not only in our minds, but in our hearts and our daily lives. (Lk 24:17-25)

How do you know the church’s testimony of the resurrection is true? The church is full of truth because Jesus is the head of the church. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Just as God can not lie, the church does not lie- the church must testify of what is true. (Col 1:18; 1Pet 2:22; 1Tim 3:15)

How do you know the resurrection is the church’s testimony? Apostle Paul addresses the Corinthian church in these verses. They all were unbelievers, who were transformed and converted to Christ through the gospel to become the church. What is the gospel? It is the message that God is holy, and we are not. God is just, and He will surely punish the ungodly. We live under the law, and by it we are hopelessly condemned, for the wages of sin is death. But God is also love. He sent His Son- God incarnate, Jesus Christ- into the world to be punished in our place by dying on the cross as our substitute. God accepted His total sacrifice by raising Him from the dead, so that all who believe and trust in Jesus are justified by His life and righteousness. The gospel prepared the Corinthians church to testify of Jesus’ resurrection, because the Holy Spirit convinced their hearts that Christ was alive. (Acts 10:39-42) They received the gospel- it took root in their hearts, and they counted the cost to follow Jesus. (Luke 14:28-34)

How do you prove the testimony of Jesus’ resurrection is true? The church proves that the resurrection is true as they stand firm in the gospel. On the cross, Jesus endured the most excruciating pain and suffering because of the joy set before Him- His resurrection. Likewise, the church endures and rejoices through suffering and persecution because of the resurrection. (Heb 12:2) The church is saved by the gospel, and they can not help but testify of the resurrection, because they’ve been saved from God’s wrath, judgment, and hell, and saved to God’s joy and glory. The church is saved and sanctified to walk with God in holiness.

What drives the church to testify? The church must hold fast to the word that was preached to them- the message of Jesus’ resurrection. We must cling to God’s Word and bear fruit with perseverance. (Lk 8:15) We are to not merely acknowledge that Jesus lived and died, but like Paul, we hold fast by asserting He’s alive, lest we believe in vain. (Acts 25:19) Claiming to believe the gospel without the lordship of Jesus is to believe in vain. Jesus warns us that there is no salvation in outward religiosity. (Matt 7:21-23)

True believers in the Corinthian church did not believe in vain. They believed and lived out the gospel as Christ’s church. This is important and applicable to us today. Let us hold fast to Jesus’ resurrection to testify to the world of the gospel that saves.

Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2:46-47

Throughout this sermon series on the impacts of Jesus’ resurrection, our focus and goal have remained the same- we seek to understand how the risen Lord has built His church, to ensure that we too, are being built up by the Lord Jesus Christ. The church began with repentance and faith. The early church believers heard Peter’s sermon, and were pierced to the heart for rejecting Jesus. They repented of their sins and turned to Christ in faith for forgiveness. (Acts 2:23-24) Under the lordship of Christ, the church devoted themselves to true doctrine, fellowship, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer. Through these daily practices God grew the church as He converted men and women to Christ by His divine power, working wonders and signs of salvation among them. (Acts 2:42-43) Lives were transformed as they were united as one body, loving another, gathering together daily to worship, break bread, and share meals in joy. (Acts 2:44-46)

In addition to all these, the church under the risen Lord had sincerity of heart, or in other words, they were childlike in nature. Every child of God is childlike at heart- Jesus explicitly described this characteristic as a requirement to enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 18:3)

What does childlikeness look like?

Sincerity. Childlike people are sincere- there is no pretense, deception, or hypocrisy. Adam and Eve were perfectly pure and sincere before the Fall, but after sin, man’s heart became deceitful and desperately sick. (Jer 17:9-10) Only Jesus can make you sincere in heart, because He shows you who you truly are and forgives you of all your sins.

Single-hearted. The fallen heart is always divided- there are many compartments of things to hide and things to seek. Unbelievers live in multiple modes, both private and public, to hide their sins and to please everyone before them. Christians are to be single-hearted in their devotion to the risen Lord. (Matt 6:24)

Humble-hearted. Jesus blessed those who are poor in spirit, referring to those who have absolutely nothing of themselves to depend on, but who are fully dependent on Christ alone. (Matt 5:3) Humble-hearted people have nothing to boast of, but simply receive all that the Lord gives.

Simple-hearted. To be simple is to live uncomplicated lives. Whatever happens, Christians seek the Lord and pray. Complications arise when man tries to go his own way apart from God. To live an uncomplicated and worry-free life is not based on circumstances, but it is to simply obey, have faith, and trust in the risen Lord.

The early church was sincere in heart because they had peace with God. They knew the risen Lord and His salvation- everything else in life became secondary to Christ. (Rom 5:1-5; Matt 4:4) With gladness and sincerity of heart, they continually praised God. Praise is the natural response to being in the presence of God. It is a telling test of one’s salvation- Christians cannot avoid praising God. The early church praised God because they knew the difference between life before and after conversion- they were lost and miserable before Christ, but after their conversion, life was full of joy and freedom. Jesus became their loving Provider, who died for their forgiveness, and was raised for their justification. He made God to be their Father, and sealed them with the Holy Spirit. The believers in Acts knew who God was and what He was doing amongst them, and so they praised. We must likewise be continually thankful to God for converting us to the risen Lord. As we live with sincere hearts in complete dependence on the Christ, we join the echos of the early church’s praise as the unceasing melody of love and worship to our risen Lord.

And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Acts 2:44-45

The church in the book of Acts lived under the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They were united under the risen Lord, living as one body, and having all things in common. No one considered possessions as their own- instead, believers voluntarily gave up all they had to be able to share with anyone in need. How is this possible? The zeitgeist of individualism in today’s age might dismiss these verses as archaic and radical, but the gospel makes all things possible today, just as it did then. We continue our study in Acts to see how this incredible selflessness and love in the church were in fact the practical impacts of Jesus’ resurrection.

The church became one family by Jesus’ resurrection. Those who believe in Jesus’ resurrection become a part of the household of God. We have all been born again of God, adopted into His family through the death and resurrection of Jesus. We have one Father, whose will we obey to love one another. (Jn 20:17-18)

By Jesus’ resurrection we practice self-denial. Self-denial is more than mere discipline- it is the evidence of your salvation. (Matt 16:24) Self-denial is tested during the times we get offended, hurt, and angry. Without denying self, forgiving others is impossible. How do you know you’re saved and forgiven? By forgiving. Those who are forgiven will forgive. It is possible only in Christ. As we deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Jesus, we will experience true fellowship with Him as we share all things with Him. (Eph 4:32; Jn 17:10)

Under the resurrection we become one body. Divisions, factions, and partiality will arise within the church when the resurrection is not central to every member’s life. We must understand that we are one body- if one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. (1Cor 12:26)

The church under Jesus’ resurrection lives sacrificially. No one in the early church was poor, because everyone practiced their faith sacrificially towards one another. God created sound doctrine to be applied and practiced, so that faith might be perfected by works. (James 2:22) A faith that is not practiced towards others is an incomplete faith- it is the type of faith Jesus hated. (Matt 23:23) The church followed Jesus’ example as their living head. (1Jn 3:16) They constantly pursued holiness and godliness, treasuring the kingdom of God above all else. (Matt 15:44-46) These believers were heavenly people, whose hope and citizenship were in heaven. (Phil 3:20) They knew how to spend their money wisely as faithful stewards of God, because they understood what was truly valuable. Nothing compared to Christ. (Matt 6:19-21)

Moreover, the early church knew how to be content. Though they were in need, they were confident, faithful, and sacrificial towards others because Jesus was Lord of all. In Him, they had all things- it was simply a matter of God’s provision. These believers were truly converted, because they practiced their love and faith in Christ towards the church. They had peace in their heart- a peace not dependent on circumstances, but on their eternal relationship with the risen Lord. If the resurrection is real, what else matters in this world? What is more valuable than having peace with God? It is the risen Lord Jesus Christ who has made peace between us and God. (Jn 20:19) Let us therefore ponder the ways of the early church, and live out the same faith that we confess, practicing the lordship of Christ in every area of our lives.

A gospel without the resurrection is an incomplete gospel. If Christ were not raised, our faith would be worthless, and we would still be in our sins. (1Cor 15:17) Jesus’ resurrection is the ringing culmination of God’s salvation, but far too often we fail to understand its impact on our everyday life. If you desire to live a triumphant life, you must live centered on the resurrection. It is practical, victorious, and working in the church today.

How does Jesus’ resurrection impact us?

The church’s faith endures. (And all those who had believed…v. 44) Faith rooted in Jesus’ resurrection will be victorious. The early church in the book of Acts didn’t merely endure persecution, but they grew stronger in faith because they were fixed on the risen Lord. (Acts 4:19-20) Though most believers in the early church of Acts did not physically witness Jesus’ resurrection, their faith did not differ from that of the apostles, because their conviction did not depend on sight, but on the gospel. How did the early church have this kind of faith? When we trace back to their conversion after hearing Peter’s sermon, we see that they repented. Repentance is not by man’s effort- it is not an attempt to be sad and sorry over sin. Repentance is a gift from God, effected by the Holy Spirit. True repentance will not leave a man to continually love sin more than Christ. The early believers believed they singlehandedly killed Jesus Christ, crying out, “Brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:36-37)

Upon repenting, the church in Acts believed Jesus in their heart. The resurrection was more real and tangible to them than anything in the world. (Rom 10:9) Since they were now one with Christ by His substitutionary death and resurrection, they willingly denied themselves, choosing to faithfully walk the same path of Christ’s sufferings and persecution. They believed that Christ would be the ultimate Judge of all men, because God raised Him from the dead. (Acts 17:31) The empty tomb is the sure proof for our faith today. Our faith is not sustained by our own will and effort, but by the power of God. (2Cor 4:7-9) We live in the presence of the risen Lord- He is our strength and motivation to live faithfully until the end. (Phil 3:12; 2Tim 4:1,7)

The church was formed by the resurrection. (And all those who had believed were together…v.44) The first church began in the Book of Acts after Jesus was resurrected. The church is God’s most precious gift on earth for the believer, wholly planned and built by God. (1Pet 1:12) Man himself can not subjectively define the church. The Bible never refers to the church as an individual or a household, but it is a body of believers who devote themselves to God’s Word, fellowship, Communion, and prayer. (Acts 2:42) The church is where Jesus’ resurrection is central; it is the salt and light of the earth, commissioned by God to point this dying world to Christ. (Acts 2:13-14,23-24) Every believer is fully equipped to reach the lost. The gospel message that has saved you is the power of God that can save anyone, because Jesus is Lord over the living and the dead.

Healing. After healing the beggar who was lame from birth, Peter proclaimed it was by faith in Jesus that gave the man perfect health. (Acts 3:16) The gospel can heal anyone. It breaks the power of sin, changes the course of death, and makes us wholly new. Even if a man does not get cured of his physical illness, the gospel heals his perspective on all things- God, man, life, death. Only the gospel can penetrate and permeate the soul of man, making him to be in perfect health.

We can have victorious lives. Believers persevere by the power of the gospel. (2Cor 4:7-9) No man apart from Christ is able live victoriously over sin and death- only Christians are able to forgive because they have been forgiven; they are able to overcome evil with good, because the risen Lord lives in them. We are kept by God’s power, and our victory is won through Him.

Salvation. Salvation is the wonder of all wonders. God owed nothing to man- all have sinned, and earned eternal punishment in hell. Our spiritual death was as final as a physical death- there was no way to make ourselves right with God. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace we have been saved. (Eph 2:3-5) This wondrous salvation is truly the greatest miracle of all.

The church today has the same Scripture, same Spirit, same God. We fail to experience the wonders of Christ because of little trust in His Word. Distrust begets little prayer, which begets little obedience. We must trust the Lord with bold faith, depending on Him through prayer. As we obey Him, all things will be possible because of our risen Lord.