What If Jesus Christ Did Not Rise from the Dead?

Practical Solutions to Everyday Problems

What If Jesus Christ Did Not Rise from the Dead?

1 Corinthians 15:1-19, 29-32

The “Resurrection Issue” in Corinth…

It appears that there was a false view floating around the church in Corinth. That false view sounded something like this: “There is no resurrection of the dead. When you die, you will forever be finished with your body. You will toss it aside like an empty water bottle.” In the 15^th chapter of this letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul confronts and debunks this teaching.

A. The Importance of Inspecting the Resurrection (vv. 1-11)

1. It is the of your … (vv. 1-2)

“Now brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.”

2. It is in … (vv. 3-11)

“For what I received, I passed on to you as of first importance:

that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried,

that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas,

and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred

of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living,

though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,

and last of all he appeared to me also…”

It is (historically) undeniable that the first century Christ followers believed that He rose from the dead. The question is: do you believe that He rose from the dead?

B. The Implications of Rejecting the Resurrection (vv. 12-19, 29-32)

1. If the dead cannot be raised:

a. That would mean that was not raised… (vv. 12-13)

b. That would mean that the entire Christian message and experience is a … (vv. 14, 16-19)

c. That would mean that Paul – and every other Apostle – was a … (vv. 15)

d. That would mean that every Christian ceremony and effort is a … (vv. 29-32)

Today’s “Life Hack”…

Christ’s resurrection is the of in a Christ follower’s life.