1. 1 Corinthians

2. The Greatest News Ever!
(1 Cor 15:9-20)

3. I. You can share the gospel (vv. 9-11). You’re good enough.

4. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

5. 1. God has dealt with my past and my inadequacies (v. 9).
9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God (v. 9).

6. So … what’s your (my) excuse?
Paul was:
Least of the apostles.
He was an outsider.
Unworthy to be called an apostle.
Persecutor of the church (Acts 7/8).
He was in weakness and in fear and much trembling (1 Cor 2:3).
Speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom (1 Cor 2:4).
So … what’s your (my) excuse?

7. 2. God’s grace empowers gospel proclamation (v. 10).
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

8. 4 truths about God’s grace.
By God’s grace I am what I am (v. 10a).
God graciously waits for our salvation and maturity (Gal 1:15; 1 Tim 1:13–16; 2 Pt 3:8-9).
God graciously works through us (v. 10b; Gal 2:20, 3:2–5; Phil 2:12–13; Eph 3:17).
God’s grace never fails (vv. 9, 10).

9. 3. God makes gospel proclamation effective (v. 11; Phil 1:15-18).
“Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed” (v. 11; cf. 1 Cor 3:6-8).

10. Share the gospel. Trust God with the results.

11. II. 6 reasons to share the gospel (vv. 12-20).

12. 12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.

13. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised
16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead …
(1Co 15:12-20a ESV)

14. Without the gospel nothing matters, but Christ has been raised from the dead … SO … 6 reasons to share the gospel.

15. 1. Proclaiming Christ matters (v. 14a; 1 Cor 3:6-8; Rom 10:14).
“If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain” (v. 14a) … But since Christ has been raised, our preaching is not in vain.

16. 2. Our Faith is profitable (v. 14b; John 14:6).
“If Christ has not been raised … your faith is in vain” (v. 14b) … But since Christ has been raised, our faith is not in vain.

17. 3. You can trust the Bible (vv. 3, 4, 5, 15).
If Christ has not been raised, “we are found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ” (v. 15) … But Christ has been raised, so we can trust the apostles’ testimony.

18. 4. I am forgiven of ALL my sins (vv. 16-17; Rom 3:32-25, 4:25).
“if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (v. 17) … But Christ is risen and so we are forgiven for our sins.

19. 5. We are to be envied (vv. 19, 58; 2 Cor 4:17-18).
If Christ has not been raised, then “we are of all men most to be pitied” (v. 19) … But Christ has been risen so we are most envied of all people.

20. 6. Those who have fallen asleep are alive (v. 18; John 11:25-26).
If Christ has not been raised, then “those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished” (v. 18) … but Christ has been raised so the dead in Christ have not perished.

21. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest news in all the world!