Don’t Forget to Wash Your Face

1 C O R I N T H I A N S S E R I E S

S EP T E MB ER 1 3 , 20 1 5

Now, brothers, 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

1 CORINTHIANS 15: 1-8, 12-14, 17, 29, 31-34

firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins accord-

1 CORINTHIANS 15: 1-8, 12-14, 17, 29, 31-34

ing to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Script-ures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that,

1 CORINTHIANS 15: 1-8, 12-14, 17, 29, 31-34

he appeared to more than five hun-dred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to

1 CORINTHIANS 15: 1-8, 12-14, 17, 29, 31-34

all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also... But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no

1 CORINTHIANS 15: 1-8, 12-14, 17, 29, 31-34

resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is

1 CORINTHIANS 15: 1-8, 12-14, 17, 29, 31-34

your faith... And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins... Now if there is no resurrection... why do we endanger ourselves every hour? I die

1 CORINTHIANS 15: 1-8, 12-14, 17, 29, 31-34

every day—I mean that, brothers—just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the

1 CORINTHIANS 15: 1-8, 12-14, 17, 29, 31-34

dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop

1 CORINTHIANS 15: 1-8, 12-14, 17, 29, 31-34

sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.

1 CORINTHIANS 15: 1-8, 12-14, 17, 29, 31-34

Divisions.Sexual misconduct.Food.The Gathering.Resurrection.

REVIEW OF THE ISSUES COVERED

“But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”

- APOSTLE PAUL | 1 CORINTHIANS 15: 12-14

“Our preaching is useless.”

“So is your faith.”

“It’s resurrection, resurrection, always resurrection, that undergirds what I do and say, the way I live. If there's no resurrection, ‘We eat, we drink, the next day we die,’ and that's all there is to it.”

- 1 CORINTHIANS 15: 32 (THE MESSAGE)

Divisions.Sexual misconduct.Food.The Gathering.

IF WE PRODUCE THE FOLLOWING, WE DENY THE RESURRECTION

“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God… Re-member those earlier days after you

- HEBREWS 10: 26-37

had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathized with

- HEBREWS 10: 26-37

those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done

- HEBREWS 10: 26-37

the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, ‘He who is coming will come and will not delay.’”

- HEBREWS 10: 26-37

“Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning!”

- 1 CORINTHIANS 15: 34

“When you wash your face, remember your baptism.”

- MARTIN LUTHER

“Just as the Lord’s Meal was about sub- verting the Empire of Man, because it pointed to the Cross of Christ that un-raveled the Cross of Rome, Baptism is about submission to the Kingdom of God. Which is the only rational response to the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

- BRYAN H. KIM

The Meal is about Subversion: Caesar, you are not King anymore! We will not build your kingdom!

The Baptism is about Submission: Jesus, you are King! We will build your kingdom!

“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will cer-tainly also be united with him in his resurrection.”

- ROMANS 6: 4-5

“When you wash your face, remember your baptism.”

- MARTIN LUTHER