Trusting Truth: The Power of Resurrection and Community

"Paul says, For I handed on to you of first importance what I in turn had received, and that is this, he says, that Christ died for our sins in accordance, with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised from the dead on the third day in accordance with the scriptures." [00:32:03]

"Paul wants them to know, us to know, that the story of Jesus is not a myth, but it is indeed connected, connected to something much bigger than himself. Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures. You catch that part of it? And he was raised from the dead in accordance with the scriptures. Paul wasn't making this up. It was already there." [00:32:43]

"Now, being aware that the people fall into conspiracy theories when they feel unattached, they feel ostracized. Paul tries to strengthen their social cohesion. He writes that Jesus appeared to see. That's Peter, right? You get that? And then the 12. And then to more than 500 brothers and sisters. The resurrection of Jesus is not some made -up meme or YouTube video. It's a real historical event." [00:33:19]

"Paul knows how much the Christian community relies on trust. And that's why he reminds the Corinthians that Jesus appeared to the people. The people that they know. and and trust god cephas the 500 brothers and sisters and then he goes on to say that jesus appeared to james and and to the other apostles last of all he says he in in in he appeared to one who was untimely born himself paul he appeared to me he says paul reminds the corinthians of their deep connection with other followers of christ many of whom were eyewitnesses to the resurrection of jesus and paul then says that christ also appeared to me reminding them of the time that the resurrected jesus spoke to him on that road to damascus as he was hunting christians persecuting the church christ appeared to him and completely turned him around not that paul was bragging but i am the least of the apostles he says unfit unfit to be called an apostle because i persecuted the church of god paul does not want the corinthians to trust him because he's some religious expert or some sinless saint or some super apostle but simply because the lord has worked through him in a powerful way by the grace of god i am what i am paul says in verse 10 you and his grace toward me has not been in vain god was working through paul to spread the good news of jesus christ through the roman empire and paul gives all the credit to god and says it was not i in verse 10 but the grace of god that is in me for paul for paul everything good and trustworthy comes not from a man but the grace of from himself, but from the grace of God." [00:34:26]

"And although Paul is unfit to be called an apostle, according to his own definition, his message is true because God is graceful with him. God shows favor to Paul, even though he does not deserve that grace. God gives him the gift of God's own self." [00:37:13]

"and unconditionally and it is by that grace the grace of God that Paul is what he is and because of this his message can and should be trusted now at the end of the day all Paul cares about is that the Corinthians accept the forgiveness of this new life that comes to them through Jesus Christ he knows there is nothing nothing irrational about the resurrection since it is God's grace -filled plan to relieve the stress of sin and death he reminds the Corinthians that resurrection is a witness by a wide community and proclaimed by a number of other people whether then it was I or they says Paul in verse 11 so we proclaim and so we believe he does not want the Corinthians to fall into a funnel of misbelief you boy do we need to hear that message today because we are very much like the people of Corinth many of us feeling stressed and spiritually empty and we're losing our social attachments today according to a recent study more than one -third of adults 45 and older feel lonely and nearly one -fourth of adults 65 or older are considered to be socially isolated the loss of social attachment can cause us to tumble into this funnel of misbelief we need a message that we can trust we have a deep need for understanding and we want to find the truth fortunately fortunately Paul is speaking for us today he's telling us the story that we can believe one that promises that that all who believe in Jesus will be made alive in Christ he said in verse 22 Paul's story predicts that Christ will destroy every evil ruler and authority and power and the last enemy the last enemy will be utterly destroyed that enemy" [00:37:33]

"being death itself in verse 26. Eventually, we will be able to celebrate with these words. Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" [00:39:38]

"In a world of misinformation and conspiracy theories, this, this is a trustworthy story. It leads to life, not to death. And it's based on scripture, not on some internet speculation. It is grounded in the eyewitness account of a reliable community of brothers and sisters in faith." [00:39:53]

"And it comes from the grace of God, the very grace of God, the one who loves us and wants us to experience the forgiveness of that love, of grace, of peace, truth, and justice, the one who brings new life." [00:40:12]

"So put your trust in the one who died for your sins and was buried and was raised on that third day. His truth comes through belief, not misinformation and misbelief. Amen." [00:40:46]

"Paul reminds them of the good news of the resurrection of Jesus, which he had previously shared with them. And he wants them to grab a hold firmly of that, that message, and not be distracted by the theories of the resurrection of Adonis or anything else." [00:31:43]