John Isaacs

Kingsway Community Church

Easter Sunday, April 12, 2009
1 Corinthians 15:1-23
1
Let me now remind you, dear
brothers and sisters, of the Good
News I preached to you before.
You welcomed it then, and you
still stand firm in it.   It is this
2

Good News that saves you if you

continue to believe the message I
told you—unless, of course, you
1 Corinthians 15:1-23 (cont.)
believed something that was never
true in the first place. 3 I passed on
to you what was most important
and what had also been passed on
to me. Christ died for our sins, just
as the Scriptures said. 4 He was
buried, and He was raised from
the dead on the third day, just as
1 Corinthians 15:1-23 (cont.)
the Scriptures said. 5 He was seen
by Peter and then by the Twelve.
6
 After that, He was seen by more
than 500 of His followers at one
time, most of whom are still alive,
though some have died. 7 Then He
was seen by James and later by all
the apostles. 8 Last of all, as though
1 Corinthians 15:1-23 (cont.)
I had been born at the wrong time,
I also saw Him. 9 For I am the least
of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not
even worthy to be called an
apostle after the way I persecuted
God’s Church. 10 But whatever I
am now, it is all because God
poured out His special favor on
1 Corinthians 15:1-23 (cont.)
not without results. For I have
worked harder than any of the
other apostles; yet it was not I but
God who was working through me
by His grace.   So it makes no
11

difference whether I preach or they

preach, for we all preach the same
message you have already
1 Corinthians 15:1-23 (cont.)
believed. 12 But tell me this—since
we preach that Christ rose from
the dead, why are some of you
saying there will be no
resurrection of the dead?   For if
13

there is no resurrection of the

dead, then Christ has not been
raised either. 14 And if Christ has
1 Corinthians 15:1-23 (cont.)
not been raised, then all our
preaching is useless, and your faith
is useless. 15 And we apostles
would all be lying about God—for
we have said that God raised
Christ from the grave. But that
can’t be true if there is no
resurrection of the dead. 16 And if
1 Corinthians 15:1-23 (cont.)
there is no resurrection of the
dead, then Christ has not been
raised. 17 And if Christ has not
been raised, then your faith is
useless and you are still guilty of
your sins. 18 In that case, all who
have died believing in Christ are
lost! 19 And if our hope in Christ is
1 Corinthians 15:1-23 (cont.)
only for this life, we are more to be
pitied than anyone in the world.
20
 But in fact, Christ has been
raised from the dead. He is the
first of a great harvest of all who
have died. 21 So you see, just as
death came into the world through
a man, now the resurrection from
1 Corinthians 15:1-23 (cont.)
the dead has begun through
another Man. 22 Just as everyone
dies because we all belong to
Adam, everyone who belongs to
Christ will be given new life. 
23
 But there is an order to this
resurrection: Christ was raised as
the first of the harvest; then
1 Corinthians 15:1-23 (cont.)
all who belong to Christ will be
raised when He comes back.
Six Things Would Be Different
If Christ Had Not Been Raised
From The Dead.
1. The Bible’s teachings are useless.
2. A Christian’s faith is useless.
3. The Bible is lying.
4. Christians are still guilty of sins.
5. Dead Christians are still lost.
6. Christians who live are pitiful.
1 Corinthians 15:20
But in fact,
Christ has been
raised from the
dead.
Because Jesus Was Raised
From The Dead …
1. The Bible’s teachings are not
useless.
2. Our faith is not useless.
3. The Bible is not lying.
4. We are not still guilty of sin.
5. We are not still lost in death.
6. We are not to be pitied.
Because Jesus Was Raised
From The Dead …
• The Bible’s teachings are not
useless.

The Bible is valuable,

meaningful, and
significant.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is inspired by God
and is useful to teach us what is
true and to make us realize what is
wrong in our lives. It corrects us
when we are wrong and teaches us
to do what is right.  God uses it to
prepare and equip his people to do
every good work.
Because Jesus Was Raised
From The Dead …
• A Christian’s faith is not
useless.

Christians have
someone they can
trust absolutely.
Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all your
heart, And lean not on your own
understanding.

John 2:22
After he was raised from the dead, His
disciples remembered He had said
this, and they believed both the
Scriptures and what Jesus had said.
Because Jesus Was Raised
From The Dead …
• The Bible is not lying.

The Bible’s teachings

are absolutely
truthful.
Psalms 33:3-4
Sing a new song of praise to Him;
play skillfully on the harp, and
sing with joy. For the Word of the
LORD holds true, and we can
trust everything He does.
Because Jesus Was Raised
From The Dead …
• Christians are not still guilty
of sins.

Christians receive
complete forgiveness
of their sins.
Ephesians 1:6-8
So we praise God for the glorious
grace he has poured out on us who
belong to his dear Son. He is so
rich in kindness and grace that he
purchased our freedom with the
blood of his Son and forgave our
sins.  He has showered his
kindness on us, along with all
wisdom and understanding.
Because Jesus Was Raised
From The Dead …
• Dead Christians are not still
lost.

Christians never die

but go on living
joyfully forever.
John 10:27-29
My sheep listen to my voice; I
know them, and they follow me.  I
give them eternal life, and they
will never perish. No one can
snatch them away from me, for my
Father has given them to me, and
He is more powerful than anyone
else. No one can snatch them from
the Father’s hand.
Because Jesus Was Raised
From The Dead …
6. Christians who live are not
pitiful.

Christians are the

most fortunate people
alive.
Matthew 13:16-17
But blessed are your eyes,
because they see; and your ears,
because they hear.  I tell you the
truth, many prophets and
righteous people longed to see
what you see, but they didn’t see
it. And they longed to hear what
you hear, but they didn’t hear it.
1. The Bible’s teachings are
valuable and significant.
2. We have someone we can trust
absolutely that is always faithful.
3. The Bible teaches absolute truth.
4. We receive complete forgiveness
of our sins.
5. We will never die but will go on
living joyfully forever.
6. We are the most fortunate people
alive.