The Cornerstone of Our Faith (Tibor Shelley, 07/20/24)

So, today we're going to explore the cornerstone of the Christian faith.

The Apostle Paul wrote this epistle of 1 Corinthians around AD 55.

So this is approximately 25 years after the ascension of Jesus Christ, when Jesus Christ

went to heaven.

About 25 years later, you have a group in Corinth that have become Christians, and they've

not forgotten what they've done.

And Corinth was a significant city in ancient Greece, known for its wealth, its cultural

diversity, the moral decadency of the city.

And this young Christian community was facing various issues.

And some of the issues that they were dealing with was division, moral lapses, theological

confusion, and they were just needing some help.

So we see in the letter here written to address these issues and provide doctrinal instruction

and practical guidance.

So Paul provides us the answer to some of these issues, some of the core issues that

you might have in your own life as you're going through.

So encapsulated in Apostles, the words, we'll read them together, and we're going to start

with Corinthians 15.1.

And it says, My brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preach to you,

which you received and on which you have taken your stand.

By this gospel you are saved if you have hold firmly to the word I preach to you.

Otherwise you have believed in vain.

For I believed and I delivered to you first all that which is also received.

That what?

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

rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, that He was seen by Caiaphas,

then by the Twelve.

So brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel.

I want to remind you of the foundation of our faith.

We get so many different things.

Like some people will say, but the interpretation of Daniel in Revelation is the gospel.

No, it's good news, and it tells us of what the future will hold, but the gospel is what

we're going to talk about today, which is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ,

which you received, and I know that each one of you have at some point in your life.

So Paul reminds the Christians of what the gospel is, what they stand their faith upon,

and how they are saved.

He stresses the importance of holding fast to this message as it is the basis of their

salvation.

So let's read together verses three to five.

He says, for I delivered to you first of all that which I also received, that Christ died

for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried and that He rose again

the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Caiaphas, and then

by the Twelve.

Let's let that sink in a little bit.

Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He rose again on the third

day according to the Scriptures.

He was buried.

These are important truths, and often this text of Scripture has been considered a creed,

one of the earliest creeds of the Christian faith.

It encapsulates the essential elements of the gospel message that were of first importance

to Paul and the early church.

This passage affirms the reality of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, which are

founded in Christ's doctrines.

By presenting these truths, Paul admits to reinforcing the Corinthians' faith and resurrection

and giving them strength and helping them with their misconceptions.

He wanted them to understand that the resurrection is not just a future hope, but a present reality

that should impact their lives and their beliefs.

For Christians today, 1 Corinthians 15, 3 to 5 serves as a concise summary of the gospel,

reminding us of the historical and theological foundations of our faith.

This passage highlights three fundamental truths, Christ's death, His burial, and His

resurrection, these truths from the bedrock of our hope and our belief.

This is what we stand on.

It's the cornerstone of our faith.

On February 17, 1941, the monastery where Kobel worked was shut down by the German authorities.

That day, Kobel and four others were arrested by the Gestapo and imprisoned in Auschwitz.

As prisoner, he was number 16670.

Kobel was subject to violent harassment by the German guards.

It included things like beatings and lashings.

It was very brutal.

Once he was smuggled to a prison hospital by our friendly inmates, just because his

injuries were so severe.

At the end of July 1941, a prisoner escaped from the camp, promoting the deputy camp commander

to pick 10 men.

He said, these 10 men will be starved to death in an underground bunker to deter further

escapes.

Can you imagine these guys standing up, line upon line upon line of men in this concentration

camp, disheveled, hungry, away from home?

These soldiers came and just randomly picked 10 guys out.

Kobel saw this and one of the men screamed out.

He's like, my wife, my kids, I cannot die.

I have a family.

And Kobel, the guy from the monastery, volunteered to take his place.

He said, it's all right.

Take me instead.

So the Germans were like, okay, no problem.

We got to have 10.

That's what they said.

So according to eyewitnesses who was an assistant janitor at the time, the prisoner Kobel would

lead these 10 men in prayer.

And every time anyone would come into the prison cell, he would be calmly standing in

the center of these men or kneeling, praying, seeking God's wisdom and comfort.

They stayed there for two weeks.

They were starved and they were deprived of water.

And Kobel and only three others remained alive.

The guards wanted the bunker emptied, so they gave the four remaining prisoners lethal injections.

And Kobel was said to have raised his left arm and calmly waited for the deadly injection.

He died on 14th of October, 1941.

Willing to die so that someone else can live.

We have a death sentence on us.

Adam sinned and we live under the death penalty.

We are all sinners in need of a rescue from death.

Willing to die 2,000 years ago, Jesus who lived the perfect life as our substitute died

for our sins.

Verses three to five specifically summarize the core elements of the gospel.

This emphasizes the substitutionary atonement where Jesus took upon himself the punishment

of human sins, fulfilling the scriptures.

Isaiah 53, 5 says, but he was wounded for our transgressions.

He was bruised for our iniquities.

The chastisement of our peace was upon him and by his stripes we are healed.

Christ was treated as we deserve that we might be treated as he deserves.

Are you worried about sin?

Have you forgotten what was done for you?

Christ's death was not a mere event in history, but a divine exchange bearing the weight of

our sins and offering us his righteousness.

As Seventh-day Adventists, we understand that this sacrificial act calls us to live lives

reflecting his love and sacrifice.

One of the pioneers of our church said this about the topic, Joseph Bates.

He said, Christ's death provides the only secure foundation for our hope and the only

true solution to the problem of sin.

Christ's death provides the only secure foundation for our hope and the only true solution to

the problem of sin.

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received, Paul said, that Christ died

for our sins according to scripture.

Thirty-three men were trapped 2,300 feet underground and three miles from the entrance of the mine.

After the state-owned mining company eventually took over rescue efforts from the miners'

owners, the exploratory boreholes were drilled 2,300 feet down into the earth.

One hole after another, can they find where there are survivors?

Seventeen days they kept drilling holes, drilling holes, looking for something, some sign of

life.

The note was eventually found at the bottom of a drill bit as it was being pulled up.

On the note, you can imagine how hard and fast those survivors were riding, like, we've

got to get this up there.

It said, we are well in the shelter, the 33 of us.

So just imagine being in a dark cabin, your lights have gone dull, the batteries have

gone out, food, there's some survival food, but you're rationing and then 17 days later

something breaks through the ceiling and it's a drill bit.

And you know what a drill bit sounds like.

Maybe you heard it coming towards you closer and closer and closer.

And scrambling, they wrote a note telling people, we're alive, there's hope.

On October 2010, after 69 days, the men were winched to the surface one at a time.

In a special built capsule as an estimate, 5.3 million people watched this via video.

With few exceptions, they were in good medical condition with long term physical effects

and really nothing anticipated, they made it.

They came out of the ground.

Christ's burial represents the hidden phase where hope seemed lost, but God was at work

behind the scenes.

Ella White says it this way, to the believer, Christ is the resurrection and the life.

In our Savior, the life that was lost through sin is restored.

For He has life in Himself to quicken whom He will.

This confirms the reality of His death and sets the stage for a substitutional resurrection.

Romans 6, 4 says, therefore we are buried with Him through baptism into death.

That just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also

should walk in newness of life.

The burial of Christ symbolizes our own death to sin and our old self.

It calls us to a period of reflection and renewal, knowing that Christ's new life is

assured.

James White, who was married to Ella White, had this to say, in this burial, we see the

emblem of our rest from sin, a rest that leads to resurrection glory.

And He was buried.

Do you all remember the story of baby Jessica?

She fell into her aunt's backyard well on October 14, 1987, at the age of 18 months.

The incident occurred in Midland, Texas, where George W. Bush has a home, well, used to have

a home, where firemen and police developed this kind of plan.

She had been 20 feet down in the ground.

They could hear her singing songs.

One of the songs she sang was Winnie the Pooh.

And she sat there, crampled up.

She had one foot up to her, next to her cheek, surrounded by this hole, and she was like

this, just singing, 18-month-year-old girl.

So they had to get her out.

So they decided that what they'd do is they would create a hole next to her and drill

down past where she was at, and then come up to the right levitation and drill a cross

tunnel to where her tunnel was, her hole.

But they had all kinds of problems, because they didn't realize that the well was surrounded

by rock, by solid rock.

So they tried jackhammers, but jackhammers are only really for pushing down, not going

sideways.

So eventually, they came up with what was a new technology, and it was using water pressure

to cut their way through the rock.

And eventually, they did cut the way through the lock.

And 45 hours after Jessica fell into the well, the adjacent shaft and cross tunnel were complete.

During the drilling, rescuers could hear her continuing to sing, continuing to sing.

So eventually, a paramedic crawled into the hole.

And there's an interesting side story to this.

There was a man that was born without collarbones, and he said, I can get my shoulders and I

can, you know, collapse them.

And I should be able to go into the hole, because it was fairly narrow, even though

they had dug it.

I wouldn't fit.

I'm just a little big.

And so the point was, they really considered this guy going in, but they found someone

that was a paramedic, that was a small stature, and they thought that would be better.

But I thought that was a little bit of a side note that was kind of interesting.

So paramedic Robert O'Donnell was ultimately able to inch his way into the tunnel, and

he picked up Jessica, handed her off to another paramedic.

This is an interesting story, because it reflects the actionable reality of Christ's life, because

Jesus rose, just like Jessica rose.

And he rose again on the third day according to scriptures.

Now we know that Jessica wasn't dead, but the concept is you're deep in the ground,

and you come out.

And Jesus came out of the grave.

He rose.

Picture the sunrise after a long, dark night.

I've done this many times driving across the country.

And you're driving, and you get around two, three o'clock in the morning, and you're like,

you know, barely make it.

And you wonder if you're going to fall asleep, and you look at your family around you, and

you're energized just a little bit more.

And then the sun starts to break.

And you can see the beautiful sunrise and the colors of deep purple and orange and a

little bit of blue.

And eventually the sun starts to shine in your eyes, and that really wakes you up.

But that's kind of what it's like.

Christ is like the sunrise that dispels the darkness of death and despair.

Ellen White puts it beautifully.

She said in Great Controversy, Christ's resurrection is the guarantee to every believer's resurrection.

Death is no longer a foe, but a defeated enemy.

Christ's resurrection on the third day, this highlights the fulfillment of prophecy and

the validation of Jesus' divine nature.

In John 11, it says, Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life.

He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live.

And whoever lives believes in me, shall never die.

Do you believe this?

He asks.

The resurrection of Christ assures us of our future resurrection and eternal life.

It empowers us to live boldly for Christ, knowing that death is not the end, but the

beginning of a glorious eternity with our Savior.

I like what some of our early Adventist authors and leaders used to say.

And I often get a chance, I try to read or research that.

Uriah Smith said something on the resurrection that I think is rather powerful.

He said, the resurrection of Christ is the crowning proof of our faith.

Without it, our hope would be in vain, but with it, we have the assurance of eternal

life.

Isn't that nice?

That's what we hang on to.

Christ's resurrection on the third day, according to scriptures, is crucial, validating his

divinity and the truth of his teachings.

The resurrection is not only a miracle, but also a fulfillment of prophecy.

In Psalm 1610 and Hosea 6-2, proving that Jesus is the promised Messiah.

First Corinthians 15, 3-5 fits the several key doctrines that we have as a church.

You might say, really?

Is it clearly stated?

Let me give you an idea.

On our foundational belief, number nine, the life and death of resurrection of Christ.

It's called the atonement.

This belief centers on the pivotal events of Christ's life, including his sacrificial

death, burial, and resurrection, which are explicitly referred to here in First Corinthians.

Then there's the fundamental belief, number 26.

The belief emphasizes that Christ's resurrection is the assurance of the resurrection of all

who believe in him.

Adventists believe that those who die in Christ will be resurrected to eternal life when Jesus

returns.

Fundamental belief, number 10, also relates to the experience of salvation, highlighting

the process by which believers accept the gospel and its transforming power.

The belief emphasizes that salvation is through faith in Jesus, sacrificial death, and resurrection.

The text underscores the transformative power of accepting the gospel and leading a new

life in Christ.

But then there's fundamental belief, number 24.

Although not explicitly mentioned in this text, the implications of Christ's death,

burial, and resurrection include his ongoing ministry in the heavenly sanctuary.

As our high priest and advocate, the resurrection signifies the beginning of Christ's ministry

in the heavenly sanctuary, interceding on our behalf and because of humanity.

Christ is the King of Kings.

He is the Lord of Lords.

He is the one that has made it all possible.

So I'm just here to remind you today of what the foundations of our faith are.

Maybe listening to other Christian preachers of sermons, you may hear things on the radio

or on the television, but I want you to be assured that as a Seventh-day Adventist, you

rely on these three things, and this is the foundation of our faith.

And so if today you didn't realize that, I ask you to accept it as your faith.

And if you're forgotten, maybe got caught up in theology or the splitting of hairs as

we do so well in our theology, I ask you to just remember what 1 Corinthians 15 says,

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

was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.

That's what we believe.

That's our hope.

That's what gets us through.

And I love the way Paul puts it here at the very beginning of the chapter.

He says, now brothers, I want to clarify for you the gospel.

And I hope I've been able to do that for you today.

Clarify the gospel.

This is what it means to be Seventh-day Adventist.

This is what it means to be a Christian.

It's to know and to believe and to have faith in what Jesus has done for us.

Let's bow our heads with prayer.

Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for the great good news of your gospel.

We thank you for your power to cleanse us and to wash us, to take the penalty of our

sins, to be buried and to raise, to live again.

We thank you, Lord, that you can live inside our lives.

And we thank you for what you have done.

The very simple but unforgettable gospel.

It's profound in its simplicity.

And we thank you, Lord.

Amen.