SERMON TITLE: But By The Grace of God
TEXT: 1 Corinthians 15:10
SPEAKER: Jon McKanna
DATE: 3/6/2022
Watch the sermon here.
You can find the sermon notes here.
Good morning everyone; my name is Jon. I’m the Director of Worship and Communications here at Gateway Church, as well as the North Main Campus Pastor. It’s great to be with each of you this morning. As always I want to say welcome to my favorite people at Gateway Church, the North Main Campus. I’m thankful for everyone there this morning making the services happen while I'm here and thankful for this opportunity to be sharing from God’s Word with each of you.
This year we started a new series entitled "Deep Cuts" where elders and staff members are sharing a verse or verses that may speak to us on a deeper level. I'm sure that many of you, when you hear that description, have a verse or a handful of them that have simply stuck with you over the years. Many of them are rooted in circumstances that you were facing at one point in your life, a specific trial or struggle that you found yourself in. Maybe you were reading and found a verse that encouraged you during that time. Or you have a friend who shared a passage of Scripture with you as a source of encouragement. The words spoke a clear message and you just had to memorize them, mark them in your Bible, or you wrote it down in your journal.
Other verses like this may have been taught to you when you were young and to this day you can recite them. I remember going to The Wilds Christian Camp when I was in high school and having to recite the same verse before every meal. We would all say it together, "Whether therefore you eat or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31" At the time I was sure that they had us recite the verse just to keep from having food fights break out, and maybe it was, but I know that there have been multiple times in my life since then where there was a definite need and application for that verse and it came to mind because I had memorized it years ago.
When I think of verses like this, I could go to so many different chapters of the Psalms that I've been drawn to at one point or another during my time in worship ministry. Probably my favorite book in the New Testament, the book of Colossians, is full of verses that I love to go back and read and I'll share one of them later this year. But for today, we are going to look at 1 Corinthians 15:10. So if you have your Bible with you, please turn there now. While you're doing that, I'll give a little bit of context to what it is we're going to be focusing on today. 1 Corinthians is a letter written by Paul to the church in Corinth. It's his fourth letter written to the churches. If you read in Acts 18, that's where you find Paul arriving in Corinth towards the end of his second missionary journey. He spends about 18 months there in the city and during that time, he plants the church he's writing this letter to.
The city of Corinth was in a prime location near a land bridge that connected the mainland of Greece to its peninsula, Peloponnesus . Due to that fact, the city benefited greatly, bringing many travelers, trades, and shipments through. It's been said that, "In Paul's day, it was probably the wealthiest city in Greece and a major, multicultural urban center." (Craig L. Blomberg, The NIV Application Commentary: 1 Corinthians (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994), 19.) That point of being multicultural is credited in the chapter that I mentioned a minute ago, Acts 18. Paul arrives in Corinth and doesn't start with meeting someone who's local, someone who's born and raised there, but he meets a man named Aquila who had just arrived there with his wife Priscilla. Paul himself was traveling to Corinth as was this couple from Italy. This gives credit to the fact that Corinth was a gathering place for other cultures. Those cultures would've no doubt brought different beliefs with them. And Paul found that this was having an impact on the church. Paul is trying to identify and bring solutions to problems and divisions within the church, part of which has most likely been brought on by the influx of people. The specific topic of our chapter being centered around the resurrection of Jesus and the resurrection for followers of Christ.
To sum it all up, we have Paul writing a letter to a multicultural church he's invested a lot of time in and addressing division over the resurrection. So with that in mind let's go ahead and read our passage for today, the first 11 verses of 1 Corinthians 15.
1Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 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. (1 Corinthians 15:1-11, ESV)
Paul starts out with a reminder. He starts by reminding them of the gospel message that he not only shared with them, but they believed and held onto. He literally lays it out in simple understandable form: Christ died, was buried, and was raised on the third day. This was first and foremost what he had preached to them. This is what they had believed. And now there was some sort of division as some believed contrary to this truth. It's as if some of those in the church have forgotten what he had shared.
Now I don't know about you, but this is something I can relate to. One instance would be having a conversation with someone and maybe it's an hour later or a week later, but they swear you never told them about whatever topic you had discussed. In our house, it usually has to do with our schedule and the words, "I know I told you" or "We just talked about this the other day" come out. Still one of the two people involved has forgotten the conversation even took place.
Or if that's not you, it could be something like when I have somewhere to go, maybe it's a run to the store or a meeting at work, and for whatever reason my kids are going to be at home alone for a little bit. So I have Molly and Cooper come to the kitchen and make sure they can hear my instructions. They each have a couple jobs to get completed around the house before I get back. For those that don't know, my kids are old enough to be left at home and also old enough to complete simple tasks like making a bed, putting their laundry away, or cleaning their rooms. But inevitably, I return home to find that one or both of them "forget" what it was they were supposed to do. We had the talk and everyone said they understood. Sometimes I even write it down for them. But they still forget.
This is where I envision Paul as he's reminding them of the gospel message that they had heard and believed. He's thinking, "How could they forget this?" "Didn't wejust talk about this?" "I thought you understood?" And did you notice the phrase that's repeated in his recounting of the gospel? Twice Paul says, "in accordance with the Scriptures." Paul is making sure they remember that this was already recorded. He wants to make sure they realize this isn't about him or the fact that he had brought them the gospel. Paul's making sure they remembered where the message came from. While he had already shared it with them, it was something that he had received as well. This gospel message was God's plan of redemption and had been revealed to God's people. Paul's reminding them that Christ's death and resurrection was talked about in the Old Testament. Let's start with Isaiah 53:1-6.
Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:1-6, ESV)
Here's a written account from the prophet Isaiah which would've been a familiar passage to the church and most likely familiar to some of us as well. But this serves as an example that the gospel Paul had shared with them when he was originally there, wasn't just something he had come up with. It's just reminding them of the fact that this had been recorded. Then another passage in the Old Testament referring to the gospel and specifically to the resurrection of Christ is found in Psalm 16. Then Peter quotes it in Acts 2. This is where Peter is preaching at Pentecost with great boldness. Listen to what he says starting with verse 22.
22 “People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. 23 But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. 24 But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip.
25 King David said this about him: (here's where he's quoting Psalm 16) ‘I see that the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. 26 No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts his praises! My body rests in hope. 27 For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave. 28 You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence. 29 “Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn’t referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. 30 But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David’s own descendants would sit on his throne. 31 David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah’s resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave. 32 “God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. (Acts 2:22-32, NLT)
Again, Paul didn't just tell them some random story that he hoped they would believe as he shared the gospel, it was written about in the Old Testament. He wasn't the one coming up with this message all on his own. This was something that God had planned and carried out through the life, death, and resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ. It had been written out and talked about more than once. Yet there were some in the church who had forgotten or were living as if they had forgotten. It would appear as though some were following the influence of a different teaching or belief. So they needed a reminder and Paul was providing it.
We all need reminders from time to time, don't we? I mean, I know I do. I have to write things down or they will be forgotten. There are simply too many things going on in a day's time for me to remember which child has to be at what activity on any given day of the week. Let alone what temperature to set the oven at and how long to cook whatever it is that we're having for dinner that night. Because at the same time, the laundry needs to be transferred from the washer to the dryer and the dog needs to be fed and I'm sure there's a bill to pay. It is amazing what all my calendar gets filled with that I don't have the option of declining. Just the other day, I had to deliver strawberries to Bluffton…in March.
It's not like when I'm at work and I can decline meetings because I have other things that need done. Maybe you have a coworker like this, but I have a coworker named Adam. He's always sending me meeting requests to talk about the mural of himself that he wants to put up. Of course we need to meet at Waffle House to discuss it even though I've already said no 7 times. All I have to do is hit decline. Not at home! The things at home have to be done. But I need reminders to make sure they do get done and done without burning dinner.
God sends us reminders, too, because he knows that we need them. Sometimes those reminders come as we are reading his Word or when a friend shares a verse with us, like I spoke of earlier. When we take the time to study God's Word, we're reminded of how big or how faithful God is. Or maybe the reminders come as we're listening to a sermon and hear truth shared in such a way that you think the pastor is speaking directly into your current situation. Another way God reminds us of things is through hardship. Whether it's a physical ailment we have to deal with, the loss of a job, broken relationships, or even the loss of a loved one…we're often reminded of how he's in control and we're not. We're often reminded of how complex but fragile his creation is.
Paul follows up his reminder, with some supporting evidence. He gives them a list of eye witnesses to the truth of the gospel, specifically speaking of the resurrection of Christ. Let's jump back into our passage, starting with verse 5.
5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. (1 Corinthians 15:5-7, ESV)
In case it's needed, Paul gives more credibility to this message and more reason for them to believe in the resurrection. As I was reading one commentary the author quotes Spurgeon on this very passage saying, "...for this historical fact is attested by more witnesses than almost any other fact that stands on record in history, whether sacred or profane." (https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/1-corinthians-15/) Not only had this been written or recorded long ago, there were over 500 witnesses to Jesus' resurrection, which is more than enough evidence in Paul's mind for them to remember and to believe.
Many of you may notbe aware of this, but in my previous line of work, facts, credibility, and evidence were a big deal. I served as a probation officer in Lima for quite a few years. From my time working in the criminal justice system there are multiple cases in which I'll never forget the evidence that was presented in court as I would often have to do an investigation and review cases before sentencing. Then, if I were to take a client before the judge for a probation violation, I needed evidence. It couldn't just be my word against theirs. I needed proof. Probably the funniest piece of evidence I came across was when my office mate, Kathy, asked me to administer a drug screen for a male client. This definitely wasn't the most exciting part of the job, but something that I had done many times. Only this time as I'm standing in the restroom what appears to be a large plastic bag falls to the floor out of the client's shorts. It had a plastic tube coming from it and was ⅓ full of a yellow colored liquid. Here he had purchased a fake bladder and was trying to pass a test that he would have otherwise failed. But it didn't work out so well for him. Much like Paul in our text for today, we had more than enough evidence for the case we were presenting to the judge!
Enough of that, let's get back to Paul, as he is putting himself on the stand to provide some evidence. He's now sharing personal testimony. So let's read from our passage starting with verse 8.
8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 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. (1 Corinthians 15:8-10, ESV)
Paul tells them that he too is a witness of the resurrection. While giving some credentials he keeps it on the humble side. Paul was literally chosen last, he wasn't one of the original 12. He is also well aware, as are those reading the letter, that there was a time in his life where he was God's enemy. In verse 9, he is showing us that while he's been forgiven, he still remembers the sin of his past. Paul remembers how he had persecuted the church and led others in doing the same. One commentator puts it this way, "Paul felt - rightly so - that his sins were worse because he was responsible for the death, imprisonment, and suffering of Christians, whom he persecuted before his life was changed by Jesus." (https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/1-corinthians-15/)
There is no doubt in my mind that there are people today, including me, who know how to remember the past like Paul does in these verses. We are quick to remember the times in our lives where we weren't living in a way that would bring God honor and glory. Maybe there was a time in your life where it was obvious you weren't living according to the Spirit but according to the flesh. In doing so, you made some really poor decisions. Not only did those decisions cost you greatly but they also had a great impact on others around you. We're all human, so I would dare to say that some are feeling a little uneasy at this moment because that describes where you are in life right now. You've been making poor decisions, doing things that you know are wrong but you haven't told anyone or asked for help. If that's you, please don't check out, keep listening. There's some good news coming next.
But first, before I get to the good news, I want to stop and make sure to note what Paul didn't do here. Yes, he remembers. But in remembering the sin of his past, he didn't dwell on it. He didn't allow a guilt trip to set in. He didn't question God's grace or love for him. Paul had experienced the grace and forgiveness of God through Jesus. He knew that he'd been forgiven. Don't you wish it was just that easy. Maybe it is for you? But I wish I didn't get shaken by reminders of the past. Sometimes it just takes one word or one person to remind me of it and my mind can be quick to condemn. Thankfully, there are people like Paul to help us in those moments. Thankfully, we can turn to God's word and be reminded of the truth.
What comes next is why I love this passage and what I hope everyone hears very clearly today. It comes in the next six words. Paul says, "BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD…" he knows and wants everyone else to know that it's only because of a gracious God that he's not the man he was before. He's not the same man that was throwing followers of Christ in prison or calling for their death. He's no longer standing in opposition to God and fighting against him. Paul had an encounter with the grace of God; he had an encounter with Jesus and his life was changed. There was only one reason or source for that change…it was the gospel. It was Jesus that changed him. So while Paul could've tried to take credit for the change, he didn't.
He acknowledges that it's all God's doing. BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD: he received the gospel message. BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD: he was forgiven and cleansed from his sin. BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD: he was sharing the gospel message with others, including those in Corinth. BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD: he's holding on to the truth shared with him and he's now in a position to call others to do the same. And again, how is this all possible? BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD! That same is true for us today.
As I was preparing and trying to finish writing this sermon, for whatever reason, I just got stopped in my tracks at this point. I was reminded of a verse to a very familiar song in the history of the church. In that verse are the words, "How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed." While that grace was precious to him when he first encountered Jesus, Paul hadn't forgotten how precious that grace is. He hadn't forgotten the One who had shown him that grace. When I look at my own life, and as we often do…I look at the lives around me…there are times when I question whether that's true. I think we forget both of those things. I think we can be quick to forget how precious God's grace is and how precious the One is showing us the grace, maybe we even forget our need for his grace.
Not Paul. He says it's all about God. It's only by God's grace. Paul is the person that he is because of God. Because of the grace that God has shown him and continues to show him. That's what he wants them to see. One commentator puts it this way, "Paul acknowledges his inferiority as an apostle because he had persecuted the first Christians…But he turns this admission of weakness into an opportunity to magnify God's grace. And that grace did not lead to sloth but to greater effort and substantial accomplishment." (Craig L. Blomberg, The NIV Application Commentary: 1 Corinthians (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994), 297.) Paul wanted to make sure that the grace that God has shown is not in vain. It's this idea that he doesn't want anyone to think that God wasted his grace on Paul. So what does he do? He works harder than anyone else. He does all that he can to show how great that grace of God is. Then Paul finishes out with the statement that even his hard work…isn't him. Even his hard work is God's grace at work.
I pray that we're reminded of how precious God's grace is today and challenged to show the work of his grace through our lives each day.
Paul reiterates his focus on God receiving the glory as he ends this section. Let's look at verse 11 one more time.
11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. (1 Corinthians 15:11, ESV)
For Paul it didn't matter who was sharing the gospel, only that the gospel was being shared. Because when it's shared, people believe, lives are changed, and God receives glory. Paul takes the opportunity to remind them one more time that they had believed as he finishes out these verses.
So why does this passage stick out so much to me? Well, I may not have persecuted Christians, but I know every detail of my life. I can remember poor decisions. I know the ugly of the past and get reminded of it from time to time. I'm also human and still have struggles in my life. I still have times when I get caught up by my selfish desires. I still need God's grace working in my life each and every day.
If you stop in my office at the North Main Campus, you can see a name placard on my bookshelf. It's got my name and the words Probation Officer on it. I keep it as a reminder of where I've been. Not just with that job but in all of life. I see where I am today, working in full time ministry for 10 years now. I'm currently working at the healthiest church I've ever been a part of. I see the family that God has blessed me with. I see the friends that have surrounded us at various times during this journey and I know that all of this is BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD. It's surely nothing that I deserve and nothing that I've earned.
And while it's not something I earn, like Paul did, I still work. I work hard in light of God's grace, striving to be known for my hard work. So that no one thinks God is wasting his grace on me. So that God is receiving glory through my life. That's why this passage sticks out to me.
So if you're here today and you've experienced the grace of God in your life, I hope that you've been reminded of how precious it is. I hope that you've once again been challenged to bring glory to God because of his grace at work in your life.
But if you're here today and you've never experienced God's grace or you've just found yourself living according to your flesh the last few days or months and you're in need of the grace of God, I pray that today you reach out to someone around you, one of the staff, or someone on the prayer team. I pray that you've been challenged to not just remember your sin but to repent of it, to turn from it. I pray that you experience the change that comes from an encounter with the grace of God, from an encounter with the gospel truth, from an encounter with Jesus Christ.
Paul's life shows us that we can't have an encounter with Jesus, we can't have an encounter with the grace of God and not be changed. And we may need some reminders along the way… I think we all need to be a little more like Paul, telling others the gospel message that has been shared with us, working hard because of God's grace and realizing that what we have, who we are, what we're able to do in life…it's all BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD.
This week, I pray that we all go, remembering how precious God's grace is and living in such a way that brings him honor and glory.
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