Have you opened your Bibles to 1 Corinthians? 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians 15, look with me beginning with verse one. Just want to look at a few verses of Scripture together this morning, but 1 Corinthians 15, verse one. Paul writes here, he says, moreover brethren, I declare unto you the gospel. the gospel.

It's the good news. It's glad tidings. It declares that one day the body of God's saints will be raised again and made like unto his glorious body. The body of the Lord Jesus Christ Paul says, I declared unto you the gospel which I preached unto you.

Following the example of our Lord, our Lord went about preaching the gospel. He went about declaring the truth, preaching the word of God. With that in mind, how important is it How important is this gospel? How important is it that we faithfully declare it? It's the gospel of his glory. The glory of God, God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

And we declare this gospel not to exalt man. In no way is this gospel meant to exalt man. It's meant to exalt one. It's meant to exalt him, man. Man is dead in trespasses and sin. Man is sinful, he's without help, without hope, without God in this world. This gospel, the true gospel, puts man where he belongs. It puts him in the dust. It puts him at his feet. It exalts God who is overall blessed forever.

The gospel, we declare it for the glory of God. This gospel, the preaching of the gospel, it's to the salvation of his people. We read in the word of God that it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. This world and all of its earthly wisdom, It fails to recognize and know the true and living God. It fails to recognize Him in His wisdom and in His purpose. That which He's been pleased to reveal through His work, the salvation, a salvation purchased, a salvation promised, a salvation purchased, a salvation provided. through His Son, through the Lord Jesus Christ.

And this is done through the very means which this world calls foolishness, the preaching of the gospel. What happens in most so-called houses of worship in these days is nothing but entertainment. And the wise men of this world, the so-called wise men of this world, will be left to perish in their sins, being ignorant of God. And this gospel that is despised of men, it is declared to be the power of God unto salvation.

It's so important. It is so, so important that we preach the word, that we simply preach the word. You know, it would be easy, it'd be so easy to get caught up in the things of this world. We fight with that enough outside of these walls, don't we? But when we come into this house, when we gather in His name, it's for the preaching of the word. It's to worship Him.

And we declare this gospel, not just here, but this is the command, go ye into all the world and preach the gospel. And we declare this gospel for the edification of God's people, Saints, again, not to entertain, but to edify, to build up, to comfort, to encourage. Paul writing to the Romans, he said, now, to him that is of the power to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ.

According to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began. But now, now it's manifest, it's made known by the scriptures and the prophets according to the commandments of the everlasting God, made known by the obedience of faith to the only wise God. Be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Forever. This gospel we're preaching, listen, we're to guard it. To guard against error.

If they speak not according to the word, it's because there is no light in them. Listen to this scripture. It says, but though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we've preached unto you, Let him be accursed. As we said before, so now I say again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that which we've preached, let him be accursed. In this gospel, it's to be preached clearly. It's to be preached plainly.

Paul said this, he said this in the Corinthians, he said, Christ sent me not to baptize, but for this one reason, to preach the gospel. And he said, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should become of none effect. The preaching of the gospel, it's not with And I'm thankful for it's not with man's wisdom. It's not with eloquence. It's not with some great oratory. It's not a show of false piety and false modesty. But rather, it's to be preached in humility.

I have no doubt. Paul could have truly, he was a well-educated man. Paul knew a lot. He'd been brought up under some of the greatest teachers of the time. Paul could have certainly wowed a crowd. He could have used large words. He could have got real fancy.

But listen, his message. was the clear and plain message of God's free and sovereign grace in the Lord Jesus Christ. Simple, I love that, don't you? Simple and to the point. Brother Henry wrote this in his Sunday school commentary. He said, when men's ears and minds are tickled and entertained by our human wisdom and eloquence, The gospel of Christ, it's pushed aside. And nothing remains but just dead, cold theology. Listen to our text again.

He said, I declare unto you the gospel. The gospel I preached unto you, the gospel, he says, by which also you have received. Isn't it a wonderful thing to hear the gospel? He said, you received it. You were converted by it. You received it with all gladness and all joy, with all readiness of mind, with cheerfulness. You received it in love. And you said, I believe, I believe this gospel. And never, never to depart from it. We read this, it says here in the text, it's the gospel wherein you stand.

This gospel declares that the Lord Jesus Christ is all of our hope. The hope I have is in him. It's all our peace. If I have any peace, it's in the Lord Jesus Christ and it is all of our salvation. Let's read on in our text. 1 Corinthians 15 verse 2.

It's the gospel declared. Verse 2, by which also ye are saved. By hearing this gospel, by believing this gospel, by receiving the gospel of Christ, his people are saved. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Paul told the Romans, he said, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to everyone that believeth, that believeth. Turn to Mark 16, Mark chapter 16. Mark 16 verse 15, our Lord speaking to his disciples. Mark 16, 15.

And he said unto them, go ye into all the world, preach the gospel to every creature, he that believeth. He that believeth this gospel and is baptized. He that believes him and confesses him in believers baptism. That's a public confession of him. We confess him in heart. Remember Philip, he asked the eunuch, or he told the eunuch, he said, if you believe with what? With your head? He said, if you believe with all your heart. The gospel reaches the heart of man. And listen, confessing him publicly, it's a public confession that occurs after we believe, not prior to. It says, he that believeth and is baptized. shall be saved. But he that believeth not shall be damned."

The gospel preached, the gospel by which you're saved. He says, if you keep in memory, back to our text, back in 1 Corinthians 15, if you keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless you believed in vain, if you hold fast to what I have preached, Well, what did Paul preach? What was the gospel that he preached? What was the gospel that he declared? The gospel that the saints of God, his people, believe.

Well, look here again at our text, 1 Corinthians 15 verse 3. He's going to tell us. He said, I deliver it unto you. First of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. Paul says, I preached the gospel just as I received it. He's not gonna tell us about a dream he had. He's not going to tell us some interpretation of what he thinks something means. He didn't say, this is what I think. He says, I delivered unto you that which I received, that which was given to me. In Galatians 1, Paul told the church at Galatians, he said, I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which is preached of me, it's not after man.

I didn't receive it by man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. His word is revealed to his people. It's made known to his people. He said, I delivered to you that which I received. This gospel's not of any, it's not of any private interpretation. It's simply saying what God's word It's already said. It's the same message declared throughout the scripture. In this gospel, I love the truth of it. I love the simplicity of it. I love the power of it. I love the certainty of it. And here it is in this text, he says, first thing he says here is, Christ died. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Anointed One, He died. He actually died. He said this, he said, I lay down my life for the sheep.

Caiaphas, I don't know if he knew what he was saying or not, But what he said was true. It was expedient. It was a good thing that one man should die for the people. Luke 23, 46, when Jesus cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. And having said thus, he gave up the ghost. He laid down his life. He died. Second, stay here in our text.

He died for our sins. He died to satisfy God's divine justice. He died to save his people from their sin. Call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sin. The wages of sin is death. Sin requires death. And he died. He died for his people. He died the just for the unjust. We sing, there's a hymn we sing, it says, bearing shame and scoffing rude, In my place condemned he stood, sealed my pardon with his blood.

Hallelujah. What a savior. Turn with me to Romans chapter three. Romans three. Verse 25. We read, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God, to declare, I say at this time, his righteousness. that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. He reconciled us to God by the obedience of his death, by the obedience of his sacrifice.

Isaiah wrote back there, he said, surely he hath borne our griefs. Would we read there? He died for our sins. Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. He died for our sins. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him. He died for our sins and by his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray. We've turned everyone to his own way. He died for our sins. The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He died for our sins, for the transgression of my people. We just read that, didn't we? For the transgression of my people was he stricken. Third, he died for our sins according to the scriptures, according to the word of God.

Those Old Testament scriptures. every promise, every prophecy ever recorded, and the law and prophets concerning him. All of them were fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord revealed that to his disciples in Luke 24. He started at Moses. Wouldn't you love to just sit and listen to that? He started at Moses and the prophets. And He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning who?

Him. There's just one message. And it concerns the Lord Jesus Christ. I see these places offer different themes, different subjects, different talking points. We come into this house, we gather in his name for what purpose? To worship him. The gospel declares Christ. He spoke and said, these are the words which I've spake unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms concerning me. Concerning Christ. The Old Testament contained everything in the New Testament in picture and prophecy.

Go back there and we read about that lamb slain. Don't we love to hear about that lamb slain? Why? Because it's talking about Christ. That serpent lifted up. What's that about? It's about the Lord Jesus Christ. That rock smitten. The Lord Jesus Christ, the New Testament, it's the Old Testament plainly revealed to Him. To Him give all the prophets witness that through His name, whosoever believeth in Him shall receive the remission of sins. He died. The Lord Jesus Christ died. Why? He died for our sins. He bore our sins in His body on the tree. He died for our sins according to the Scripture.

Look at verse 4 of 1 Corinthians 15. Verse 4, and he was buried, and he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. Here's the fourth point. He was buried. He was buried. His lifeless body was taken down from that tree, wrapped in linen, laid in a sepulcher that was hewn in stone where never a man laid. You see that Christ, he was buried.

And we've experienced this to some degree, haven't we? We've had loved ones pass away and their friends pass away and they're taken to the cemetery and they're buried, they're placed in the ground. The Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ, He died according to the scriptures and He was buried.

God's Word says this, that He made His grave with the wicked. Our Lord said, as Jonah was three days and three nights in the heart of the well, so must the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the earth. And one of the reasons we bury folks, this body, when it dies, it immediately begins to decay. Just minutes after death, this body begins to decay.

Lazarus. Remember that account of Lazarus? Lazarus had been dead for four days. Four days, and when the Lord went to heal him, Martha said, he's been in the grave four days, his body stinketh. It had began to decay. Christ was buried, but listen, unlike the body of any other person that's been laid in the grave, his body did not see corruption.

He took our sins, the sins of His people. He bore our sins in His body on the tree. He was made sin and He took those sins and He claimed them. He took them to Himself and He hung on Calvary's tree. The consequence of sin, He had to die. Those sins laid on Him. All my iniquity on Him was laid. the sins of his people, the guilt of his people, the wrath of God for sin.

Corruption, every consequence of sin, he took it and he bore it all on a tree. But it had no effect on him. Oh death, where is thy sting? Oh grave, where is thy victory? Sting of death is sin, and the strength of the sin is law, but thanks be to God who give us the victory, the victory through the Lord Jesus Christ. He didn't suffer His Holy One to see corruption. Turn with me to John chapter 19. Just another thought on this burial, John 19. And while you turn there, I want you to consider this.

It was in the garden. It was in the garden that Adam sinned. In the garden where Adam disobeyed God, it was in the garden where Adam fell. Do you have John 19? Look at verse 40. Then took they the body of Jesus, and they wound it in linen clothes and spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury, and in the place where he was crucified there was a garden. And in that garden, a new sepulcher where never man yet laid. And they laid Jesus, therefore, because of the Jews' preparation day for the sepulcher was nigh at hand." Sin entered in in a garden. And sin was put away in a garden.

Christ died. He died for our sins. He died according to the scriptures, and he was buried. And quickly, look at the last point here, 1 Corinthians 15, 3. He rose again according to the scriptures. a risen Savior, a victorious Savior, raised from the dead, never, never to die again. And those that died with Him, those who are risen with him. The law, sin, death have no charge against us. For the price has been fully paid. God's law is honored. His justice is satisfied. He's risen. He lives. And because he lives, his people live.

Let me read this to you just in closing. Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel, which I preached unto you, which also you've received and wherein you stand, by which also you're saved. If you keep in memory what I preached unto you unless you believed in vain, for I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received. How? 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. Oh, I pray he'd reveal that to us, make that plain to us, cause us to rest in