1 Corinthians 15:6-11

⁶ Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters 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.

Notes

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Sermon Recap

Spend a few minutes reading 1 Corinthians 15:6-11 and recapping the sermon.

1. The Big Idea in this week’s message is: The bodily resurrection of Jesus is an historic fact you can build your life on.
2. The risen Jesus physically appeared to many people. Most of these eyewitnesses were available to verify the claim of resurrection at the time this letter to the Corinthian church was written.
3. Eastern people were interested in facts, did not shy away from presenting facts that were personally embarassing or that created barriers to belief for others, and were not gullible or superstitious. They were not predisposed to believe in or manufacture a resurrection in a way any different from modern people.
4. The Resurrection Turned Critics into Christians - opponents and enemies of The Church turned into committed disciples of Jesus who gave up power, privelege, and wealth - even to the point of death - because of what they witnessed and believed.
5. The risen Jesus continues to act in and through his Church.
6. Since Jesus has been resurrected by the God of Israel, his disciples can look forward to their own resurrection into New Creation.

Sermon Discussion Questions

As you reflect on the passage and the sermon, remember to think in terms of knowing, feeling, and doing: What is revealed to be true, what you feel about that truth (desires/affections), and how you respond to it (behavior) individually and corporately.

1. Paul appeals to eyewitness testimony and first hand experience as evidence to the resurrection. What convinces you that the resurrection of Jesus is a legitimate claim?
2. What are some compelling objections to the resurrection of Jesus? How do you make sense of these objections vs. the claims of the apostles?
3. Paul ties the resurrection of Jesus into a future hope for resurrection - how does the resurrection of Jesus guarantee that future hope?
4. What does the guarantee of a future resurrection mean for the way you live now?
5. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul says that anyone who is “in Christ” is “New Creation”, now. How do you see that reality embodied in your life now? How do you see that embodied in your relationships?
6. What is your first-hand experience of the resurrected Jesus? What is your eyewitness testimony to his life? How do you tell your Jesus Stories at work, in your neighborhood, in your home, in your community?