Dustin Blumer Sermon 323 - 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Hope for t Outcas Hey, Happy Easter! Who’s ready for a great sermon on the resurrection of Jesus Christ! No death was not match for Jesus. He came back and secured hope and salvation and eternal life for all who believe! Hallelujah and Amen. And on this Easter a special welcome to those new to Amazing Love. And I wanted to ask, “When is the last time you felt you didn’t belong or you felt you just didn’t fit in?” To talk about this I wanted to bring up this man, Justin Timberlake. JT. Ultra cool guy. And for Timberlake it’s like where does he not fit in? He’s a musician, actor, comedian, style guru, family man, and who can not forget and probably most important one of the original members of the Mickey Mouse Club. There he is with Ryan Gosling. Yes, he seems to fit everywhere. I don’t know about you, but I think he would fit in here at Amazing Love. Love to have you buddy. But this passed week he accepted an award as innovator, and gave a speech remembering a time when he didn’t fit in. “Growing up in school no one called me anything close to an innovator. They called me different, they called me weird, they called me a couple other words I can’t say on tv.” And I was like, but you were on the Mickey Mouse Club - how was that possible? Didn’t they know? How could they make him feel like he didn’t belong. But it shows us just how common this experience can be. This feeling that you don’t belong. Recently, I came into a new environment. I transferred gyms to LA Fitness, and whenever you’re in a new environment you’re on the look out to see if you do or don’t belong. And I worked out a couple times there and especially the first day I have this sense that they are going to come up and say, “Are you kidding me. What do you think you are doing here. Yep, this is all wrong. You got to go.” And I’m not sure what they would even pick on, they’d just be like you are all wrong. Wrong outfit, wrong body type, wrong personality - just all wrong. So you know what I’m talking about - this feeling that we just don’t belong. Maybe it came to you at school, and there was a group talking or playing, and it was evident you were not invited to the group. Or at work and everyone else is hanging out together, but you. This is common. Well, welcome to amazing love and members of Amazing Love help me out, raise your voices. Do our guests and visitors belong here today?! Turn to your neighbor and say you belong. We belong because the God over all has open arms to welcome his children home. Each and everyone belongs because God so loved he world that he sent his Son. We belong because he wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. But here’s what I know about you. At one point you and maybe even today you felt you didn’t belong in God’s family. That you didn’t feel worthy of God’s acceptance. And here’s why that’s true: Before the Gospel call we all feel like we don’t belong. And that anyway was Paul’s experience. He felt like an outcast. Let’s get into one verse of the lesson. Skip down to v.8. Now when he refers to himself as “abnormally born.” That’s a euphemistic translation. You know what a euphemism is right, it’s like saying the Cubs have played pretty good baseball the last couple years. Not true, they’ve been bad. It’s like saying, “I’m feeling ok, this Easter.” I’m not ok, I’m downright feeling awesome. When Paul says abnormally born is striking language because he is saying he was an aborted baby. Because of who he had been and how much he didn’t and shouldn’t belong to God he was an abortion. Intense right. But though he felt that way, God called him in and made him belong. Who changed Paul? Jesus. And as we consider on Easter it was the resurrected Jesus. The one who had just conquered death. Shared with him the good news and radically altered his life. He not only belonged, he was dearly loved because of a resurrected Lord. I don’t know all your stories, I don’t how you’re feeling. But I woke up today excited, I woke up with a message I feel in my bones to declare to you, you belong in the family of God. You belong because with the message of Easter God is calling you. Calling you passed yourself, passed your problems, passed your current circumstance to see the hope we have in him. So let’s get into our lesson. From Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. This is what’s called the Great Resurrection Chapter. Paul’s defense for the resurrection of Jesus and the implications it had for them and for us. So there it is. Paul was called, because Jesus rose and he’s calling you today. In our culture there are certain boundaries or lines we should not cross otherwise we get cut off. Take for example the case of a Bernard Pierce. Anyone know who he plays for? Running back for the Ravens. But recently got fired or released from the team because of a DUI. Or take this man, host from a BBC show called Top Gear. Apparently he got into a verbal and physical altercation with a producer and that was a line. His contract isn’t being renewed. Or finally, Kris Bryant. Apparently he was too good for the Cubs with a 9 homer spring training and .425 batting average. Just kidding he will probably be signed but still cut for now. As we turn back to our lesson, Paul had an experience that made him feel like he had crossed the line with God. He considers himself an outcast, an abortion, and why? v.9 Before getting an appearance by Jesus himself he went from Christian Church to Christian Church trying to destroy their gatherings and put them in jail. He was there at the murder of Stephen the first Christian martyr. He was the coat check for those who stoned him. If there was a line to cross with God, that meant there was no coming back, Paul had certainly crossed. It’s the story of the Christians in Corinth. What line had they crossed? Well a few. They were suing each other in church, they were getting drunk at communion, (can you imagine not coming to worship drunk, that’s one thing I’ve heard of, but getting drunk at worship - whole new level right there) they were proud of blatant sexual immorality, and now they were doubting the resurrection of Jesus. If there was a line to cross with God, certainly they had crossed it. Dear friends, I don’t know what your past is like. But I believe if we investigated your thought life - hooked a megaphone up to those thoughts, I believe if we investigated the words you’ve said maybe just this week, or the misdeeds in the whole of your life. There would some sin or something that makes you feel like you’ve crossed the line with God. That he is done with you, and there is no coming back. For that matter I don’t know what your present is like. Maybe there are some coming in today or watching on line saying. But I got to get cleaned up to come to God, to be accepted. There something right now that disqualifies me from this message. That may be a feeling, but that’s not our reality this Easter. For here is the truth. You are never too far off. And Here’s how I know that. v.3 You see the exact reason keeps you from God, or feeling like you belong, or has kept you from church, it is that exact reason that Jesus came. The exact reason he bore a cross, and bore the pain and suffering in our place. So we would know no matter what the sin was, sexual sin, addiction, hate, theft, gossip, even murder, it was all paid for. And you will never be too far off for God to call and forgive. That’s Paul’s story, my story, and by God’s grace and his calling even right now is your story this Easter. And now the attitude of God towards us is one of delight. I don’t use that word often but I know what it is to delight in something. I’ll give you an example. With my two daughters I love to give hugs and a kiss good bye. Sometimes I just have the girls sit by me for two minutes because I delight in them. Well, this passed week I was with Nadia, and I ask that she give me a kiss on the cheek. And she did, and you know what happened a couple seconds later, she gave me an extra kiss, and I didn’t ask for it. And I was like alright. She delights in me. Dad’s not so bad. This is fantastic! It’s good to get an extra kiss. Here a passage that speaks of God’s delight in us, “As for the saints who are in the earth, They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.” I love it we are saints right now because Jesus made us holy. And here’s another word I don’t use often majestic. God says in view of Easter and what Christ has made you, “you’re a majestic one” in whom I delight. That’s something to talk about as you’re chewing on some ham this day. It reminds me of the story of the prodigal son. Have you heard it. The son goes off and if there is a line he crossed it. But when he wants to come home and the Father sees him. Does he delight in him? He sure does. He runs as he sees him, wraps his arms around him, and says my son came home. This is the warm embrace of our God to you and to me this day because Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. But at this point it sounds too good to be true. And most people are not walking around with this sense of peace, with this sense that the Lord delights in me. So we have to take it further this Easter. And I think we should talk about what is truly uplifting. Student loans. Yes, everyone’s favorite subject. And yes my wife and I are familiar with student loans, 8 years of school will do that to you. But one day, one day was just incredible. It was a day I got a letter in the mail that said this. Paid in full. Seems like just yesterday, ‘cause it was. :) And the letter was proof I didn’t have to pay anymore. They come calling, I get out my letter. Proof that monkey was off my back for good. I got a letter. You have a letter from God this Easter stating, your sins were paid in full. That letter is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. See the cross was sin’s payment, but the resurrection was the letter in your spiritual mailbox. So when the devil comes calling with guilt and shame and saying how could you or you don’t belong, we pull out the letter. We look again at the empty tomb of Jesus, and we say paid in full. See we have proof that everything is done and paid for. Paul was adamant about this proof. Let’s look again at v.5-6. This proof wasn’t in the form of a letter, but in the form of people. People who had seen the Risen Jesus. He references most of them still living. So Paul was telling the Christians, if you doubt this message, if you doubt the resurrection, you can go and knock on their door and ask them for yourselves. Ask them if they saw Jesus with their own eyes, and the answer will be yes. So certain is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And so also so certain is it that you belong, that your Father delights in you, because he is Risen! But what should we do with such a message. Because Easter isn’t just about a day, today’s really about the rest of your life. Easter Changed everything then and now. Reminds me of stuffed animals. Anyone grow up with stuffed animals. As kids they are lots of fun. I was visited in the office by Nadia the other day and she had a new stuffed animal from Goodwill. Part of me says oh isn’t that nice, and part of me says oh that just means it will be added to the collection and this stuffed animal will eventually be like Andy’s toys in the movie Toy Story. Will eventually get neglected and put with all the rest that are not being played with until we get something new. Let’s call that the stuffed animal syndrome, you get a new one which allows you to neglect others. It’s a cycle of neglect. It’s alright I’m not too concerned about how much stuffed animals are played with. But transition with me. Have any of you ever been to an Easter service before? Me too. So my question is, what are you going to do with this message. Or you going to enjoy the day, say well done. But then put it on the shelf to be neglected. Well, glad I got it. Was fun at the time. And then walk away doing nothing with it? The Christians in Corinth were in danger of neglecting the message that had been clearly given and clearly preached to them. They were in danger of falling away from God and this life- changing message. Look at v.2. What are they to do. Hold firmly. Don’t just believe for a time and this in vain. And unfortunately I have witnessed and seen this happen far too often. So use the message. And what we find is this principle. You are never too far in. When it comes to your faith life being too close to God is an impossibility. You can always grow closer. Reminds me of Karate, and then levels of belts you have. Anyone ever in karate or have kids in Karate? And if you reach the top what color belt do you have? Usually a black belt. I remember kids in my grade school who said they were black belts. Kind of like watch out I’m a black belt. Ha, I’m at the top. What I need you to know is that there are no black belts in the kingdom of God. You’re never at the top, because there is always another level you can get to in following him as Lord. Yes, you are never too far in. So use what you have found today. Hold on to what you found today. There is power in the message of Easter. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead can be at work in your life. That’s what happened in Paul’s life. Look what he said. v.10. He took that calling and that grace of God and he used it. He knew he couldn’t bet too courageous, or too bold, or too hardworking, or too much of a Christ follower. So he used what he had heard and gave it all he got. And it’s an understatement to say God used this attitude and his life for the blessing of others. He is the greatest missionary we know of. So I challenge to see in a Paul a paradigm. A paradigm of what to do with grace and this Easter message. See grace starts with a call to awaken faith and convince you, you belong. Paul found it and we did too. But then that grace is used to propel you to serve and follow a Risen Lord. Now belonging will you take up that call. To gladly out of thanks serve him with your life. I hope so. Because we have work to do. The whole world needs to know there is hope for every and any outcast. Cause there is no line that one can cross, no sin too big, that God hasn’t forgiven, and then stamped paid in Full. Easter makes it so. Because he is risen, he is risen indeed. Amen.