"What is at the Center of your Faith"
I Corinthians 15: 1-11 February 7, 2010
A credit card company made the slogan, “What’s in your wallet?” very popular. The idea is that if
you are carrying their credit card you will be protected from all kinds of problems. I wish life was
that easy.
As people of faith, we often claim that the Bible, or some truth within the Bible, saves us. It is
this truth, this reality, this foundational word or principle that we rest all of our hopes on. So what
is it? What is at the center of your faith?
I’ve thought about this a lot over the years. As Baptists, we often say that the Bible is our source
of truth and authority. That’s true for me. But when I went to seminary I was immediately struck
with a crisis of faith.
On the very first day of class my New Testament professor informed us that the Gospels,
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, may not have actually been written by the men whose names they
bear. I went back to my room and cried.
Later on he was to explain that in a society where truth is passed down orally and shaped by the
community, the men who put these words to pen were most likely disciples of the men who
formed and shaped the Gospels. The gist, the truth was complied by the named authors. The final
result emerged out of community and received the stamp of God some three hundred years down
the road. That made sense to me and my faith was restored.
I give this as an example of what I mean when I ask the question of what is central to your faith.
The fact that Matthew did not write that book word for word does not change my faith in its
veracity. However it came together, it still bears the stamp of God.
I would say that is the same reason I don’t have a great problem with those who try to mix
science and religion to explain how the dinosaurs fit into the creation story. I don’t view the Bible
as a science text book. When God says the world was created in six days, I give him latitude with
what a day actually is for him. What God is trying to establish is that he created things, in order
over time.
If I had to accept, as many many people do, that God created the world in six twenty four hour
periods, my faith would be challenged. If I was a scientist, I would have to reject one or the other.
Many have. (As an aside we are going to watch a movie together in March that talks about faith and
science narrated by Ben Stein. I hope you will come.)
So that’s what I want to talk about for a couple of minutes this morning. You see Paul was our
first theologian. He wrestled with all these things. In the fifteenth chapter of his letter to the
Corinthians, after arguing with them about a number of points of faith and practice, he comes to
what I believe is the central point of the Gospel. Time and again in his writing he points to a
crucified Christ that has risen from the dead.
Think about it for a moment. Paul was traveling the Damascus Road when he first met Christ
face to face. He was blinded and knocked off his horse. The risen Christ spoke to him and gave
him a mission.
Paul argues a lot of different things in his writing. But at the center of his faith is this: Jesus died
on the cross. This sacrifice was on our behalf because we are all sinners standing in need of grace.
His selfless act in our stead, granted us forgiveness and new life. The resurrection of Christ proves
beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is true. God accepted and endorsed this love offering.
So Paul says without missing a beat, “Now if Christ is preached that He has been risen from the
dead, how can some of you say,” THERE IS NO RESURRECTION of the dead?” For if there is no
resurrection then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not risen, then our preaching is
empty and your faith is empty too.”
Rod Allen, one of our former members used to say this same thing. There are a lot of things we
can argue about in church. There are a lot of things we can disagree about as we read the Bible.
Scholars have done it for centuries. But there is one truth that holds it all together. It is this: Jesus
Christ has risen.
Here’s what it means. First, all the promises of the Bible are true and they have been validated by
this act. Your sins are forgiven. You have new life. God does care about you. We are called to live
a new and holy life. We are called to share the Good News. There is hope after life.
Second, it means we can trust the Bible. The Words of the prophets were true. God did create
the world. God did reach out to establish a relationship to his creation. God has a plan for the world
and each one of us. God wants to walk through life with us even as he did with Abraham, and
Moses and David and Esther and Ruth.
Finally it means that even if we get some things wrong, we can be forgiven if we turn to Christ.
Jesus lived with compassion for everyone he met. He healed them. He forgave them. He
encouraged them to start over and live to the glory of God. His way of life was validated by the
resurrection. It told us that in Christ, all things become new. The law no longer has hold of us. We
can find our grace in Jesus.
That’s why the Corinthians, who got so many things wrong, things Paul scolded them for earlier
in his letter, could still be forgiven and loved. Paul says in his closing remarks to them… Hey you
guys, you messed up but this is our great hope, the hope of all hopes, the things that saves us when
we can’t help ourselves… This belief in Jesus is the central point of our faith. Everything else is
frosting, garnishes, spices, decoration… that add joy, meaning and understanding to the simple
truth that God loves us and wants to be with us forever.
So what’s at the center of your faith? I hope your answer is Jesus, crucified and risen. For that
is why we gather today around the table. We gather to remember his love and his promises.
I Corinthians 15: 1-11 February 7, 2010
A credit card company made the slogan, “What’s in your wallet?” very popular. The idea is that if
you are carrying their credit card you will be protected from all kinds of problems. I wish life was
that easy.
As people of faith, we often claim that the Bible, or some truth within the Bible, saves us. It is
this truth, this reality, this foundational word or principle that we rest all of our hopes on. So what
is it? What is at the center of your faith?
I’ve thought about this a lot over the years. As Baptists, we often say that the Bible is our source
of truth and authority. That’s true for me. But when I went to seminary I was immediately struck
with a crisis of faith.
On the very first day of class my New Testament professor informed us that the Gospels,
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, may not have actually been written by the men whose names they
bear. I went back to my room and cried.
Later on he was to explain that in a society where truth is passed down orally and shaped by the
community, the men who put these words to pen were most likely disciples of the men who
formed and shaped the Gospels. The gist, the truth was complied by the named authors. The final
result emerged out of community and received the stamp of God some three hundred years down
the road. That made sense to me and my faith was restored.
I give this as an example of what I mean when I ask the question of what is central to your faith.
The fact that Matthew did not write that book word for word does not change my faith in its
veracity. However it came together, it still bears the stamp of God.
I would say that is the same reason I don’t have a great problem with those who try to mix
science and religion to explain how the dinosaurs fit into the creation story. I don’t view the Bible
as a science text book. When God says the world was created in six days, I give him latitude with
what a day actually is for him. What God is trying to establish is that he created things, in order
over time.
If I had to accept, as many many people do, that God created the world in six twenty four hour
periods, my faith would be challenged. If I was a scientist, I would have to reject one or the other.
Many have. (As an aside we are going to watch a movie together in March that talks about faith and
science narrated by Ben Stein. I hope you will come.)
So that’s what I want to talk about for a couple of minutes this morning. You see Paul was our
first theologian. He wrestled with all these things. In the fifteenth chapter of his letter to the
Corinthians, after arguing with them about a number of points of faith and practice, he comes to
what I believe is the central point of the Gospel. Time and again in his writing he points to a
crucified Christ that has risen from the dead.
Think about it for a moment. Paul was traveling the Damascus Road when he first met Christ
face to face. He was blinded and knocked off his horse. The risen Christ spoke to him and gave
him a mission.
Paul argues a lot of different things in his writing. But at the center of his faith is this: Jesus died
on the cross. This sacrifice was on our behalf because we are all sinners standing in need of grace.
His selfless act in our stead, granted us forgiveness and new life. The resurrection of Christ proves
beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is true. God accepted and endorsed this love offering.
So Paul says without missing a beat, “Now if Christ is preached that He has been risen from the
dead, how can some of you say,” THERE IS NO RESURRECTION of the dead?” For if there is no
resurrection then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not risen, then our preaching is
empty and your faith is empty too.”
Rod Allen, one of our former members used to say this same thing. There are a lot of things we
can argue about in church. There are a lot of things we can disagree about as we read the Bible.
Scholars have done it for centuries. But there is one truth that holds it all together. It is this: Jesus
Christ has risen.
Here’s what it means. First, all the promises of the Bible are true and they have been validated by
this act. Your sins are forgiven. You have new life. God does care about you. We are called to live
a new and holy life. We are called to share the Good News. There is hope after life.
Second, it means we can trust the Bible. The Words of the prophets were true. God did create
the world. God did reach out to establish a relationship to his creation. God has a plan for the world
and each one of us. God wants to walk through life with us even as he did with Abraham, and
Moses and David and Esther and Ruth.
Finally it means that even if we get some things wrong, we can be forgiven if we turn to Christ.
Jesus lived with compassion for everyone he met. He healed them. He forgave them. He
encouraged them to start over and live to the glory of God. His way of life was validated by the
resurrection. It told us that in Christ, all things become new. The law no longer has hold of us. We
can find our grace in Jesus.
That’s why the Corinthians, who got so many things wrong, things Paul scolded them for earlier
in his letter, could still be forgiven and loved. Paul says in his closing remarks to them… Hey you
guys, you messed up but this is our great hope, the hope of all hopes, the things that saves us when
we can’t help ourselves… This belief in Jesus is the central point of our faith. Everything else is
frosting, garnishes, spices, decoration… that add joy, meaning and understanding to the simple
truth that God loves us and wants to be with us forever.
So what’s at the center of your faith? I hope your answer is Jesus, crucified and risen. For that
is why we gather today around the table. We gather to remember his love and his promises.
Pastor Cal Lord's Recent Sermons
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