We value the Gospel because it is the life-changing Good News of what Jesus did for us. The message was given on October 26, 2014 at New City Church in Calgary by Pastor John Ferguson. For more info visit: www.newcitychurch.ca

1. The Core Value of the Gospel
~ 1 Corinthians 15 ~

2. God Gives Us His Words of Eternal Life
1 Corinthians 15
Today’s Scripture:
Found on page 868 in our guest Bibles.

3. What is the
GOSPEL ?

4. Our DNA at NCC
Gospel - Community - Mission

5. Three Gifts
Gospel
+
Community
+
Mission

6. Three Conversions
Gospel
Community
Mission

7. The Core Value of the Gospel
~ 1 Corinthians 15 ~

8. 1 Corinthians 15:1-2
Now I would remind you, brothers, of
the gospel I preached to you, which
you have received, in which you
stand, and by which you are being
saved, if you hold fast ot the word I
preached to you—unless you have
believed in vain.

9. “Gospel”
=
Good News

10. 1 Corinthians 15:3
For I delivered to you as of first
importance what I also received:
that Christ died for our sins in
accordance with the Scriptures….

11. There was an
execution 1Of first importance…

12. Cornelius Tacitus (c. 55-120AD)
~ The ‘greatest historian’ of ancient Rome ~
“Christus...suffered
the extreme penalty
[ie. crucifixion] during
the reign of Tiberius at
the hands of one of
our procurators,
Pontius Pilatus….”

13. Flavius Josephus (c.37-97AD)
“At this time there
was a wise man called
Jesus.... Pilate
condemned him to be
crucified and to die....
~ Antiquities XVIII

14. “That he was
crucified is as
sure as anything
historical can
ever be.”
John Dominic Crossan
~Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography

15. “One of the most
certain facts of
history is that Jesus
was crucified on
orders of the Roman
prefect of Judea,
Pontius Pilate.”
~ Bart Ehrman, Emory University

16. “The slightest sin is an act of
defiance against cosmic
authority. It is a revolutionary act,
a rebellious act where we are
setting ourselves in opposition
to the One to whom we owe
image: Christopher Brown
everything.”
~ RC Spoul, The Holiness of God

17. 1 Corinthians 15:4
…that he was buried, that he was
raised on the third day in accor-dance
with the Scriptures….

18. There was an
empty tomb 2Of first importance…

19. Joseph of Arimathea
• member of the Sanhedrin
• “who had not consented to
their decision to crucify Jesus”
(Luke 23:51)
• requested the body of Jesus
& buried him in his own tomb

20. There were
eyewitnesses 3Of first importance…

21. 1 Corinthians 15:5
…and that he appeared to Cephas,
then to the twelve. Then he appear-ed
to over five hundred brothers at
one time, most of whom are still alive
though some have fallen asleep.

22. 1 Corinthians 15:5
Then he appeared to James, then
to all the apostles. Last of all, as to
one untimely born, he appeared also
to me. For I am the least of the
apostles, unworthy to be called an
apostle, because I persecuted the
church of God.

23. “This Jesus God raised
up, and of that we are
all witnesses.”
~ The Apostle Peter
Acts 2

24. James the unbelieving brother of Jesus
• Did not follow Jesus during
his public ministry
• Thought Jesus was out of his
mind (Mark 3:21)
• Became the leader of the
Jerusalem church

25. Over 500 people at one time

26. • Member of the sect of Pharisees
that conspired against Jesus
• Violently persecuted the church
• Suddenly converted by a post-resurrection
appearance of
Jesus
Paul the Enemy of Christ

27. Main Idea
We value the Gospel
because it is the life-changing
Good News of
what Jesus did for us.

28. Let the 1 Gospel define you

29. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not
inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:
neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor
thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers,
nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

30. And such were some of you. But you were
washed, you were sanctified, you were justified
in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the
Spirit of our God.
~ The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

31. 2 See the Gospel as public truth

32. “…the gospel is not merely a
private truth about how I feel
or about my own personal
knowledge of God. The
gospel is something which is
true about the way that the
world is because of the
resurrection of Jesus. The
world is a different place as a
result ~ N.T. Wright of the resurrection.”
Theologian & NT Scholar

33. Coming Up:
When we join with Jesus, !
we join his family and his mission.

34. flickr images courtesy of:
ThinkStock.ca: Johan Swanepoel / 176901350
Christopher Brown: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7853490@N07/3531948937/
other images
Heather Ferguson Photography