February 3, 2020 - Amazing Comeback Victory

Last Monday I shared that we are getting ready for The THEREFORE Tour… I brought about the idea that the word THEREFORE is a cause and effect word… The devotion talked of the fact that time is fleeting and uncertain, THEREFORE we need to take good shots…

We are hitting the road today for a short trip, and then at the end of the month on a long trip… throughout it I plan to emphasize this idea/word THEREFORE. Since I will be speaking in a lot of churches, youth groups, and Christian schools I will be starting with the premise that I am speaking to many that are Christians (i.e. at 2 school chapels just south of Atlanta on Tuesday…)

I will begin with 1 Corinthians 15:58: THEREFORE, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that you labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Because the word THEREFORE is there, it demands we understand what came before vs. 58 as the motivation for the challenge of the verse… what comes before proves that serving the Lord is “not in vain,” --- not wasted.

He is talking to “brethren” (Christians) and the background shares that there are people questioning the resurrection of Christ. Verse 12 even asks the question, “how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?” He then reasons that this would also mean that Christ didn’t rise from the dead, and if that were the case, we would have no hope! (See vss. 13-19) Read those verses… and see that without the reality of the resurrection of Christ, we are wasting our time!

In today’s culture I often hear folks questioning or downplaying the miraculous truths of Christ. Many will claim to follow His teaching but deny His miracles. THEREFORE, the naysayers do not question His life and death… but do question His resurrection.

Next week I will back up a but more as we dive more into Paul’s THEREFORE-reasoning. But this week let me simply state that the resurrection is the gamechanger point of the Gospel… let me give a quick example of what I mean.

In tonight’s Super Bowl, the Kansas City Chiefs were behind late in the game, only to have a great comeback, scoring 21 unanswered points to win the game 31-20. Many years from now people could be talking about what a great quarterback that Patrick Mahomes was… and how he got down in the game… but if someone denies the big 4^th quarter comeback and stops the story while they were behind on the scoreboard… it would leave folks believing that the Chiefs lost.

That denial about the comeback will be easy to refute; next week I plan to share some “proofs” that the Apostle Paul shared in the early verses (vss. 1-8) of this chapter… much like going back to a box score. But for this week, let me remind you, brethren, of a couple of things:

1.       I am thankful for the crucifixion… the death payment that was made for my (and your) sin!

2.       But, I also am thankful for the resurrection (the incredible comeback) of Christ that gives me (and you) new life… victory.

Be reminded, be encouraged… because of Christ, we win!

Vs. 55-57: “Oh death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory”? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.