1 Corinthians 15

1 Corinthians 15:3-11  For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,  ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,  ⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.  ⁶ Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers 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.

I was visiting with a new friend yesterday…a proud great-grandma.  She was showing me some artwork her great-granddaughter had drawn.  As my new friend shared about her new treasures, her face lit up and she smiled a big smile.  To most, these stick drawings on Post-it Notes wouldn’t be worth anything, but to my new friend, they are priceless.  The fact that these Post-its were stuck above her fireplace was of no concern.  In fact, she said if one were to fall down, a little Scotch tape would make them stay.  I commented that I thought her outlook was spot-on.  So many people would be concerned that the Post-it Notes would peel away the paint or somehow damage the wall.  She was more concerned about displaying her great-granddaughter’s masterpieces.

So often it seems we focus on the small stuff…things that really don’t matter.  We make a mountain out of a molehill.  At the end of the day, what is important?  That we and our families are safe, that we all have enough to eat, that we have clean clothes to wear, these are important.  It doesn’t matter if our house gets a little messy, if we end up eating soup and grilled cheese for dinner, or if our clothes aren’t name brands.  When we get upset or worry, we need to consider how important our concern is compared to eternity…that which is of first importance.

Jesus died for our sins – this is of the utmost importance.  This is where we need to lay our most concern – that we and our friends and family – in fact that everyone we meet – knows this truth.  And not that they just know it, but accept it for themselves.  Accepting that Jesus died in each of our places.  We deserve to die because of our sin, but Jesus paid the price for us with His life.  In comparison, a little paint peeling from the walls doesn’t matter.  Just like my new friend said, they sell paint in stores everyday if needed.

Have you made a decision for Jesus – accepting Him as Lord of your life?  Today’s as good a day as any.  Admit that you are a sinner and need someone to save you.  Believe that Jesus died in your place. And confess that Jesus is Lord of your life – that you give Him control.  It is a gift we don’t have to earn – it is already complete.  We just have to accept.

If you have any questions or concerns, let me know.

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy