In Matt 7:24-27, Jesus concludes his famous ‘Sermon on the Mount’ with an illustration about wise and foolish builders, reminding us that foundations are absolutely crucial to successful building. Paul reminds us of this in 1 Cor 3:10-15, telling us that the only reliable foundation on which to build is Jesus Himself (‘no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.’ 1 Cor 3:11) In 1 Cor 15, he is at pains to ensure we know ‘the essential message, the central story you now base your life upon.’ (1 Cor 15:1, The Voice) All of this reminds us that it’s crucial to get a good start, but it’s also vital to build well and to finish well.

Starting well is a topic covered by Paul in Gal 3:1-9; our Christian journey begins when, by faith, we accept that God in Christ has done everything that is necessary for our salvation. Our sins have separated us from God (Is 59:2) and created a chasm between us which we cannot bridge on our own, but Christ has become sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:20-21). Paul reminds us of this central fact: ‘Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures’ (1 Cor 15:3, see also 1 Tim 1:15, Eph 2:8-9). Many have disputed this death, asserting that Christ merely ‘swooned’ on the cross, but the reminder that Jesus not only died but was buried (1 Cor 15:4) in a tomb which was guarded by Roman soldiers refutes this notion of ‘appearing’ to die which many declare to be the ‘explanation’ for the resurrection.

Death is an uncomfortable topic for many of us, shielded as we are from its ugliness and reality in a way completely unlike our predecessors. But even the most naïve of us realises that death is final and irrevocable. The Christian message, however, shows us life beyond the grave because of the hope of resurrection. Paul says Christ ‘was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures’ (1 Cor 15:4) and backs up this startling, amazing assertion with the evidence that he appeared to eye-witnesses, most of whom could, at the time of writing, be called on to back up his story. Such a crowd of witnesses (over 500 people) – none of whom were predisposed to believe in physical resurrection having witnessed the agony of crucifixion – again shows us the reliability of the evidence for the resurrection.

These are the ‘core facts’ which Paul gives as the building blocks for faith. Phil Robertson says, ‘Basically, I don’t ever move too far past the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus… It all comes down to that, really, when you get right down to it.’ He goes on to say, ‘So it’s not complex. Jesus removed our sins and guarantees we can be raised from the dead.’

We have a responsibility to know the facts and pass these facts on to others.

• We have sinned against a holy and righteous God (Rom 3:23).
• The penalty for our sin is eternal separation from Him (Rom 6:23).
• Yet God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins (Rom 5:8). He then demonstrated that He was God by rising from the dead (Rom 1:3-4).
• Today, He asks us to trust in His person and work (Rom 3:21-26; John 3:16).

As the meerkats say, ‘Simples!’

After a summer break, our Bible studies re-started tonight at 1 Corinthians 15, the ‘resurrection chapter’, the longest chapter in any of the New Testament epistles and the one where Paul discusses the centrality of the resurrection of Christ and its impact and relevance to every Christian in some detail. The first part of the chapter (1 Cor 15:1-34) deals with the reality and certainty of the resurrection, whilst the second half (1 Cor 15:35-58) looks at how the resurrection is possible and discusses the nature of resurrection bodies.

Paul has already looked at the significance of the death of Jesus, spending considerable time in this letter looking at the centrality of ‘Christ crucified’ to the gospel message (see 1 Cor 1:18-25, 1 Cor 2:2, 1 Cor 11:17-34). The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are the central tenets of Christian faith. In this chapter, Paul makes it explicit that without the resurrection of Christ, our faith is in vain (1 Cor 15:14-19); many have spoken of a ‘metaphorical’ or ‘symbolic’ resurrection, but Paul makes it clear here that the resurrection of Christ is a physical reality, not just a spiritual metaphor, and one which has profound implications for our own eternal lives.

In 1 Cor 15:1-11, Paul essentially lays the foundation for what he goes on to elaborate in more detail. The gospel message is our hope of salvation; on this we take our stand. (1 Cor 15:1-2) It’s no passing fancy, no imaginative story, but a message based solidly on historical fact and if we don’t hold on to this, we run the risk of believing in vain, having nothing of substance on which we can stand in times of testing, trial and temptation. What makes Christianity distinct and true is that the Messiah of Christianity is no longer in the grave. The firm foundation of the Christian faith is an empty tomb. Peter Larson said, “The life of Jesus is bracketed by two impossibilities: a virgin’s womb and an empty tomb. Jesus entered our world through a door marked ‘No Entrance’ and left through a door marked ‘No Exit.’”

The facts Paul lays down are based on the Scriptures; as the hymn says:

‘How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,

Is laid for your faith in His excellent word!’

These facts are initially laid out for us in very clinical style, as being ‘of first importance’, namely that Christ died for us according to the Scriptures, that He was buried (and thus was really dead!), that He rose from the dead and appeared to many people, including women, disciples, crowds of people and even to Paul. We see from these verses (1 Cor 15:3-8) that the death and resurrection of Christ can’t be separated; they form part of the complete work of God in Christ by which and through which we are saved – rescued, delivered, restored to a right relationship with a holy, loving and just God.

In the world of education, learning outcomes are statements of what students will learn in a lesson. The statements are focused on student learning (What will students learn today?) rather than instructor teaching (What am I going to teach today?). The idea is that there is a difference between what is taught and what is learned, which is certainly true.

The problem I have with issuing learning outcomes in a confident manner that can seem almost arrogant is that learning is not quite as straightforward as we often think it is. Learning is not simply a matter of listening to a teacher and doing what the teacher says. There has to be a process of understanding, grasping, analysing, remembering and, ultimately, ‘getting it’ for true learning to take place. That does not happen for everyone at the same pace or in the same way. It’s not always the teacher’s fault if the student does not ‘learn’ something; it’s not always the student’s fault if it takes longer than one lesson to grasp a truth.

Jesus taught His disciples for over three years, and it’s fairly safe to say that as He was arrested and crucified, they were not much closer to ‘getting it’ than they had been at the start. They were, He said to the disciples on the road to Emmaus after the resurrection, ‘foolish… and slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken.’ (Luke 24:25) They were, in essence, proof that there are many difficulties in ‘getting it’.

I’m sure that Jesus’s teaching methods would not have gained the approval of OFSTED, for if we read John 13-16, we see conversation and action that did not clarify and illuminate as clearly as inspectors would like! Jesus used parables to draw people into the story of God; He left them asking questions, not always sure of the answers. He taught, Eugene Peterson says, in ways that reflected ‘the indirections inherent in revelation and the unforced intimacies of love.’ (‘Tell It Slant’, P 214) When we read the disciples’ questions and confusion, it seems not much learning was going on at all.

And yet later, after the resurrection and the baptism in the Holy Spirit, when the Comforter and Advocate was there to remind them of all Jesus had taught and to bring to mind all that had happened, it seems the lessons had finally been well absorbed. Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost understood the connections between Old Testament prophecy and its fulfilment in Christ in ways that would have been unthinkable months earlier. Paul’s letters show a thorough integration of understanding, connecting the dots of the Old Testament in ways that continue to open our eyes today.

We may well feel our learning is sporadic, patchy, not particularly coherent. We may well feel that there is so much we don’t understand yet and wonder if progress will ever be made. Take heart. The learning outcomes might not be achieved in one lesson, but we have a lifetime of lessons to assimilate all God wants to teach us. Jesus is not in the same hurry that teachers often are; we’re not working to a deadline of external examinations. The work God has started will be brought to completion by Him (Phil 1:6), but if our learning happens in fits and starts, that’s not a problem for God.

After chastising a child, a parent often asks ‘Have you learnt your lesson, then?’ Some lessons are harder to learn than others, but as long as we stay close to Jesus, learning will take place. The outcome is thankfully, in this case, secure. One day, we will be like Him. (1 Jn 3:1-3)

Diane read a poem by Rev. Dean Beaty during the service last night:

‘Since Christ turns water into wine,

Why do I worry, or why whine?

I know He’ll meet my every need,

Beyond my wildest dreams exceed.

This is the problem that I face:

I take my eyes off from His grace.

I focus on what I have not,

Forgetting all that I have got.

My wealth in Christ beyond compare,

And there’s my future with Him there.

When I think of all I’ve lost,

I then reflect on what it cost.

I’ve lost my sin with all its shame,

By simply calling on His name.

I gained eternal life above,

Made one with Christ through Jesus’ love.’

Beyond my wildest dreams there’s more:

When I arrive on heaven’s shore,

I’ll see my Saviour face to face,

And thank Him for His love and grace.’

Regular readers will remember chilli-growing sagas from the past: how Stephen grew chillies (from Mummy, Daddy and Runty plants) and we ate their chillies with gusto! In his recent gardening ventures, he has mainly concentrated on growing tomatoes (hence the plethora of chutneys being made using tomatoes for various Christmas markets, this one being tomato & courgette chutney):

However, he has also grown some chillies and since the service tonight had a harvest theme, part of the challenges was for team members to eat these without visible reactions. (Stephen’s own reactions were quite extreme when he ate them: they are pretty hot! To be clear, however, he did eat a whole chilli: we only had to eat a slice of one!)

Here are some photos of our stoical expressions…

We had a number of birthdays to celebrate tonight!