Two friends, both soccer fans, agreed that whoever died first would come back and say whether they play soccer in heaven. A few weeks later, one of them heard: the good news is, there is soccer in heaven. The bad news is, you’re playing on Saturday. That joke opens a sermon about a question people were asking long before Paul: what happens when the final whistle blows (1 Cor 15). Paul reminds the Corinthians of the good news on which they stand and by which they are saved: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose on the third day. Witnesses like James, Peter, and Paul himself did not believe at first, and later gave their lives for this truth. Listen if you want to see what keeps you away from this faith today: not thinking about it, shame, or certainty that there is nothing after the whistle.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- Why, according to Paul, is faith in vain if Christ has not been raised (1 Cor 15:12-14)? What would change in your life?
- How does Paul summarize the good news in verses 3-5, and why does he stress twice that it happened "according to the Scriptures"?
- The speaker pointed to James, Peter, and Paul, who did not believe at first. Which of them do you identify with most: being used to religion, shame, or certainty of unbelief?
- Paul writes that the good news is what we stand on and by which we are saved. What does it mean in practice that it gives you firm ground under your feet?
- The speaker told about his father, who said he was ready for the final whistle. What helps you think calmly about your own death, and what gets in the way?
- How can you live this week as if the resurrection were true, and not just a good tradition?
