Sermon Tone Analysis

Good morning and welcome to CCC.

This morning was much smoother than last week.

I was able to take the computer that runs the back that died last Sunday morning to a wonderful computer repair store that is run by a wonderful gentleman and they were able to fix the computer and thanks to Logan we got the computer back here and set up and working for this morning.

God is good and takes care of his children!

Pray

Start OBS

About halfway through the We Believe sermon series God made it clear that I was to go into I Corinthians when we finished the We Believe series.

It makes sense we just spent 10 weeks looking at our individual foundations.

The tenets or building blocks of the Christian faith set out by God in His Word.

I pray that We Believe has helped and is still helping you become an efficient and effective Christian.

Through God’s Word and the Holy Spirit’s teaching We Are The Church is going to help make us a much more efficient and effective church.

I Corinthians was written by Paul in around 54 AD.

Most believe Paul wrote I Corinthians while he was in Ephesus.

He wrote I Corinthians to the church in Corinth he founded to deal with the worldliness that had entered the church.

God has really been revealing to me just how worldly I really am.

I pray He does the same to you during this series.

I pray also that you act upon that conviction with repentance and prayer and praise.

Conviction really does no good unless you are moved to action.

Moved to confession both to God and other believers.

Both are things we are instructed to do in the Word.

I John 1:9-10

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“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

James 5:16

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“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.

The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.”

God is very clear we must confess our sins to Him and to one another to be cleansed and healed!

I believe that true Christian run to the altar because when God convicts they confess.

They understand that conviction is God loving them and getting them back on His path and off of their path.

God demands all of you all the time.

24/7/365 and 366 in a leap year.

Scripture says you are to die to your self, crucify yourself, the old is dead the new creature is here after accepting Jesus and God means it.

Just a little worldly is way too much.

Your entire focus must be God.

Your only priority must be God.

Your only thoughts must be God.

Your actions must be to build God’s Kingdom

If you are a Christian here this morning the old fleshly you is dead and the only thing that matters is Christ.

If we are honest all of us who are Christians here this morning fail at that.

We are worldly.

We put ourselves first.

We put our families first.

We put our jobs first.

We put our bank accounts and retirement accounts first.

We put our hobbies first.

Most of us put our pet sin first.

All of those things we put first before God.

We are in a very similar if not same boat as the church in Corinth.

God loves us enough to bring this Word to us through Paul so that we can live like Jesus and truly be Christ’s Ambassadors to Nevada Mo and then Vernon County and then Missouri and then the USA and then the rest of the world.

Sounds a lot like Acts!

Let’s dive into it shall we?

I Corinthians 1:1-3

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“Paul, called as an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Sosthenes our brother: To the church of God at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called as saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord—both their Lord and ours.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Paul describes who the letter is to—Church of God in Corinth.

About 4 years earlier Paul had established and ministered to the church of Corinth for about a year and a half.

He was writing to them to address worldliness that had already divided them.

Paul also says this letter is for all those in every place who call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

That is you and me by the way.

Christians.

I miss writing letters.

I don’t know about you but I am much more comfortable writing than talking.

I am able to communicate so much better and more efficiently.

God also speaks to me as I write.

Places thoughts that become words on a page.

I used to hate to write but now I am so very thankful for it.

I Corinthians 1:4-9

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“I always thank my God for you because of the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in him in every way, in all speech and all knowledge.

In this way, the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you, so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you will be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God is faithful; you were called by him into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Paul here shows us how to look at people.

Spiritually.

Remember last week we looked at II Corinthians 5:16 where he spells it out in greater detail but here we see it talked about.

In fact lets return to

II Corinthians 5:16

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“From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective.

Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective, yet now we no longer know him in this way.”

We do not know anyone from a worldly perspective.

Spiritual is the only thing that should matter to a Christian.

Is that person saved?

If not preach the Gospel.

If that person is saved are they moving from milk to meat?

If not disciple them!

Spiritual is our only concern as Christians.

Paul demonstrates that back in I Corinthians.

I Corinthians 1:4

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“I always thank my God for you because of the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus,”

I am thankful for you because God through faith in Jesus saved you.

When was the last time you said to someone I am so glad God gave you the faith in Jesus that has saved you!

Turn to your neighbor and say that to them right now.

Go ahead.

How does that make you feel both saying it and hearing it.

It makes you feel good because that is how God designed you to interact with each other, concerned about Spiritual not worldly or physical

Let’s take this a step further.

To my knowledge none of you sitting here are enemies of each other.

When was the last time you thanked God an enemy received God’s grace through faith in Jesus?!?

When was the last time you prayed to God to give His grace through faith in Jesus to your worst enemy?

It is easy to look Spiritually at those who are like minded, those who love and support you but what about those who are opposite of you, those who hate you and try to destroy you?

If you belong to Christ those who hate you and want to destroy you should be your focus.