Sermon Tone Analysis

Scripture Readings

Introduction

Today is the start of a new year.

And a privilege and joy it is to start the New Year on the Lord’s Day, meeting together as the Lord’s people, to worship our God together.

There is always this sense of anticipation when the new year comes.

In one sense, this is merely the next day of God’s unfolding purposes, and so it is hardly unique.

But in our minds, it certainly has an impact, and leads us to consider things from the perspective of a new starting point.

Today is the first day of 2023, rather than the next day in 2022.

There is a newness about it.

We can look forward to this new year ahead in anticipation.

Because it is a New Year, it is an opportune time to consider ourselves, and to think about how we may grow and mature (spiritually speaking) in the year ahead.

While there is nothing wrong with setting some practical life-goals in terms of personal advancements in work, or in studies, or acheivements that we hope to aim for in the year ahead, for the Christian, that must be a far second priority.

As Christians, our greatest hope and aim is to press on towards Christ-likeness, and to mature in our faith.

As Christians, we must realise that nothing in our lives is more important than our walk and relationship with our Saviour, and the extent to which we are pleasing Christ in our every-day life.

It is absolutely the most important aspect of our lives.

Let me then ask, have you put any thought into your goals, your dreams, your aspirations for spiritual growth and development in the year ahead?

If not, I would encourage you to do that, and to commit your plans to the Lord, and to pursue these goals of pleasing your Lord and Saviour.

For this morning, I would like to encourage you in your growth in Christ-likeness through these two portions of Scripture in 1 Corinthians.

My encouragement from these verses is for us as Christians to focus our attention on pursuing that which is profitable in this year ahead.

Romans 3:23 tells us…

Romans 5:8 says that.....

The appropriate response for us, and the means of receiving and applying that truth to ourselves personally is outlined in Romans 10:9-10 which says....

When we have understood these truths by God’s grace, and when we have professed faith and trust in Christ alone for our salvation, it means that life is new.

Something is very different for us.

We don’t live life as anyone else in the world.

But the question that we need to ask ourselves, and particularly as we stand at the start of this new year is, Where Does This Lead?

What are the implications of this for our lives as professing believers?

Because God has graciously opened our eyes to His purposes, His glory, His worthiness of our praise, the spiritual battle being waged in this world, the final consummation of the age etc… Because God has given us something of an understanding of the significance of these events, we live with a different goal in life.

We have a mission in life.

Our mission and goal is please God in everything.

Life is no longer about me and my desires.

Rather, it is about God and His desires for me in this world.

With that in mind, one of the questions that we should be asking ourselves as Christians is, how Do I Please the Lord in Daily Living?

In other words, do I give some thought at times to what I am doing, to what I am avoiding, to the way I’m living, and ask myself how, or at least to what extent, it pleases the Lord.

A question along similar lines is, where shall I draw the line on questionable activities?

Very often, the questionable activities are not necessarily outright immoral activities.

The question then becomes the kind of time, the kind of attention that we give these activities.

My encouragement to each of us today is to use this as an opportunity to re-evaluate how we are living, how much time we are spending on various activities, and then to seek to enter into this year with a view to seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

To prioritize that which is of greatest importance, that which is of eternal value, that for which we will never be ashamed.

Some Scriptures that could serve as prayers for us as we think about these things today…

May this be a time of humble reflection, and a time of asking the Lord to empower us and strengthen us to desire Him more than all else as we head into this new year.

1. Avoid That Which Is Not Beneficial (v.

12)

In 1 Corinthians 6:12 we read:

Just prior to saying this, Paul reminded the believers in 1 Corinthians 6:11 that the Christian life is a new life.

He is writing with a particular concern about immorality among Christians.

This immorality was rampant in Corinth.

It was part of the culture.

Indulgence in all kinds of immoral behaviour.

This was very often associated with the idol worship of that day.

But Paul is telling the Corinthian believers that they are to distinguish themselves because of their new identity in Jesus Christ.

In verse 11 he wrote…

Notice the two marks that he says are true of the Christian.

Firstly, “Such were some of you...” In other words, this was a former identity.

It is that which belongs in the past tense.

It is not appropriate to carry that which belonged to a former manner of life, and bring it into the present life and identity of the Christian.

That leads to the second marker of the Christian: “but you were washed, set apart, justified etc.” Something utterly radical and profound has happened to the Christian.

We certainly don’t always feel this.

But that lack of feeling doesn’t deny the reality if we are truly born again.

Notice the words that Paul uses to describe the Christian…

You were washed.... you were sanctified.... you have been made clean.

All of the filth of your sin that made you unpresentable and utterly defiled before God has been washed away.

As God views you, He does so as one cleansed by the blood of Christ.

You’re pure, and clean.

That’s the reality of the Christian.

He says that you’ve been justified… you’ve been declared by the ultimate judge of the universe to be not guilty!!

The verdict has been handed down!!

And this is all in the name of Christ, through the work done by Him on the cross.

These are the glorious truths that mark the Christian… every single one of us who have acknowledged and confessed our sin before Him, trusted in His righteousness to cleanse us, and are thus submitting to him as Lord.

These things are true of us.

It truly is profound.

And it is liberating.

Now, notice what he goes on to say.

“All things are lawful...” The words of Paul here are clearly a slogan that was being used by the Corinthian believers.

Very probably they were seeking to celebrate their so-called “freedom” in Christ, but were using this freedom as a justification for sin, or that which was really not profitable.

One commentator writes:

Freethinking Corinthians were of the opinion that they could do whatever they pleased.

Their application of the motto all things are permissible to me exceeded the limits of acceptable Christian behavior.

Instead of living as forgiven, holy, and righteous believers, they indulged in sexual and social sins.

Instead of submitting to the rule of Jesus Christ, they condoned sin in the name of the freedom granted them in Christ.

Instead of serving the Lord and their neighbor in genuine Christian love (Matt.

22:37–40), they served themselves.

Remember, there was a great deal of immorality that formed part of ordinary life in Corinth.

Already in 1 Corinthians 5, Paul has confronted immorality in the church itself, saying that they ought to have expelled the immoral brother, whereas they were actually celebrating their tolerance and freedom.

So, here we have the Corinthian church seeking to over-emphasize freedom, but not understanding and comprehending these glorious realities in Christ, and the true and perfect freedom that it brings.

Notice how Paul then deals with this.

He repeats their mantra, “All things are lawful...” and doesn’t counter it directly.

Rather, he argues with a counter-statement.... he says, "All things are not profitable.”

Or, all things are not beneficial.

That which is profitable “helps along.”

That which is profitable is that which aids me in my growth as a Christian.

That which is profitable is that which enables me to press on towards Christ-likeness, so that I may put God on display through my life and conduct.

The Corinthians were missing the point of freedom in Christ, and pressing it to mean that they were utterly free to do anything that they pleased.

But that is none other than total selfishness and self-centeredness, which is rebellion against God.

This is the root of rebellion - selfishness.

Their thinking in this way would lead them to do things and to conduct themselves in ways that would not be helpful and profitable.

And so, Paul confronts them, and says to these Christians that although they have great freedom in Christ, they must consider if what they are doing is truly profitable.

In other words, is there are long-term benefit towards personal advancement and growth in Christ-likeness and godliness that comes about as a result of their actions and conduct?

We need to keep in the back of our minds at this point the fact that the two greatest commandments are,

Luke 10:27 (NASB95)

27 ...“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”