Sermon Tone Analysis

Title: More Than Just a Middle Class American

Text:

Introductory thoughts:

Pew Research Center Study on what the Middle Class is

Social Class in the US by Wiki

Newt Gingerich Article

(1).

The Call of the Lord - -

Explanation:

The word “called” or “calling” is used 8 x’s in these 8 verses.

It is most frequently used by Paul for the Lord’s summons in salvation.

In using this in , Paul is expanding upon the fact that not only does God call a believer in an mixed marriage to live in the marriage; but the Lord calls all believers in whatever state to live in that state under the sovereign purpose of the Lord.

He also claims this to be the case in all the churches.

It is not just common to the believers in Corinth.

Principle:

Believer’s should believe in God’s sovereign purpose regardless of what socio-economic status they may have.

We would do well to consider the calling of Jesus.

The calling of Christ was manifested in:

A lowly manger

A poor carpenter’s home

Out of Egypt ()

In Nazareth

In Nazareth ()

All of these manifest to us the sovereign work of God in Christ in spite of socio-economic status.

Illustration:

Application:

Christian, you are not called to change your circumstances.

You are called to serve the Lord in the circumstances within which you find yourself.

Whatever your socio-economic status is did not make you more attractive to God, thereby eliciting the wisdom of the cross.

(1) This is the mindset of the non-Christian, “Well, if I am going to be around church people, then I need to have something to wear.”

No, my friend, your status does not make you commendable to the Lord.

You must see did not suffer, bleed and die upon a cross so you can make yourself to fit in with the religious crowd.

He did so, in order that you might have true life.

(2) For the individual Christian, be careful of the sub-conscious pursuit of the American dream.

You are not called to change your status.

You are called to contentment in Christ.

Note what Paul said in

Transition:

God had called many of these Corinthians believers from various socio-economic status and note....

(2).

The Consequences of the Lord’s Call -

(a) What the Lord’s call means ethnically (the fact or state of belonging to a social group that has a common national or cultural tradition) -

Explanation:

Here Paul undertakes to address those who are saved, having been a Jew at the first.

Philo’s writings indicate that circumcision was “ridiculed by many.”

This was especially true if a Jewish individual was taking part in any of the athletic games.

They would undergo a surgery known as “epispasm” to reverse the affects of circumcision.

It was an effort to be perceived as part of a different ethnic status in society.

On the flip side was the extreme teachings of the Judeaizers who would add circumcision to Jesus Christ.

Remember the wonderful passage in .

Paul is showing that neither status before the Greeks or the Jews is anything to be strived for.

It should be noted that even in the Old Testament, membership in the covenant community was a matter of the heart and not the outward sign (Commentary of NT on OT) - See and .

A strong polemic is used in .

To understand what he is saying here, we need to see him use this style of writing in other passages.

In the other passages, there is a replacement implied.

Note , Note:

Not circumcision which matters but faith working by love

Not circumcision which matters but a new creature

This helps us to understand our current passage.

It is not circumcision that matters but the keeping of the commandments of God.

In the immediate context, there are several things to consider:

They are commanded to see leaders through the lens of the gospel - as servants.

()

They are commanded to see sin through the lens of the gospel - as cause for grief.

()

They are commanded to see each other through the lens of the gospel - as brothers.

()

They are commanded to see their own bodies through the lens of the gospel - as belonging to the Lord.

()

In other words, we no longer keep commands (like circumcision) to get a status; but we keep commands now because of a status we have received.

We don’t need to seek glory in our ethnic and cultural diversity.

We should seek glory in the status we have in Christ.

Principle:

(i) We must see the Lord’s gospel-call as greater than all ethnic boundaries

Yes, God is glorified in bringing unity out of a tremendous amount of diversity; but if we are not careful we will begin to see ethnic boundaries in two idolatrous ways:

We will see it as something that we must pursue at all costs.

This is typically seen this way by 2nd and 3rd generations who are raised in a culture that is different than the birth culture of their own parents.

They attend schools that are predominantly American and they desire to eat, live, look like the dominant culture.

They grow in contempt for the culture of their parents because it only causes them to feel strange in the midst of a predominantly American culture.

This is also seen in the lives of those who have immigrated and think that they need to have the clothes, houses, land, careers…etc that other believers have…They have a need to be recognized by the host culture as valid.

We will see it as something to maintain at all costs.

This is typically held by those who feel their cultures to be superior to other cultures.

You cannot speak with them without hearing about how their country makes the best food, the best clothing, the best people…etc.

When we understand and are rooted in the gospel, the gospel changes the way we see ethnic boundaries.

Why?

Because in Jesus Christ, we have a new identity.

It is an identity that supersedes ethnic boundaries.

Remember how Paul understood this - .

Paul understood those things to be “mine own righteousness.”

Illustration:

Application:

(ii) You must decide if your national identity is worth more than the identity you have in Christ.

is here to magnify the greatness of God in redeeming out of various ethnic backgrounds.

So, while you may be proud to be an American, you must see that your identity in Christ rises above your national identity.

What does this mean for you?

It means that our primary goal is not to attempt to Westernize Christianity.

It means that if we will overcome barriers with regards to ethnicity, we must gain a greater understanding of the cross of Christ.

It means that we don’t need to continually relive all of the ills done to our country by other countries.

We should relive all of the good Christ did to us in spite of the ills we did to him.

It means that our commitment to worldwide missions will be reflective of our devotion to the Lord across all ethnic boundaries.

Transition:

Not only does he give the example ethnically; but he also does so socially....

(b) What the Lord’s call means socially -

I’d like to tell you how my grandparents thrived in their new environment, how they raised a successful family, and how they retired comfortably middle-class.

But that is a partial truth.

The full truth is that my grandparents struggled in their new life, and they continued to do so for decades.