Sermon Tone Analysis

I’d like to invite your attention to 1 Corinthians 1 again this morning, and verse 26.

We have titled our study through 1 Corinthians, “To the Church.”

Which is a phrase we see in Paul’s introduction.

Paul is writing this letter, “To the Church.”

The ekklesia, or the assembly of God’s people.

Paul is writing, not the ekklesia of God universally, but specifically God’s gathered people, in the port city of Corinth.

A city filled with sexual sins, pagan idolatry, and a pride culture that feeds individual pride at the expense of causing others shame.

We are still early on in the letter, and we’re still early on in the first part of the letter, in which Paul is beginning to deal with the first problem.

The house of Chloe, has reported to him, that there are schisms in their midst.

Even though they are still meeting together for worship, they are all divided up into their own camps based around their favorite preachers, or possibly their favorite ministry styles.

Paul has been, and will continue to do so through chapter 4, showing the folly of such division.

One, because they are all one in Christ and Christ alone is the Head of the church.

Two, because our unity is not found in ministry style, but in the POWERFUL message of the cross.

The message that both Jews and Gentiles see as foolish and weak.

God intended it to work this way....so then that’s why Paul preached the simple gospel, plainly.

In this morning’s text, Paul will draw their attention back to the circumstances surrounding their conversion to Christianity....

He wants them to consider, God’s Call.

The Corinthians need to be reminded who they are, without God summoning them into the fellowship of His Son.

They must be reminded, God Chooses the Foolish.

So, let’s read it, and then begin to unpack it....

(Father, these are Your words.

Please help us rightly understand them, and be entirely changed by them, through the working of your Holy Spirit, for Christ’s sake, Amen.)

It doesn’t take much digging to see WHY Paul would be calling upon this body of believers to consider this calling.

Paul is aware, that wherever self-exalting pride exists within the human heart, especially within those in the church, it will cause factionalism, splits, and division.

When we prioritize ourselves, we prioritize our own opinions, over and above the opinions of others..and eventually, over and above the clear teaching of the Word of God.

So Paul seeks to remind these Corinthians, of the circumstances surrounding their call into Christianity, so that they would be knocked down a few notches, and remember who deserves all praise for salvation.

And of course, this is certainly a need for us today as well.

Just consider the lyrics to two songs sung in many churches today:

“You thought I was WORTH saving So you came and changed my life You thought I was WORTH keeping So you cleaned me up inside You thought I was to die for So you sacrificed your life So I could be free So I could be whole So I could tell everyone I know Hallelujah Glory to God who changed my life And I will praise you I'll worship you I'll give you glory Because I am Because I am”

OR

“He saw the best in me

When everyone else around

Could only see the worst in me (repeat x1,000,000)

He's mine, and I am his

It doesn't matter what I did

He only sees me for who I am” (the fact that He see us for who we are, should TERRIFY us)

These type of songs are sadly prevalent throughout the church.

They reveal the reality of our worship services, which have become blatantly man-centered.

At the very least, we are bordering on proud, unashamed, self-worship.

We are prone to make bold attempts to snatch away God’s glory, in order to give it to ourselves.

We think far too highly of ourselves than we ought.

Our tendency, is to drift towards the mindset of the Pharisee Jesus talked about, praying near the tax collector.

The Pharisee prayed proudly, “I thank you, that I’m so great and do so many wonderful things for you, and that I’m not like this rotten tax collector over here.”

In other words....you thought I was worth something, so I thank you for seeing that

But the tax collector of course, would not lift his eyes towards heaven, but smote himself on his chest and prayed, “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

“Was it for crimes that I had done, you groaned upon the tree?

Amazing pity, grace unknown, and love beyond degree.”

Jesus said, that man went down to his house, justified.

He recognized his nothingness....he was poor in spirit, and Jesus said, all who are, are blessed.

HE DIDN’T SAVE US, BECAUSE HE SAW SOMETHING WORTHY WITHIN US

When Paul reminds them of their conversion, he is reminding them of their obvious nothingness.

He is attacking human pride and self-worth.

Because he knows, there is no way to split and divide over ministry styles and ministers, unless one has a far too high view of themselves, or mankind in general.

He has shown in the previous verses, that this message of the cross, is intentionally that which the world would deem foolish, so that God can display His own glory, His own wisdom and power, and reveal to man, that his power and wisdom doesn’t even compare.

But what Paul reminds the Corinthians of here, is that God not only chose a weak and foolish message....Paul makes clear in this passage, that even those whom He called to Himself through that message, those whom He assembled together in His ekklesia, are also considered the weak and foolish of the world.

Paul takes from them any notion, that they are in Christ BECAUSE of who they are, or what they have done, in order that they might realize, only GOD should be praised.

And that is precisely our main point today as well....this is the point I hope is driven deeply into our hearts....

REFLECTING UPON OUR CONVERSION REVEALS, ONLY GOD DESERVES THE PRAISE.

So, let’s just follow along with Paul here, as he lays out this case for the Corinthians.

First of all, Paul describes their status in the world

1. Worldly Status

For: because

Consider your calling: contemplate the details surrounding God’s summons, joining you with Christ.

He goes from call, to describing their status.

So obviously he is drawing their attention not to the call itself, but the time of their calling…so that they can reflect upon WHO they were…who it was that God called to Himself.

What was your status?

Not many were wise, according to worldly standards

The wording could actually be translated, not many were wise in the flesh

Flesh here, being in reference to unregenerate humanity.

So here, according to the standards or ideas of the unsaved world around us, there weren’t many of you who were wise

This is not only identifying a low intelligence, or the ability to apply knowledge according to wordly standards....this would also attack their previous social status.

For the wise, were esteemed highly in this culture.

So Paul is stating that not many of them were in this highly esteemed part of society.

In fact, all of these terms would have to do with their status in the world.

Not many were powerful: meaning those who were influential, due possibly to their wealth…but their influence would be seen in society and in politics.

Not many were of noble birth: that doesn’t take much explaining.

Not many of those called into fellowship in Christ, in Corinth, were of noble birth…were born into the upper echelon of society.

Paul is clear.

Look around brothers and sisters, and think back to when you were called by God into this fellowship.

There weren’t many of you who were the cream of the crop in society.

NOW, we must be careful here not to read from this text, what it doesn’t say.

God’s Word does not say, “NONE of you were wise, powerful, or of noble birth.”

Therefore, it is not teaching that only those down-cast in society will be saved, therefore we ought not bother preaching the gospel to the blue blood snobs of society.

But he is clearly pointing out, that God predominantly went to those who are despised, and drew them to Himself.

Illustrate

Isn’t this the way God has always worked?

If we trace the storyline of Scripture from beginning to end, and see God’s redemptive plan unfolding chapter by chapter over time, it becomes clear, that God quite often chooses the least, the weakest, the powerless, to be a part of His people, to fulfill His purposes.

Think of God’s choice of Israel

Think of David slaying the giant Goliath

Or David being anointed king, and God telling Samuel, “Man looks on the outward appearance, but GOD looks at the heart.”

Think of Gideon and his response to God’s initial call to conquer God’s enemies and free God’s people, “Our tribe is the smallest, my family is the smallest of the tribe, and I’m the weakest of my family.”

God quite often chooses the ones deemed weak and foolish by the standards of the world

Apply

But we know that from experience don’t we?

How many of us here, were born into fame and popularity?

How many of us here, while walking down the street have the world fawning over your presence?

Praise God for those in this category God calls to Himself, and there are faithful members in other congregations....but may God help us see, that you and I have no right to testify of our salvation and say, “I don’t know what He saw in me, but it must have been good that I couldn’t see.”

That’s not a humble testimony....that is prideful.

And it’s the opposite of the conclusion we should come to when considering our calling into Christianity.

Just think brothers and sisters, of your worldly status....not many of us, were highly prized in the world.