Sermon Tone Analysis

! Making Much of Christ and His Cross                                                                   I Corinthians 1:10-17

*Dan Brooks, Pastor                                                                                             Sunday Morning, July 17*

* *

*Monday>*Carefully read all of I Corinthians 1 to get a context for this week’s passage.

Note the attributes or actions of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit in verses 10-17.

*Tuesday*>Review I Corinthians 1:10-17

 

*I.

**Believers find agreement in Christ .*

A.      The Lord appeals to us through the authority of Christ (1:10).

1.       /beseech/:  to appeal urgently, to exhort

2.       /through the name/: (διὰ του ὀνόματος)

a.       “The period of our literature also sees . . . in the name something real, a piece of the very nature of the personality whom it designates, that partakes in his qualities and his powers.”[1]

b.

The appeal is made solely through the authority of our Master, the Anointed Messiah of God.

*3.       **Point*:  For the believer there is no higher authority of appeal.

B.      The Lord appeals to us for agreement (1:10).

1.       /speak the same thing/:

a.       be in agreement

2.       /no divisions/:

a.       σχίσματα: non-theological use, “tear in a garment or a crack in a stone.”

Theological, a division

b.       Context: the Corinthians were divided in understanding and consequently purpose.

3.       /perfectly joined together in the same mind/:

a.       /perfectly joined/:  (κατηρτισμένοι) made complete

b.       /same mind/: (νοὶ̈) same way of understanding or thinking

c.        /same judgment/: (γνώμῃ) purpose or intention

d.       *Q*:  How do we understand our God-given purpose or the God-established intention of our existence?

e.        *A*: Paul will answer this later.

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*Questions: *How does today’s portion of the sermon fit with Ephesians 4:1-6?

What did Jesus pray for in John 17:22-23?

*Wednesday*>Read the references in today’s notes and Philippians 4:2-3.

The applications are included in today’s notes.

C.

The Lord admonishes us for our quarrels (1:11-12).

1.

The Corinthians were more devoted to a partisan Christianity than to a Christlike unity.

a.       “I follow Paul . . .

Apollos . . .

Peter . . .

Christ.”

b.

Apparently baptism by these personalities had even become some sort of badge.

1)       They must have been saying:  “I was baptized by Apollos . . .

Paul . .

.”

2)       *1 Cor 1:14* (ESV) /I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,/

c.        *Point*:  These are good men!  Apostles.

Spirit-filled, Christ-preaching, Church-planting pastors.

1)       *But not even 1st Century Apostles deserve this kind of partisan devotion.*

2)       *One step further:  And not even Christ is to be used as a partisan mascot.*

3)       *Such is a carnal view of the Savior!*

d.       Present examples of partisan devotion:

1)       “I follow C.I. Scofield.”

2)       “I follow John Calvin.”

3)       “I follow Charles Ryrie.”

4)       “I follow Bob Jones.”

5)       “I follow John Piper.”

6)       “I follow Christ.”

e.

Other examples:

1)       “I’m Reformed.”

2)       “I’m Dispensational.”

3)       “I’m Progressive.”

4)       “I’m Covenant.”

5)       “I’m Fundamentalist.”

6)       “I’m a Biblicist.”

2.       Application:

a.

I have long appreciated the diversity in Fundamentalism.

b.       20 years ago, Dr. David Beale, a professor of mine while I attended BJU, wrote in his book /In Pursuit of Purity/, “The strength of Fundamentalism lies in its diversity. . . .

Fundamentalism has never been and never could be limited to the affirmations of any particular denomination.

The Fundamentals of Fellowship transcend denominational distinctives, and they do so without weakening or compromising such distinctives.

While Fundamentalists have differed among themselves on certain interpretations of Scripture, they unite in fellowship for the common purpose of the defense of the faith and the spread of the gospel, accepting the Bible alone, without question, as the divinely and verbally inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God.”[2]

c.        That’s Beale’s way of saying exactly what Paul wrote in 1 Cor 1:10.

d.

But I fear it is not now so.

e.        Well-intentioned, but misinformed or fearful individuals now say things like “This Reformed theology is dangerous to the movement.”

1)       Let the Lord straighten that out with B.B. Warfield.

2)       What about Reformed Theology is so dangerous to the movement?

3)       Would it be better stated that the extremes in Reformed Theology are dangerous?

4)       Is it the movement or the Gospel that we are seeking to preserve?

f.        “Dispensationalism is aberrant theology.”

1)       Let the Lord straighten that out with Scofield and Ryrie and Bock.

2)       What about Modern, Progressive Dispensationalism is aberrant?

3)       Perhaps what we should say is that the extremes of Dispensationalism are aberrant and dangerous.

g.        “Anything other than a pre-tribulation, pre-millenial eschatology is unscriptural.”

1)       The Lord used Martin Luther mightily despite his Post-Millenial views.

2)       I may not agree with the Amillenialist or the Post-Millenialist on several things, but we all agree that the visible, bodily return of Christ is our great hope.

We all look for the New Heavens and the New Earth.

h.

Let’s be careful what we consign to the realm of the unscriptural or even heretical.

i.         *Point*:  Theology matters, but some parts of theology matter more than others.

Our unity in Christ and our unity in Gospel-spreading purpose are infinitely more important than agreement on end-time charts and timelines.

Some of you have been quarreling over partisan devotion and secondary issues.

Beloved, that is not of Christ!

* *

*Thursday>*Think about Paul’s emphasis in I Corinthians 1:13.

You have seen Paul addressing unity with the Philippians, Ephesians, and Corinthians.

The application questions are included in today’s segment of the sermon outline.

D.

The Lord calls us to loyalty (1:13).

1.       /Is Christ divided?/

a.       /Divided/:  (μεμέρισται) to divide into separate parts.

b.       *Matt 12:25* (ESV) /25 . . .