Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.15UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.11UNLIKELY
Fear
0.12UNLIKELY
Joy
0.54LIKELY
Sadness
0.52LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.76LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.37UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.91LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.77LIKELY
Extraversion
0.16UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.47UNLIKELY
Emotional Range
0.65LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Intro:
Dr. S. Lewis Johnson, a noted New Testament scholar, tells of his visit in Britain, where he observed that British people love dogs as their pets.
During his stay he noticed three kinds of dogs which he relates to people in reference to freedom.
The first are those dogs who have law but no freedom.
They are those who are in chain.
Though they jog and roam with their masters yet they cannot go where they want.
The second are those dogs who have freedom but no law.
These kind of dogs are not in chain and are free to do whatever they want and to go wherever they want to go.
Yet they are living in a dangerous existence.
The third are those dogs that have the law of freedom.
They are the kind of dogs who jog, roam, and play with their masters without any chain.
They are free to go wherever they want to go but they still return to their masters.
This they do because of the chain of affection that connects them to their masters.
The first are like those legalists who painstakingly live in obedience to man-made rules to the suppression of their freedom in Christ.
The second are like those people who make use of their freedom as license to sin.
The third one are those like genuine believers who make use of their freedom in Christ to stay close with the Master, the Lord Jesus Christ.
We have now been in the book of 1 Corinthians for some time.
We’ve talked through many of the issues and questions facing the believers in Corinth.
Paul has vigorously wrote to correct the wrongs and lead them to the righteous path.
We know that Paul has set out since about the 8th chapter to correct thinking regarding the question of Christian liberty more specifically meat offered to idols.
Paul has taken his time to answer this question.
Perhaps, we should take note of how he handles these delicate subjects.
Subjects that have alot of “gray areas” to them.
Paul in chapter 8 does his best to show scriptural what is important in the matter of christian liberties.
Not offending your brother in Christ, thinking of their needs before your own, not being a stubbling block.
Furthermore, in chapter 9, Paul was sure to prove that he himself was not a hypocrite of these things but was a leader himself on giving up his own rights.
This he did so that the gospel would not be inhibited.
From that testimony, Paul takes a bit of a rabbit trail to describe how he was willing and able to make such great sacrifices for the gospel’s call, namely the ability to say no to receiving funds for his ministry to them.
“This I do for the Gospel’s sake.”
v. 23 “that I might gain the more” v. 19.
How was he able to do this, here Paul turns their attention to the dedication and drive of an athlete.
Self-discipline and self-control.
These are so critical if one is to live this kind of godly lifestyle.
To sacrifice in such a way requires that we run aimlessly nor to we box as one beating the air so that we don’t become disqualified.
Furthermore, to show them the dangers of one who doesn’t run with self-control and self-discipline, those people often crash into spiritual disaster, disqualifying themselves from the race.
Paul shared in chapter 10 how the Israelites did this very thing and therefore became an example for us of how not to run.
In verse 4 it says, They all drank from the same spiritual Rock.
In other words, they all had the same opportunity to do what was right and win the proverbial spiritual race.
But they didn’t run well and because of that were punished severely.
Paul wants the Corinthians though to run well.
And that is why Paul urges them in verses 11-12.
And that brings us to our text today.
Will start in verse 14.
Read 1 Corinth.
10:14-22
Pray
I. Issues with Idolatry
As I was studying for today, I noticed some of my Bible translations titled this section of verses as “Warning against Idolatry.”
But this section, as it has been labeled by the translators and is not inspired, they have it beginning not with verse 14 but with verse 1.
In other words, they view perhaps the entire chapter of 1 Corinth.
10 as dealing with idolatry.
It’s not just one of the four sins that Israel committed and was listed in the first 13 verses of chapter 10 but it is the pinnacle sin.
The one that wraps up all the rest.
Perhaps this is why Paul begins verse 14 with a therefore as if to summarize all the sins into one.
He says then “Flee from Idolatry”.
Quick note before we dive into the topic of idolatry.
There is a word that indefinitely jumps out of the passage to me.
A rather beautiful word written in the midst of this stern command.
It’s the word beloved.
Paul again writes, Therefore, my beloved.
Before Paul goes anywhere, he affirms to them that in spite of their many problems, Paul, as their former pastor and spiritual father to many of them, is deeply devoted and loves them.
It reminds me in alot of ways of parent who has a way-son or daughter.
Is there ever a time where the parent loves that son or daughter an less because of the decisions they have made, no it doesn’t.
It might make them like them a little less because of all the headaches, but they always will love them, that is if they are good parents.
The good parent, does it make them like of the wayward son or daughter less than the other kids, absolutely not.
In fact, I wonder if they don’t think of them even more than the ones that are still with them.
In don’t have kids old enough to have them yet make the choices to be rebellious and wayward towards us yet.
But I can share from the many opportunities I’ve had working with the youth.
I know that to have a wayward teen that you have poured your life into and then have them step away.
It certainly doesn’t cause me to forget them, but I think of them constantly.
They are in prayers of mine all the time.
Cause we long to see those that we poured into come back to the truth of the Word of God.
That’s Paul’s longing here.
He is no different.
And that’s why he writes with such deliberation.
He wants them to know the truth.
And he’s patient with them.
So firstly, Paul wants them to know that idolatry is a big deal.
“flee from it...” as if to say get out of their before it sticks to you.
Why is it such a big deal.
I(A).
Offense to God
As you probably are well aware of
idolatry is worshiping something other than the true God in the true way, it is the most serious and contaminating of sins.
It strikes at the very character of God.
Those who worship an idol declare that the Lord is not the only true God and that other “so-called gods” (8:5) are worthy to share His glory and honor.
They testify that the Lord is deficient, that He is not all-wise, all-powerful, and all-sufficient.
It is not an accident that the first of two of the Ten Commandments have to do with idolatry.
Why?
Because if we do not have the right view of God, nothing else can be placed in the right perspective.
Since the fall, mankind has wanted to make God into their OWN IMAGES and to their OWN LIKING.
They want to decide what is worshipped.
Which is huge hit on the perfection of God.
For us that can look life a couple of different things.
Making false claims about God abilities.
I’m not sure if any of us word do this verbally, but we certainly can live this way.
We are talking about not trusting Him.
When we doubt that He is able or wiling to meet our every need.
When we in essence say, “I question whether your word is reliable, your promises are true, and that your power is sufficient.”
It a defaming of God characters who is to be praised and worship cause He is sufficient, He is reliable, He is love.
But yet we may think that He is not enough.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9