Sermon Tone Analysis

Today we are talking about growing in Christ.

Which got me thinking about growing older.

No one after 30 likes to hear they are growing older, but growing older has some benefits to it.

So here is a list of the upsides of growing older:

There is nothing left anymore to learn the hard way.

Things that you buy now won't wear out.

Your supply of brain cells is finally down to a manageable size.

You no longer think of the speed limit as a challenge.

Your investment in health insurance starts to pay off.

You can quit trying to hold in your stomach no matter who walks into the room.

Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them anyway.

You can sing along with elevator music.

Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the guy on the television.

Your eyes won't get too much worse.

Kidnappers are not very interested in you.

People call you at 9 p.m. and ask, "Did I wake you???? "

You can get into a heated argument about pension plans.

You can eat dinner at 4:00 in the afternoon.

In a hostage situation you are the most likely to be released first.

No one expects you to run -- anywhere.

You are no longer viewed as a hypochondriac.

Historical/Cultural Context -

Paul preached the gospel in Corinth in the early 50s AD during his second missionary journey (Acts 18:1–18).

When opposition grew fierce there, the Lord Jesus spoke to him in a vision assuring him that he had ‘many people’ in the city (Acts 18:10).

With this encouragement, Paul stayed on for eighteen months, ‘teaching them the word of God’ (Acts 18:11).

God used Paul’s ministry to bring about the birth and establishment of the church in Corinth.

Biblical Text -

-[Prayer]-

Life Principle - Grow In Christian Maturity, Knowledge And Skill In Sharing The Gospel.

Life Point- Grow In Christian Maturity

Exegetical -

Homiletical -

We have talked a lot about wisdom.

Heavenly vs. earthly wisdom, which is no wisdom at all because it does not come from God.

Now Paul tells us that the wisdom that is from above is for those who are mature.

But he does not speak of those who are mature in the flesh.

But those who are mature in the things of God, and of life.

I have met some people in there 70s and 80s that by the way they live their lives, I can tell you they aren’t mature Christians.

They have not put what scripture says into practice.

Oh, they may come to church on Sunday, but when scripture says to not swindle someone, they turn right around and do it.

Do you know what the problem is with these kinds of people?

They have compartmentalized Christianity.

Church is just something they do, not what they live by.

When I look at someone like this, I am glad that they go to church, but I am saddened that they are so self-deceived they think they are saved.

People who live in immorality and show that immorality to others and feel no shame about it, or no conviction about it, I would go out on a limb here and says they don’t know Jesus Christ.

They aren’t saved.

But what about those who are still stuck on the milk of the Word?

They haven’t moved on beyond the elementary principles of Christ?

Yes, there are true Christians who don’t know any better.

Why?

Because they don’t read God’s Word, much less study it.

What they do read they don’t like it, so like a toddler or if you are in my house right now, a puppy.

They ignore what God says.

They just continue on, saying and doing what they have always done.

Their mantra is, “ignorance is bliss.”

They forget Hosea 4:6

In the New Testament we are all called priests before God.

We are called to be mature in Christ.

We live in the 21st century.

We have access to not just the scriptures in English, but multiple translations, dictionaries, commentaries and the like.

For free!

For us to still be babes in Christ, there is no excuse.

Martin Luther, Zwingli, and John Calvin would have loved to have access to the amount of study tools we have for the scriptures today.

No the problem is not a lack of tools, it is a lack of priorities.

If you want to grow up in Christ, then you need to make scripture one of your largest priorities.

What is this mystery?

This mystery is not something that still remains a mystery today.

Anyone who says they have been given a word from God to restore to the church, that word better be backed by the truth of scripture or it is no word at all, but either a twisting of scripture by their minds or it comes from a demonic source.

The mystery that Paul has in mind here is the restored personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

If they had known that they were crucifying God in the flesh they wouldn’t have done it.

How amazing it is that God, while we were yet sinners, paid our debt.

That is the mystery that at this time in history has been revealed.

Illustration -

A recent college grad visits a farm one day.

He approaches the farmer and points to one of the trees.

"You know, with the methods you old farmers use, I'd be surprised if you could get one bushel of apples from that tree" says the college grad.

"I'd be too" the farmer answers.

"That's a peach tree."

Life Point - Grow In Knowledge & Understanding

Exegetical -

Homiletical -

Someone always says, “Pastor I can’t understand the Bible.”

My answer is always this, that is why He is given us ministers.

To help us along.

Not that we just take their word for it, but we use them as a resource in our learning and growing in Christ.

No it is the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth.

The Spirit searches all things to illuminate this truth to our minds.

At no other time since the fall has man enjoyed such a close relationship with God.

Yet, we treat it as such a trite thing.

Something that is no big deal!

Do you think that God is offended by that?

I think He is.

If we would just rely on the Holy Spirit as we read His word, then we would find that the truth of His Word would be illuminated to us.

Remember The Holy Spirit is not some impersonal force.

He is the third in the trinity and He is God.

What does the Holy Spirit do?

Because of the shed blood of Christ we have fellowship with God the Holy Spirit.

Because of His work illuminating the scriptures to us, we know God.

Why are Christians not more happy about this than they are?

Maybe I am wrong, but I think it has a lot to do with the fact that the average American Christian, doesn’t read or study God’s Word for themselves.