Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Dismiss children

Personal introduction

I’m so grateful for those of you involved on our hospitality team.

It’s our desire at Liberty to make everyones Sunday morning experience with us one that is free from distraction, welcoming, and overly friendly.

Thanks to Jon and Kelly Burrell who are currently leading that Team.

If your interested in being apart of that team and serving the Lord in that way you can speak with them, scan that QR code and let us know on there, or you can turn in a next step card.

We are continuing in our ReThinking Church series as we explore the book of 1 Corinthians.

Back story on this epistle, It is written by the Apostle Paul about 5 years after the church was planted.

The people who got this letter are living in the city of Corinth which was like a modern day Vegas if not worse.

It was known for it’s promiscuity and terrible lifestyle.

There was even a cultural insult developed bc of the debauchery and immoral lifestyle lived by the people of Corinth.

In short it was “You are acting like a Corinthian”

We have learned much about what the church Jesus sought to establish was intended to be like by rethinking our ideas of church compared to what Paul wrote about here.

It is in this letter that he approached disunity in the church, sexual immortality, and a list of questions that he was sent by leaders in the church.

Last week we looked at the attributes of a Growing Christian and heard how Paul explained that A Growing Christian is a loving Christian, A Growing Christian seeks God’s glory not their own, and A Growing Christian is Transparent Christian.

This week I want to talk to you about what the result of being a Growing Christian is expected to be.

Before we jump into 1 Corinthians let me walk you back over to

Matthew 28:19-20

This is considered the great commission.

Jesus’ final words to his disciples before ascending to Heaven.

In it He gives them and us our mandate as believers.

Tell people about Him, have them publicly identify with Him via baptism, and then teaching them to observe or live as He has commanded.

What does that mean to you and I? It means that the 1 job we have isn’t going to church, it isn’t reading our Bible’s and praying, it is telling people about Jesus, seeing them follow in beleivers baptism, and then helping them grow.

Who are you helping grow closer to the Lord?

Many would say none.

Why though?

Why is it Christians are not growing other Christians?

Why are you not making it a priority in your life to connect with other people to lead them closer to Jesus?

Can I give you my assessment of why this is taking place?

Because Christians aren’t growing themselves.

How do I know this?

Because I’ve seen in my own life that when I’m growing and pursuing Christ more, I’m able to lead others to do the same.

When I’m not, I don’t.

You see, Growing Christians, Grow Christians.

Paul highlights this in 1 Cor 4 and we are going to see 2 things important to be a growing Christian and an affirmation of the title of the message today.

As we get into the message today I want you to be considering these questions: Why am I not growing as a Christian?

Why am I not growing someone else?

1 Cor 1:4-5

Exegete:

Paul is continuing in his thouhts regarding who he and Apollos are as leaders in the church.

They are ministers.

The word minister meanas ervant.

They are servants of Christ.

The word minister in America is often associated with a pastor and looked at with reverance.

In fact, another word we have used to describe a pastor is Reverend.

I love it when people call me reverend.

I tell them pastor is fine, there is nothing to revere about me.

Usually gets me a laugh.

It’s true though.

It was true of Paul, Apollos, and each one of us here today.

He is a servant of Christ, and a steward of the mysteries of God.

Do you remember what the mysteries of God are?

The gospel.

Nothing secretive, nothing anyone else can’t know.

As a steward of the gospel it is required they he be found faithful.

Faithul to what?

How do we steward the message of the gospel?

While overused it is a great illustration that we should not scoff at as cliche: The information o the gospel is life givein and life saving.

It should be spread as wide and far as if you had the information that woudl cure cancer.

You would be a bad steward of that cure for cancer if you didn’t tell everyone.

You are being a bad steward of the live saving and life changing message of the gospel if you are not sharing it.

That could have been it’s own point but I wanted to get to the heart of why we aren’t stewarding the gospel properly and I believe Paul highlights that in vereses 3 and 4.

He tells them “I’m not concerned about your opinion of me, I’m not concerned about the opinion of other men, and I’m not really concerned with my own judgment of myself.

I’m judged by God.”

Wow paul, you mean you don’t care about what people think of you and will just live or act however you want?

That’s not what he’s saying.

He’s telling them I’m not defined by your opinions or even my own opinions.

I’m defined by God.

This is what drove Paul.

This is what made Paul keep going through shipwreck, after being run out of town, and having large stones thrown at him.

Illustrate:

I recently read

Identity drives motivation, motivation drives action, and action drives results.

For example, if someone speeds past me at ninety miles per hour on the highway, odds are I won’t chase them down and issue a ticket.

I don’t have an identity that says, “I am a police officer,” so I have no motivation to act.

A police officer, on the other hand, does have that identity and therefore has the motivation to take action (chasing down the speeder) and get results (issuing a ticket).

Every action we take in life has a sense of identity behind it.

David Lomas, The Truest Thing about You: Identity, Desire, and Why It All Matters, David C. Cook.

Apply:

Where is your identity?

Whose opinion defines you?

If your friends opinion defines you then you will not act contrary to what provides you acceptance in their eyes.

Is it your spouse?

Parents?

Siblings?

Are you lliving your life seeking acceptance in the eyes of the people of this world?

Whose opinion are you most concerned with?

How can you answer that question?

Do this…the next time you are out with friends that don’t go to church or really in any situation, bring up Jesus, your church attendance, your faith in Him, or how He is growing you.

Give Him glory in front of others...

Does that cause butterflies in your stomach?

Does that make you nervous?

When I mentioned praying for the server last week, how many of you had issues with praying in public?

Why? Are you concerned with how they will judge you?

Would you be willing to have an opposing politcal view in front of these same people?

yes?

Why? Do you regard your political party higher than your savior?

Growing as a Christian and growing other Christians means not seeking the approval of man.

It means seeking the approval of God.