Sermon Tone Analysis

SAILORS, SOLDIERS & SLAVES

1 Cor 1:26-28 “26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.

27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,”

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PRAY

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Epistle opener last week.

We began a new series called EPISTLE: LETTER.

and our New Testament is filled with LETTERS and God would have it that it would be VIA EPISTLES, Letters of Communication that he would FOUND The CHURCH and ALSO SHAPE AND MOULD THE CHURCH Through CORE DOCTRINES.

Remember the New Testament has:

The Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke & John

Acts of the Apostles

Then the LETTERS: which are MOSTLY PAUL 13 (I am going to talk about Paul today).

Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthan’s, Galatians, Ephesians, Phillipian’s, Colossians, 1&2 Thessalonians, 1&2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon.

Then the general epistles: 8.

Hebrews, James, 1&2 Peter, 1,2,3 John, Jude

Then Revelation.

Last week we studied GALATIANS:” You are FREE from the Past”, “Popelled into a Glorious Future” & “Saved to Bear one another’s burdens” and do the work Christ has for you in this life.

Thats Galatians.

This week: SAILORS, SOLDIERS & SLAVES: EPISTLE to the Corinthians.

We are going to cover some GROUND in this message, and following each Sunday message we’ll have a devotional that you can on your own time, in your quiet time - Study the EPISTLE.

I want you to DIVE INTO it and let it DIVE INTO YOU.

PROFILE ON THE APOSTLE PAUL (Image of Paul)

Who was Paul? Paul was a zealous, passionate, well trained, well educated, smart Jewish boy who was PURE in his OWN EYES.

He studied under a famous rabbi in the rabbinical schools.

That Rabbi was Gamaliel

He was born in Pharissee in Tarsus, the southern coast of what is now modern day turkey.....He was unique because he was a Jew, he was born also a roman citizen.

He understood the culture extremely well.

TO UNDERSTAND PAULS LETTERS ITS GOOD TO UNDERSTAND SOME ABOUT PAUL

He would’ve seen as a young boy the way his people the Jewish people were being led away from being as pure as they used to be by the Greek Cultural influence, but also the Roman Occupation: this would be the very thing that God would use to DEVELOP a passion in Him for the things that Make him passionate.

QUICK FACT: God didn’t change his name: Saul of Tarsus / Paul the apostle.

He didn’t have a name change BTW ( Saul was his Jewish Name, Paul was his greek name)

But God would use his PEDIGREE to be the BRIDGE to take the GOSPEL to the Gentiles… to the nations.

Some more things about Paul:

He was the preeminent apostle of the new testament - The Majority of the times the word apostle is used in the NT its referring to PAUL.

he was not one of the 12. His apostleship came later, but still came directly from Jesus.

Acts 9 is when he was saved / this is we almost seeing the pinnacle of the persecution of the church, :Paul is in a leadership Role taking letters to go and reprimand and perscute christians and followers of the way.

He was Nationalistic, He was Zealous, He was Devout - He had an SHARP EYE and a SHARP INTELLECT for the JEWISH faith..

So what did God do>?

He blinded him.

acts 9:3-9 “3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?”

And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.

8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing.

So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.

9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.”

So this was His conversion moment - His Blinding REVELATION of the TRUTH OF JESUS as the MESSIAH:

But i want to show you something maybe youve never seen here before:

acts 9:3 “3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him.”

he was on HIS way

and His was wasn’t workin.

Isn’t that JUST LIKE you and I.

Then he because a follower, and then THE LEADING apostle of “THE WAY”.

SO LETS Breakdown & STUDY 1st & 2nd Corinthians:

1st Letter: 16 CHAPTERS ....Chapters 1-8 / Deals with the mess in the church.

Especially Sexual sin.

also factions.

in the church.

Chapters 9-16 / Dealing with more spiritual things.

Ignorance because of a lack of spiritual maturity.

Children need to be taught and these young christians need to be given basic instructions.

in the 2nd LETTER: 13 Chapters -Paul Defends his apostleship, His ministry by SHOWING his love for the Church there.

HE also brings the church encouragement in this EPISTLE around GIVING and how THEIR giving would impact the Church in Jerusalem.

Here is a well known verse we get from the 2nd Epistle:

2 Cor 9:6-7 “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Purpose of the EPISTLES TO THE CORINTHIANS.

To write to the church that was founded by PAUL but to handle the issues of the CHURCH (like any church) the right way.

Gods way: Through Wisdom and Spiritual maturity.

To flee from pagan ideals and idols and to embrace the Holy Spirits role in their lives.

CENTRAL THEMES: CHRISTIAN UNITY, CHRISTIAN LOVE, ORDER IN THE CHURCH

LOVE & ORDER

(CHRISTIAN UNITY, CHRISTIAN LOVE, ORDER).

SO WHAT WAS GOING ON IN CORINTH AND WHY WAS AN EPISTLE NECESSARY!

CORINTH WAS A CONNECTION POINT: located was on a 2 mile strip like a peninsula that was strategically located in a great spot between the north and south.

(SHOW MAP)

Corinth was a notorious port town located on a peninsula which meant that it was strategically located between the North Mediterranean and South and instead of GOING Around the HEADLAND or POINT so to speak - it was easier to DOCK on either side of the peninsula and move your goods from one side to the other making this a strategic location for a town.

(SHOW IMAGE OF THE OLD ROAD)

In the 100 years prior to Paul writing Corinth empty but Caesar began sending ex military to it to build it up as a retirement spot (much like Phillipi in a sense)

Corinth was a HAPPENING place

CORINTH was full of ex soldiers, newly free slaves and sailors who was passing through or staying for a short period waiting for the next shipment or vessel.

It was a transient place but it was a bustling PORT town where ex-roman soldiers were given opportunity to go there and make money, and enjoy living in a great place.

It was full of WILD LIVING.

To Call something “Corinthian or Corinthianze” meant & still means now a wild way of life or a promiscious way of life.

There was Veterans, There were Feed men & women, There were Sailors.

ALL WITH MONEY TO SPEND!

Corinth was a place where people would say “the voyage to corinth is not for every man” or in other words you might get swept up in Partying, :Prostitution, gambling and crime.

THIS IS ANCIENT CORINTH IN THE TIME OF PAUL

SO GET THIS: So YOU HAVE A BOOMING CONNECTION POINT TOWN, A TRANSIENT GENTILE CULTURE FULL OF PEOPLE WHO HAVENT THE FAINTEST CLUE WHO JESUS IS.... SO WHY CORINTH?

Paul being from Tarsus, having all the greek understanding HE KNEW THIS WOULD BE AN AMAZING PLACE FOR A CHURCH: many scholars believe it was Paul knowing the potential influence that Corinth could have decided to plant churches there.

Paul was a strategic missionary - he understood this stuff so he was able to think about how this could be an amazing HOTSPOT & connection POINT for the church to be located.

BUT THIS WAS A YOUNG CHURCH - AND LIKE ANY YOUNG CHILD, A FATHER HAS MUCH WORK TO DO TO HELP THEM FORM AND CORRECT AND LOVE THEM TO WHERE THEY NEED TO BE!

THERE WERE MASSIVE ISSUES IN THIS YOUNG CHURCH

PAUL WAS RESPONDING TO THEIR QUESTIONS AND TO THEIR ISSUES: HE BELIEVES ITS HIS RESPONSIBILITY AS AN APOSTLE TO THIS CHURCH - AND TO BRING TRUTH AND LOVE, WHICH IS THE MAJOR THEME:

TRUTH WITH LOVE / ORDER WITH LOOVE / SOUND DOCTRINE AND THE CORRECT VIEW OF GOD.

SO WHAT WAS PAUL SAYING TO THE CORINTHIANS IN THE EPISTLE: THE TAKEAWAYS FROM 1 CORINTHIANS & 2ND CORINTHIANS

1.FOLLOWING THE WAY, MEANS CHANGING YOUR WAYS.

HOW YOU LIVE MATTERS

1 Corinthians 1:22-25 “For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

1 Cor 5:6 “6 Your boasting is not good.

Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?”