Sermon Tone Analysis

*The Victory of the Cross*

*1Corinthians 6              March 16, 2003*

* *

*Scripture Reading: *Romans 11:33-36

 

Does it sometimes seem to you that the longer you remain in the Christian faith, the more confused you become?

Perhaps the reason for this is that we still hang on to human reasoning in trying to put things together and understand the ways of God.

We reach our human limitations and can go no further.

In Romans 11:33-36, Paul gives up human reasoning in favor of God's reasoning, and proclaims that "this one thing I hold on to", that God has the victory.

But then moving quickly into chapter 12 of Romans, Paul is wise to pointedly proclaim that we must position ourselves in that victory proclaimed through the cross.

This leads us into our continuing message series in 1Corinthians this morning in chapter 6 where Paul concludes his arguments about their divisions that hinder the credibility of the church.

Beyond all their human failings, they must realize that Christ has the victory – but that they must remain in that victory and be an active part of it.

*Introduction:*

 

So this morning we will have the last message in Paul's response to the Corinthian church addressing and confronting the things he has heard about that were dividing the congregation.

Next, beginning in chapter 7, he will respond to some other concerns they have written him about, namely: Christian marriage, Christian freedom, Christian leadership, worship, spiritual gifts, and finally a reminder of the gospel in his teaching about the resurrection of the body.

But here in chapter 6, he concludes his exhortations on the things he has heard about that were causing division in the church.

Roughly, the things causing division fell into two areas: there were conflicts about following different spiritual leaders and conflicts caused by spiritual arrogance.

Paul was deftly arguing his point for prevailing unity under the doctrine of the cross of Christ.

So it is quite fitting that he concludes his response to these issues by declaring the victory of the cross – the subject of this message.

Perhaps you need some victory in your life today.

Are there some areas of your life that divide you from other believers, even to divide you from Christ himself?

Then you need to hear this message on the victory of the cross.

Have you been conquered by what Christ accomplished there?

Do you still have areas of resistance to his lordship?

The world will not hear the message of his victory unless they see the message of your surrender.

*Big Question:*

 

/How must we live out the message of the cross before a watching world?/

 

*We must live out the message of Christ's victorious rule over the world – the message of administration.*

We who belong to the cross must not subject Christ's kingdom to the world's judgment because it is we who will administer Christ's kingdom upon the earth.

*We must live out the message of Christ's victorious power to change lives – the message of transformation.*

We who belong to the cross must not continue in sin because we have been transformed by Christ.

*We must live out the message of Christ's victorious ability to command loyalty – the message of sanctification.*

We who belong to the cross have no excuse for sin because we have been united with Christ.

*We must live out the message of Christ's victorious sacrifice for sin – the message of justification.*

We who belong to the cross may turn away from sin because we have been purchased by Christ.

*I.

Cycle One*

 

*          A.

Narrative* (vv.

1-8)

 

*          B.

Implication*

 

*We must live out the message of Christ's victorious rule over the world – the message of administration.*

We who belong to the cross must not subject Christ's kingdom to the world's judgment because it is we who will administer Christ's kingdom upon the earth.

*          C.

Illustration*

 

Lawsuits

Lawsuits Gone Amuck

Business; Conflict; Justice; Lawsuits; Money; Peace; Relationships; Work

Matthew 5:9; Matthew 18:15-17; 1 Corinthians 6:1-11

Total of the top ten U.S. jury awards:

In 1997: $750 million

In 1998: $2.8 billion

In 1999: $8.9 billion

Robert Pambianco, of the Washington Legal Foundation says, "It's just further evidence that suing someone has become the preferred means of solving disputes."

Citation: Lawyer's Weekly USA; source: World (January 22, 2000), p. 14

 

*          D.

Application*

 

“ What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church?

Are you not to judge those inside?”

(1 Corinthians 5:12 NIVUS)

 

 “ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”

(Matthew 18:17 NIVUS)

 

 “ Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

(Matthew 19:28 NIVUS)

 

 “29  And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30  so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

(Luke 22:29-30 NIVUS)

 

 “14  Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.

For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?

Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

15  What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?

What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

16  What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?

For we are the temple of the living God.

As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."

17  "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.

Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you."” (2 Corinthians 6:14-17 NIVUS)

 

 “5  It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking.

6  But there is a place where someone has testified: "What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?

7  You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor 8  and put everything under his feet."

In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him.

Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.”

(Hebrews 2:5-8 NIVUS)

 

*II.

Cycle Two*

 

*          A.

Narrative* (vv.

9-11)

 

*          B.

Implication*

 

*We must live out the message of Christ's victorious power to change lives – the message of transformation.*

We who belong to the cross must not continue in sin because we have been transformed by Christ.

*          C.

Illustration*

 

Conviction, of sin

Proof of Faith

Conviction, of sin; Faith and Works; Godliness; Scripture; Word of God

Matthew 7:21-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Galatians 5:22-24; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17

Thomas Linacre was king's physician to Henry VII and Henry VIII of England, founder of the Royal College of Physicians, and friend of the great Renaissance thinkers Erasmus and Sir Thomas More.

Late in his life he took Catholic orders and was given a copy of the Gospels to read for the first time.

The Bible, of course, was still the preserve of the clergy and not in the hands of ordinary people.

And Linacre lived through the darkest of the church's dark hours: the papacy of Alexander VI, the Borgia pope whose bribery, corruption, incest, and murder plumbed new depths in the annals of Christian shame.

Reading the four Gospels for himself, Linacre was amazed and troubled.

"Either these are not the Gospels," he said, "or we are not Christians."