Sermon Tone Analysis

*Baby Talk*

11~/26~/06 CC~/AM

1 Corinthians 3:1-9

 

Introduction: Ever notice how people act around babies?

We make sounds we normally don’t use.

We change our vocabulary.

Does the baby want his baba?

We get right in their face.

We try to communicate to them on what we believe to be their level I suppose.

I wonder if babies think that adults are weird.

We sometimes act weird around babies but it is ok, we are supposed to do that I guess.

In our text this morning, Paul tells the Corinthians that he has to treat them like babies.

Anyone ever call you a big baby?

These people actually were, spiritually.

Paul had to treat them like babies even though they were adults.

It was a very sad situation.

As we take a look at what he has to say this morning I hope that we will take to heart the scolding that he gave them so that we can avoid a similar speech.

Text~/Prayer

 

*1.

**Baby food*

 

a.

He tells them that it was his desire to speak to them as spiritual men, but he found out that they were men of the flesh or immature Christians.

b.

Because of their spiritual maturity level he was going to have to treat them like babies.

c.

Do you like baby food?

Now I am sure that it is nutritional stuff, but if on Thursday when everyone was sitting down to a turkey dinner I had placed in from of me a few Gerber baby food jars of such favorites like strained peas, mooshed squash, and ground turkey I would not have been happy!

d.

Paul says to the Corinthians, I couldn’t even give you baby food, I could only give you milk!

Now I know I would not have liked just getting milk!

e.

A baby’s digestive system is not developed enough to even eat baby food in the beginning.

They cannot handle it.

They can’t digest it yet.

They need to grow up before we give them French fries.

f.

These people, although they had put their faith in Christ had failed to do what comes natural to baby Christians.

They had not grown.

They should have progressed to the point where they were learning about what it meant to be a Christian and to live like one.

Their growth had been stunted and Paul had to start with them at square one because it was all that their maturity level in the Lord would allow.

Hebrews 5:12-14 (KJV)12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.13

For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.14

But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

\\ \\

g.

The milk is identified as the gospel and putting their faith in Jesus Christ.

It is a great place to start, the only place to start, but Christianity is so much more.

Unfortunately many people never mature beyond that point.

They never realize the power of the risen savior in their daily lives.

A relationship with Jesus Christ has so much more to offer.

To take advantage of it we must get past the milk and get to the meat.

It is there where convictions are established and obedience is displayed.

h.

Are you ready for solid food?

Are you handling the milk OK?

 

 

*2.

**Baby behavior*

 

a.

a.

We may have said to our children, “if you are going to act like a baby, we will treat you like one”.

b.

How do babies act?

i.

When everything is going their way they are content and may even smile and coo.

ii.

When they don’t get exactly what they desire they have one response, they cry!

 

                                                      iii.

They have no concern for others.

If you have been up with them all night and have to get up early for work they do not care about your schedule.

iv.

They have only one person that they care about, themselves.

v.

At their maturity level they are even incapable of caring for anyone else.

That is why we excuse their rude behavior.

c.

Paul says of the Corinthians that they were behaving badly.

They should have grown up a bit but their responses indicated that they were still babies in the Lord.

d.

While we excuse poor behavior in babies we can not do so forever!

As our children begin to grow up some things that we put up with when they were infants are no longer tolerated.

e.

It is not cute anymore when they:

 

                                                            i.

Keep us up because they want to eat three times during the night.

ii.

Throw their food on the floor.

iii.

Need to be the center of attention.

f.

Paul identifies two problems with the immature Corinthian believers that were not “cute” either.

They were still acting “fleshly”.

i.

There was jealousy.

It means contentious rivalry.

Always an indication of immaturity.

They wanted what others had just like little children that don’t want something until someone else has it!

ii.

There was strife.

There was bickering and arguing among them.

Mature believers are known for their spirit of unity and cooperation.

Love for each other will be the identifying mark of the spiritually mature.

Just the opposite is true for those who refuse to grow up in the Lord.

Arguing over things for the sake of arguing is always a sign that some growing up needs to be done.