Sermon Tone Analysis

Nobody Does New Like Jesus!

1 Corinthians 3:1-15

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - Jan. 6, 2013

*We call it a new year, but for most people, it really doesn’t seem new: Same routine, same troubles in the world, and pretty much the same me when I look in the mirror.

If we really want new, we have to go to God!

He loves to do new things in people’s lives.

*In Psalm 40:1-3, King David said:

1. . .

I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, and heard my cry.

2.

He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.

3.

He has put a new song in my mouth -- Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, and will trust in the LORD.

*In Lamentations 3:22-23, the Prophet Jeremiah said:

22. Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.

23.

They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

*In John 13:34-35, Jesus said this to His followers:

34.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

35.

By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

*In 2 Cor 5:17, Paul said this about everyone who receives Jesus: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

*And in Revelation 21, the Apostle John gave this great testimony:

1.

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.

Also there was no more sea.

2. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3.

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.

4. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.''

5. Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new.''

And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful.''

*Nobody does new like the Lord Jesus Christ!

-- And in 2013, He wants to do new things in our lives.

But God gives us a part in the process.

1. First: We have to get serious about spiritual growth

*God wants us to grow in our Christian life.

There is no doubt about it in vs. 1-4.

Here Paul was speaking to Christians who were not growing like we should.

So the Apostle said:

1.

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.

2. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;

3. for you are still carnal.

For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?

4. For when one says, "I am of Paul,'' and another, "I am of Apollos,'' are you not carnal?

*Obviously here, God wants us to grow-up in Christ.

We are born again as baby Christians, but the Lord wants us to grow.

And the good news is that we can grow.

*Greg Warren once asked some people of all ages to share a few words of wisdom.

And I like these quotes, because they show that we can grow over the years:

-A 7-year-old shared this wisdom he must have learned from experience: “You can’t hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.”

-Age 13: “Just when I get my room the way I like it, Mom makes me clean it up.”

-Age 29: “Brushing my child’s hair is one of life’s greatest pleasures.”

-Also age 29: “Wherever I go, the world’s worst drivers have followed me there.”

-Age 44: “I’ve learned you can make someone’s day simply by sending them a little card.”

-Age 52: “You can tell a lot about a man by the way he handles three things: “A rainy day, lost luggage and tangled Christmas tree lights.”

-Age 58: “I’ve learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life.”

-Age 61: “If you want to do something positive for your children, try to improve your marriage.”

-Age 66: “Whenever I decide something with kindness (in my heart), I have usually made the right decision.”

-Age 73: “It pays to believe in miracles.

And, to tell the truth, I’ve seen several.”

-Age 82: “Even when I have pains, I don’t have to BE one.”

-And age 92: “I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn.”

(1)

*The good news is that we can grow as believers.

The problem is: Sometimes we don’t.

That was certainly the case in Corinth.

And we have to pay attention to our growth, because our Christian growth is not automatic.

Lack of Christian growth can keep us from having the best 2013, both in our personal lives, and in our church life.

*We have a wonderful church.

I thank God every day for our church, and the blessing we have of serving here with you.

But no church is perfect.

And it can help us to look at the problems in Corinth.

This is very important, because there are dead and dying churches all around us.

And most of them have had the same kind of problems we see here in Corinth.

[1] One of those problems was poor leadership.

*Somebody was giving poor leadership in Corinth, so Paul had to step in.

Somebody was leading those people to split into groups that were fussing and fighting with one another.

*I mention this to you, because I am your pastor today only by the grace of God.

And I want to be the leader that God wants me to be.

So, please keep praying for me.

That’s the best thing you can do for me.

-One problem at Corinth was poor leadership.

[2] Another problem was selfishness.

*Those people were fussing and fighting in vs. 3&4.

They just refused to get along.

Please listen again, as Paul said:

3. . .

You are still carnal.

For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?

4. For when one says, "I am of Paul,'' and another, "I am of Apollos,'' are you not carnal?

*There in vs. 4, Paul went back to something he had said in chapter 1:

10.

Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

11.

For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you.

12. Now I say this, that each of you says, "I am of Paul,'' or "I am of Apollos,'' or "I am of Cephas,'' or "I am of Christ.''

(1 Cor 1:10-12)

*Can you see the problem in that last verse?

-- It was “I, I, I, I.”

-Those people thought that church was “all about me.”

*The problem was selfishness pure and simple.

And we want to grow out of that!

God wants us to grow out of that.

So in 2 Peter 3:18, the Apostle challenges us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. .

.”

*God wants to do new things in our lives this year, but we have to do our part.

-So get serious about spiritual growth.

2. But church: We also need to find more ways to work together with God.

*In vs. 5-9, Paul talks a little about the great privilege we have to work in partnership with God Himself.

Here Paul said: