Sermon Tone Analysis

The Plea for Unity (v.

10)

The first thing that Paul tells the Corinthians is that they should be unified.

In verse 10 we see that Paul pleads with this church.

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The word “Appeal” is translated from a greek verb that means to exhort, to invite, or to encourage a friend.

Paul does not come to them as an overlord who wants to whip this church into shape, he speaks to them as a pastor who loves his flock.

When you read the book of Acts where Paul planted the Corinthian church, you see that Paul lived with these people for almost three years.

They had history together.

In fact, he addresses them as brothers and sisters 39 times throughout the letter.

That is more than any other letters that Paul wrote and it accounts for 29% of the times that the word is used in the New Testament.

Paul obviously wanted this church to know that he thought they were family.

If you pay close attention while you read this book, you will see that Paul uses the word “Brothers” when addressing the congregation almost constantly.

In fact, he addresses them as brothers and sisters 39 times throughout the letter.

That is more than any other letters that Paul wrote and it accounts for 29% of the times that the word is used in the New Testament.

Paul obviously wanted this church to know that he thought they were family.

But he didn’t just want them to know that HE thought of them as family, he also wanted them to see each other as a family.

Paul appeals to the Corinthian church first as brothers and sisters because it was one of the reasons why they should be unified!

What better way to call someone to reconciliation and unity than to remind them that they are bound together as God’s forever family?!

This is obviously relevant for us today.

We live in a very Corinthian-like world.

It seems like we are always at war with each other in the church.

When Jesus raised up the church in the 1st Century, he called us to be a refuge for weary, a safe-place for broken people to heal, for rejects to be accepted, for the discouraged to be encouraged, for anxious hearts to find rest, for sinners to find grace, love, and mercy.

Jesus’ Church is a place for all of these things, that is the beauty of the Church!

It is the only place in the world where we can be so different but so alike.

We are Republicans and Democrats.

We are Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys.

We are rich and poor.

We are male and female—and even some confused people too.

We are black and white—and every shade in-between.

We are raised in different backgrounds.

Some of us are staunch 5-Point Calvinists and others of us are 5 Point Arminians (Free-willies).

The Church is beautiful because it is the only place on the planet where we can celebrate how diverse and different we are, yet at the same time be united together as the Family of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

The Problem of Division (v.

11-16)

The Church is like a mosaic…it is a picture or pattern produced by arranging together small colored pieces of hard material, such as stone, tile, or glass.

Or in the case of one done of the 44th President of the United States…someone does one of your face with gum-balls.

We see a perfect picture of what the church is called to look like in []

9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen!

Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever!

Amen.”

13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?”

14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.”

And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.

They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15  “Therefore they are before the throne of God,

and serve him day and night in his temple;

and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.

16  They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;

the sun shall not strike them,

nor any scorching heat.

17  For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,

and he will guide them to springs of living water,

and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

The Problem of Division (v.

11-16)

How do we fight for unity?

What is the take

Two ways:

Remember who we are.

Remember who we are.

Remember who’s we are.

Remember Who’s we are.

The Problem of Division (v.

11-16)

c ch. 5:9

d ver.

14; See ch.

3:4

e [; ]

f ch.

12:10; 19:1; See

g ch.

4:6

h See ch.

4:10

i ch.

5:14; 19:4; [, ]

d [See ver. 9 above]

j See

k ch.

22:14; [; ]

l [; ]

m ch.

1:5

n ch.

22:3

o ch.

21:3; [, ]

p

q

r , ; []; See

s ch.

22:1; [, ; ]

t ch.

21:4;

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .The Problem of Division (v.

11-16)

We see how much of a mess this church was in when we take a look at verses 11-16

Paul says that the community was being Divide.

“For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people [most likely a house church] that there is quarreling among you...”

The Church in Corinth was a divided community.

They were split into factions.

We see in the following verses in this passage and again in chapter 3 that the people were getting behind personalities.

They wanted to be known by who they identified themselves with.

Division hurts the Gospel

Division in the Church Sends People to Hell

The Priority of the Gospel (v.

17)