Sermon Tone Analysis

*Building Community**  \\ 1 Corinthians 1:1-1:3*

*The story is told about a man who survived for twenty years on a deserted island.

When they found him they were astonished to see all that he had created.

Left to his own, he had created a self-sufficient habitat with everything he needed to live comfortably.

\\ \\ As they toured the island they noticed all the impressive structures he made.

In one corner of the island was a grand building overlooking the lagoon which he called, “Home.”

Across the lagoon was a tall white building with a spire that reached up to the sky.

\\ The rescuer asked, “What’s that building?”

\\ “Oh,” the castaway said, “that’s my church.”

\\ As they neared the other end of the island they saw another tall white building with a spire that reached up to the sky.

The rescuer paused and said, “That looks familiar, what’s that building?”

\\ \\ The castaway responded, “Oh, that’s the church I use to belong to.”** \\ There’s a certain degree of truth to that story.

/It captures the spirit of American individualism./

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*/Our culture does not encourage commitment - not in marriage, not in the workplace and certainly not in the church.

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*/We live in a world where the only thing most people are willing to commit to is having things their way./*

\\ *>>That was the problem at the church in Corinth.

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*…One group of people valued the leadership of Paul.

They would say, “Paul’s our man.

He started the church.

We’re old school!

We like the one who started it all!”

Another valued the gifts of Peter over Paul.

They felt Paul was inferior.

They claimed Peter is the “Rock.”

“Why would you listen to anyone other than the man upon whom Jesus said He will build His church?”

Yet another said, “/You all have it all wrong!

Apollos is the real man.

He is cultured, he is an Alexandrian!

He is gifted in ways Paul and Peter could never imagine.”/**/

\\ /**No, the people of Corinth allowed personal preference to get in the way of unity**.

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*-- become a **‘Me Church;**” a church were everyone looks out for their own interests and not the interests of others; *

*A church were partiality overrides unity; *

*A church were being heard & winning an argument is more important than listening and winning others to Christ**.

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*They lost their focus, they lost their purpose, and as a result, they lost their witness and effectiveness in the world.

\\ ** \\ It’s a common but sad story.

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*/Churches all over the country are torn apart, not by issues of doctrine or theology, but the color of the carpet, the style of music or personality conflicts/**.

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* *

*/@@And in the process the church stops being the church and looks more like a country club; a place where people gather together because of their similarities, they all cheered for the same leader.

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*/ /*

*/@@And in other ways they became more like a city council meeting; a place where everyone is intent on protecting their turf at all cost./**

\\ \\ We are going to focus on building community.

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*We want to take a look at why God values unity over individuality.

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*We want to discover what builds unity and what can destroy unity.

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*/We want to ask what’s so valuable about the church?

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*/ /*

*/Why is it important?/**

\\ \\ /First of all, the church is NOT this building./

\\ We call this building a church, but the Bible never uses the word that way.

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*The word church literally means, the /assembled ones or the ones gather together (ekklesia/).

It does not refer to a building but to people.**

\\ \\ In other words the church is not a building, it’s a COMMUNITY.

\\ \\ It’s a community brought together by /one thing we all hold in common, a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.//

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*That is the glue of the church, it’s the foundation of the church – it’s called grace – it’s called forgiveness.

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*We share God together**.*

\\ \\ *Definition: Christian community is a group of people built upon an UNCOMMON unity in Christ.**

\\ \\ /In a world where individualism reigns supreme, God works against the grain calling us to an uncommon unity./

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*We say it’s uncommon, because the unity of the church should be unlike anything the world can offer.**

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*It is unlike anything the world can offer because it’s foundation is a crucified Messiah.**

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*~*~*God came to earth set aside his needs so that you and I could have our ultimate need met, a relationship with God.** *

*/And all God asks of you in return is that you do the same for one another./**

\\ \\  **Philippians 2:5-8** \\ \\ And as a result in verse 4 it says, **/“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

\\ /** \\ /The church is built upon a crucified Messiah, someone who set aside His needs for the needs of others./

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*And if that attitude is good enough for God then it’s good enough for us**.

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*/The church is a community built upon an uncommon unity in Christ./**

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* *

*~*We are a place where personal agenda’s are crucified upon the cross of self sacrifice.*

\\ *So what is the church supposed to look like?** \\ \\ /It looks like a group of people who are seeking to put the needs of others ahead of their own.

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*/They are servants.

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*/They watch out for one another, they care for one another, they encourage one another./**

\\ \\ In this church you can’t get to know everyone equally, and God does not expect that.

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*But you can get to know some.

You can connect with a few people and make it your goal to build them up.

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*To write them a note when they are missing, to say a word of encouragement when their down, to take them out to eat when they are lonely.*

*/~*God is calling us to something unique – something special.

He is calling into an uncommon unity./**

\\ \\ In verse 2 Paul gives us a four part description of the church, /To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ-- their Lord and ours: \\ /There are four things we want to observe: \\ \\ 1.

The church is a DIVINE community.

\\ \\ Paul wrote this letter to /“the church of God.”/ Circle the words - OF GOD.

\\ \\ What does that mean?

\\ \\ /It means the church does not rise and fall over us.

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*/The church is not great because you belong to it.

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*/…As much as I think you are a great group of people and I love spending time with you.

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*/We are not a great church because of the people who attend.

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*/God is not impressed by our level of education, our accumulation of wealth or our great personalities./*

\\ \\ *Our church is valuable because it belongs to God.** *

*It’s His idea**.

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*And as a result He loves the church**.

**He calls the church **His Bride**.*

*/The sad thing is many Christians don’t feel the same way.

Though God created the church and loves the church, many Christians want nothing to do with her./** \\ \\ /The Barna Research Group reports that in the United States about 10 million Christians have not been to church in the last six months.

Though nearly all of them say their spiritual life is important, 10 million of them want nothing to do with God’s bride./

\\  But imagine how painful it must be for God.

To know that the children He sent His Son to die for and adopt, don’t like His bride.

They’re all for Jesus, but they don’t care for His wife.

\\ \\ /I don’t know about you but - if you don’t like my wife, in the words of a Texan – “Yah Ain’t Gonna Like Me!”

You can’t separate the two of us.

When you say something that hurts her, it hurts me.

On our wedding day we made a commitment in the name of the Trinity, to put the needs of one another ahead of our own/.

We entered a covenant of self-sacrificial love.

\\ **God feels the same way toward the church.**

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*Now the church is not perfect.

But guess what?

Neither am I! And you know what?

That makes no difference to Beth – it might annoy her from time to time but my wife does not love me because I am perfect.