Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro:

1 Corinthians 1:3

Tonight, we will continue [Praying with Paul] and the title of my message is [The Bigger Picture].

Whenever I work on any type of project, I find that it is best to begin by looking at the bigger picture.

For instance, a few weeks ago, Bekah mentioned to me on a Sunday afternoon, I wish we had a fire pit outside, I’d love to roast marsh mellows tonight.

I told I would think about it and went outside.

I picked a place, decided how it would look, what I needed to do, and I got to work.

But I had to keep in mind the Bigger Picture.

I hoed up the ground

Gathered some rocks

Got a fire going

To keep me going, I had to keep the bigger picture in mind.

I needed to think of the fun we would have roasting marsh mellows sitting outside looking at the most beautiful view.

If I didn’t keep the bigger picture in mind, I probably would not have finished the project.

I started to get hot, I couldn’t find “just the right rocks” and it really was one of the last things I wanted to do on a Sunday afternoon— but thinking of my wife and son, who both love the outdoors, kept me focused on the bigger picture!

When I read the first prayer of Paul in 1 Corinthians, I thought about the bigger picture.

He had a lot to handle with the Corinthians.

They were a struggling church, but not in the way we might think.

They had large crowds and plenty of finances.

But they struggled morally, spiritually, and relationally.

Here is SOME of what Paul had to handle in this letter to the church in Corinth:

Their challenges to spiritual authority

Their blatant sin

Their lax attitude toward sin

Their desire to sue each other

Their acceptance of fornication

Their confusion about marriage and divorce

Their acceptance of idolatry

Their misuse of the gifts of the Spirit

Their misuse of communion

Their misinterpretation of the coming of Christ

That is a lot to cover in one letter.

So to start, Paul begins by looking at the bigger picture.

He emphasizes God’s grace, gifts, and guarding power.

Why would he start there?

The bigger picture establishes our focus.

Paul put God first as his foundation for handling all problems.

When we get consumed with the problems and possibilities of life, it is important to look at the bigger picture.

I want to look at three big pictures items found in 1 Corinthians 1, [God Gives Grace], [God Bestows Gifts], and [God Consistently Guards].

Let’s begin

1.

God Gives Grace

1 Corinthians 1:4-5

Paul began by giving God thanks.

As I have mentioned many time, when we start to pray, we will find we are more effective whenever we start by thanking and and praising God.

Praise focuses us on the bigger picture.

For Paul, he had many serious issues to discuss with the Corinthian church, but he started by thanking the Lord for His grace.

Why would he emphasize God’s grace?

When we think grace, imagine something we do not deserve.

Grace is God’s favor that we did not earn, it is unmerited.

Before he began addressing their serious issues, he reminded the reader, and likely himself, that God’s grace is sufficient.

None of us deserve God’s grace.

His unmerited favor is endless.

He keeps and preserves us.

Therefore, Paul pointed to the bigger picture—

God gives grace to those who realize their need for Him.

What does the grace of God accomplish in our lives?

When we have His grace, He enriches us in everything.

One author wrote, “no one is impoverished by becoming a Christian.”

New Spirit-Filled Life commentary

We can all think of a time where we lacked something.

The moments where we might have wondered how we could make it through.

But because of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are spiritually enriched because God continues to pour out His unmerited favor.

His grace has led us safe thus far, and His grace will lead us home.

Praying about of God’s grace will refocus us on the bigger picture.

2. God Bestows Gifts

1 Corinthians 1:6-7

The Church in Corinth was truly a changed church.

They had their share of problem, as I already noted, but they were so much farther than where they started.

It reminds me of the saying, one step forward, two steps backward.

Pastor Davis told me once, if we will keep making steps, eventually we will be farther than where we started.

The Corinthians had a genuine testimony and it was confirmed in them.

How did God choose to confirm His work and word through the Corinthians?

They operated in the gifts of the Spirit.

Let’s briefly review the gifts:

Revelation Gifts

Word of wisdom

Word of knowledge

Discerning of spirits

Power gifts

Gift of faith

Gifts of healing

Working of Miracles

Inspiration gifts

Tongues

Interpretation of Tongues

Prophecy

The Corinthians were open to the work of the Spirit, therefore God distributed His gifts upon them.

This tells me two things:

First, Paul’s first encounter with the Corinthians was supernatural.

He came walking in the power of God.

Their reference to the gifts and their desire to abandon their pagan lifestyle shows us that they experienced the supernatural.

Second, they lacked understanding about the gifts.

Paul did bring correction.

But that was better than them being totally shut down the the gifts operating.

They waited on God for revelation of who He is and what He wanted from them.

The gifts of the Spirit remind us that God is bigger than anything we face.

Within the gifts are answers to every situation.

Instead of getting burdened down with the problems, we can call on God to distribute His gifts!

Big picture items— God gives grace, God bestows Gifts...

3. God Consistently Guards