Title: The Carnal Christian Reconsidered Meta: Sadly a lot of carnality in the church can hide in the shadow of great preachers. Though some at Corinth said "I follow Paul”, yet practically they had jealousy and strife among them. It is fearful to think of Paul addressing us as he did them when he said he “could not address you as spiritual people”. In this sermon Ryan reconsiders what the Bible teaches us on what has been commonly called the 'carnal Christian'. Tags: Pastor Ryan Fullerton,1 Corinthians 3:3,carnal Christian,flesh,Corinth,Paul,Christian,sin 1 00:00:05,676 --> 00:00:09,289 Lord, You know how weak I feel. 2 00:00:09,289 --> 00:00:13,384 And Lord, even beyond that, You know how weak I am. 3 00:00:13,384 --> 00:00:15,337 And Lord, You know how much 4 00:00:15,337 --> 00:00:19,452 Your people here tonight need Your Word. 5 00:00:19,452 --> 00:00:21,314 Lord, it just overwhelms me - 6 00:00:21,314 --> 00:00:23,562 the needs of Your people. 7 00:00:23,562 --> 00:00:28,022 Every one of them. 8 00:00:28,022 --> 00:00:30,991 So would You please help me 9 00:00:30,991 --> 00:00:32,594 to help my brothers and sisters. 10 00:00:32,594 --> 00:00:35,519 Help me to love my brothers and sisters. 11 00:00:35,519 --> 00:00:40,087 Help me to limit myself 12 00:00:40,087 --> 00:00:43,300 to the things that Your Word says, 13 00:00:43,300 --> 00:00:49,556 and that Your Word would be the help. 14 00:00:49,556 --> 00:00:52,167 Father, we're just taking You at Your word. 15 00:00:52,167 --> 00:00:54,861 Those who grow weary 16 00:00:54,861 --> 00:00:57,834 shall be lifted up, 17 00:00:57,834 --> 00:00:59,344 they shall be strengthened. 18 00:00:59,344 --> 00:01:00,918 Lord, that's a promise 19 00:01:00,918 --> 00:01:03,218 that if You did not answer, 20 00:01:03,218 --> 00:01:06,474 You would be unfaithful to Your Word. 21 00:01:06,474 --> 00:01:09,459 And so, reverently Lord, 22 00:01:09,459 --> 00:01:18,968 we ask You to keep Your word. 23 00:01:18,968 --> 00:01:23,524 Father, we're asking for more help, 24 00:01:23,524 --> 00:01:26,887 more clarity, more power. 25 00:01:26,887 --> 00:01:28,707 Lord, I'm asking for something 26 00:01:28,707 --> 00:01:30,423 I've never even experienced before; 27 00:01:30,423 --> 00:01:42,061 I've just read about. 28 00:01:42,061 --> 00:01:50,305 Lord, we're asking You to revive Your people. 29 00:01:50,305 --> 00:01:54,291 We're asking You to meet us with Your presence 30 00:01:54,291 --> 00:01:57,515 and then to abide with us 31 00:01:57,515 --> 00:02:04,978 in a deeper way. 32 00:02:04,978 --> 00:02:07,339 And Lord, we're expecting You can do that 33 00:02:07,339 --> 00:02:15,742 through our very, very desperate weakness. 34 00:02:15,742 --> 00:02:18,193 So we ask You. 35 00:02:18,193 --> 00:02:20,366 And now, Lord, as we finish praying, 36 00:02:20,366 --> 00:02:22,689 we don't want to just forget that we've prayed. 37 00:02:22,689 --> 00:02:26,186 We want to now move into waiting on You. 38 00:02:26,186 --> 00:02:28,582 And to actively and expectantly 39 00:02:28,582 --> 00:02:30,075 looking to You like a watchman 40 00:02:30,075 --> 00:02:36,667 looks for the morning light. 41 00:02:36,667 --> 00:02:40,408 Lord, would You come and speak, 42 00:02:40,408 --> 00:02:42,885 not the words of men, but the voice of God 43 00:02:42,885 --> 00:02:50,474 through Your Word? 44 00:02:50,474 --> 00:02:53,063 Thank You that You can do this. 45 00:02:53,063 --> 00:02:55,679 Thank You that You've promised to do this. 46 00:02:55,679 --> 00:02:57,412 And thank You that You're my Father 47 00:02:57,412 --> 00:02:58,501 and our Father, 48 00:02:58,501 --> 00:03:02,734 and we ask You to move 49 00:03:02,734 --> 00:03:05,420 in Jesus' name - 50 00:03:05,420 --> 00:03:08,349 the name above all names. 51 00:03:08,349 --> 00:03:11,523 Amen. 52 00:03:11,523 --> 00:03:22,661 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 53 00:03:22,661 --> 00:03:25,138 is going to be my text. 54 00:03:25,138 --> 00:03:34,204 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 55 00:03:34,204 --> 00:03:39,227 It's my hope to love you. 56 00:03:39,227 --> 00:03:41,624 And so many of you have been so loving to me 57 00:03:41,624 --> 00:03:43,664 in expressing your prayers for me tonight 58 00:03:43,664 --> 00:03:47,279 and I do appreciate that. 59 00:03:47,279 --> 00:03:49,556 And I just pray that we would be able 60 00:03:49,556 --> 00:03:53,249 to reap the answers to those prayers, 61 00:03:53,249 --> 00:03:54,946 and that God would pour His love 62 00:03:54,946 --> 00:04:02,128 out towards us through His Word. 63 00:04:02,128 --> 00:04:10,650 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 64 00:04:10,650 --> 00:04:13,581 The Apostle Paul writing 65 00:04:13,581 --> 00:04:17,257 to the grace-filled, 66 00:04:17,257 --> 00:04:23,231 but troubled church of Corinth, 67 00:04:23,231 --> 00:04:30,284 writes, "But I, brothers, 68 00:04:30,284 --> 00:04:36,506 could not address you as spiritual people, 69 00:04:36,506 --> 00:04:41,600 but as people of the flesh, 70 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:47,752 as infants in Christ. 71 00:04:47,752 --> 00:04:54,259 I fed you with milk, not solid food. 72 00:04:54,259 --> 00:04:59,431 For you were not ready for it. 73 00:04:59,431 --> 00:05:07,289 And even now, (4-6 years later) 74 00:05:07,289 --> 00:05:17,606 you are not yet ready. 75 00:05:17,606 --> 00:05:24,055 For you are still of the flesh. 76 00:05:24,055 --> 00:05:29,454 For while there is jealousy, 77 00:05:29,454 --> 00:05:36,431 (that means you want what other people have) 78 00:05:36,431 --> 00:05:41,308 and strife among you, 79 00:05:41,308 --> 00:05:44,446 are you not of the flesh 80 00:05:44,446 --> 00:05:52,809 and behaving only in a human way? 81 00:05:52,809 --> 00:05:57,116 For when one says, 'I follow Paul,' 82 00:05:57,116 --> 00:06:01,145 and another, 'I follow Apollos,' 83 00:06:01,145 --> 00:06:08,234 are you not being merely human?" 84 00:06:08,234 --> 00:06:16,778 Lord, keep us from being merely human. 85 00:06:16,778 --> 00:06:19,418 One of the most glorious experiences 86 00:06:19,418 --> 00:06:21,595 in the Christian life 87 00:06:21,595 --> 00:06:23,354 is sitting under the preaching 88 00:06:23,354 --> 00:06:26,349 of God's Word. 89 00:06:26,349 --> 00:06:28,761 Like a baby delights to hear the voice 90 00:06:28,761 --> 00:06:30,958 of his mother, 91 00:06:30,958 --> 00:06:33,907 the Christian delights to hear the voice 92 00:06:33,907 --> 00:06:37,328 of his heavenly Father in the Word. 93 00:06:37,328 --> 00:06:40,142 Yesterday, about 6:30, I called my kids 94 00:06:40,142 --> 00:06:42,291 and my wife put the phone on speaker phone 95 00:06:42,291 --> 00:06:43,864 and she said, "it's daddy." 96 00:06:43,864 --> 00:06:47,443 And shouts of glee from at least 97 00:06:47,443 --> 00:06:50,721 three children on the planet. 98 00:06:50,721 --> 00:06:53,405 I have four, but there was only three in the room. 99 00:06:53,405 --> 00:06:56,259 Dad's on the phone! 100 00:06:56,259 --> 00:07:01,130 We're going to hear from dad! 101 00:07:01,130 --> 00:07:03,988 That is what's happening when a Christian 102 00:07:03,988 --> 00:07:06,987 sits under the Word of God 103 00:07:06,987 --> 00:07:09,533 proclaimed in the power of the Spirit 104 00:07:09,533 --> 00:07:11,931 resonating with their own spirit 105 00:07:11,931 --> 00:07:14,316 is "Dad is on the phone!" 106 00:07:14,316 --> 00:07:20,757 Our Father comes to speak to us by the Word. 107 00:07:20,757 --> 00:07:22,139 Here at this conference, 108 00:07:22,139 --> 00:07:24,611 we have been hearing great preaching. 109 00:07:24,611 --> 00:07:26,990 Through Mack Tomlinson we heard consoling. 110 00:07:26,990 --> 00:07:29,865 God knows your trials and your tears. 111 00:07:29,865 --> 00:07:31,300 Preaching that leads you 112 00:07:31,300 --> 00:07:33,270 to the empowering presence of God 113 00:07:33,270 --> 00:07:35,617 for weak people preaching. 114 00:07:35,617 --> 00:07:39,585 And I was just eating it up. 115 00:07:39,585 --> 00:07:44,084 Because I am weak and weary. 116 00:07:44,084 --> 00:07:48,988 That's the chorus of my life. 117 00:07:48,988 --> 00:07:51,152 And then, Kevin Williams we heard. 118 00:07:51,152 --> 00:07:53,106 Balanced, evangelistic, 119 00:07:53,106 --> 00:07:54,757 doctrinal preaching that answers 120 00:07:54,757 --> 00:07:57,664 all the objections you ever thought of having 121 00:07:57,664 --> 00:08:01,997 and never had thought of having. 122 00:08:01,997 --> 00:08:03,578 Until by the end of the message, 123 00:08:03,578 --> 00:08:06,370 I'm like "I can come to Christ!" 124 00:08:06,370 --> 00:08:07,984 No, I mean that. 125 00:08:07,984 --> 00:08:10,380 I decided I'm going to sit on this message. 126 00:08:10,380 --> 00:08:11,318 I'm going to think 127 00:08:11,318 --> 00:08:13,351 what's keeping my dry? 128 00:08:13,351 --> 00:08:15,940 What's keeping me from full faith in Christ? 129 00:08:15,940 --> 00:08:18,680 So I was letting myself ask questions 130 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:21,054 like the skeptic. 131 00:08:21,054 --> 00:08:23,476 But, Lord, when I come to You, what happens? 132 00:08:23,476 --> 00:08:26,174 Nothing generally happens when I come to You. 133 00:08:26,174 --> 00:08:28,412 And then Kevin started dealing with feelings, 134 00:08:28,412 --> 00:08:32,098 and I was done. 135 00:08:32,098 --> 00:08:33,601 It's just glorious! 136 00:08:33,601 --> 00:08:39,032 It is a marvelous thing to hear good preaching. 137 00:08:39,032 --> 00:08:41,402 To hear good preaching is to hear how much 138 00:08:41,402 --> 00:08:44,141 God knows our souls 139 00:08:44,141 --> 00:08:49,219 and how much God cares for our souls. 140 00:08:49,219 --> 00:08:50,564 I will say this, 141 00:08:50,564 --> 00:08:54,154 for me, the call to preach came largely 142 00:08:54,154 --> 00:08:56,336 from hearing good preaching. 143 00:08:56,336 --> 00:08:57,934 I just heard good preaching, 144 00:08:57,934 --> 00:08:59,682 and I thought whatever it takes 145 00:08:59,682 --> 00:09:01,368 to be able to do that, 146 00:09:01,368 --> 00:09:03,335 whatever amount of study or diligence 147 00:09:03,335 --> 00:09:05,234 or devotion it takes 148 00:09:05,234 --> 00:09:08,546 to be able to thunder truth like John MacArthur 149 00:09:08,546 --> 00:09:11,354 or to wed textuality with passion 150 00:09:11,354 --> 00:09:13,828 and applicability like John Piper; 151 00:09:13,828 --> 00:09:17,317 or to be logic on fire like Martyn Lloyd-Jones; 152 00:09:17,317 --> 00:09:21,434 or to have winsome love like Charles Leiter 153 00:09:21,434 --> 00:09:27,457 in the pulpit, I want to do it. 154 00:09:27,457 --> 00:09:29,833 And I still feel the same way. 155 00:09:29,833 --> 00:09:32,855 When I hear good preaching, 156 00:09:32,855 --> 00:09:35,715 I just want to preach. 157 00:09:35,715 --> 00:09:38,088 There's two ways to make a God-called preacher 158 00:09:38,088 --> 00:09:40,454 want to preach, you know. 159 00:09:40,454 --> 00:09:46,987 One is to make him sit under very bad preaching. 160 00:09:46,987 --> 00:09:48,666 The other is to make him sit under 161 00:09:48,666 --> 00:09:50,789 very good preaching. 162 00:09:50,789 --> 00:09:58,459 Both have a similar effect. 163 00:09:58,459 --> 00:10:02,310 And yet sadly, 164 00:10:02,310 --> 00:10:04,721 to hear good preaching 165 00:10:04,721 --> 00:10:07,490 does not automatically make 166 00:10:07,490 --> 00:10:12,058 for good living, does it? 167 00:10:12,058 --> 00:10:16,069 To hear the best preaching 168 00:10:16,069 --> 00:10:19,250 does not automatically make the best Christians. 169 00:10:19,250 --> 00:10:20,612 In fact, we must lay down 170 00:10:20,612 --> 00:10:23,281 this spiritual principle 171 00:10:23,281 --> 00:10:25,378 at the start of tonight's message: 172 00:10:25,378 --> 00:10:28,013 Many people who like the best preachers 173 00:10:28,013 --> 00:10:33,395 are prone to the most divisive sins. 174 00:10:33,395 --> 00:10:36,739 Let me say that another way. 175 00:10:36,739 --> 00:10:38,537 Many who love spiritual preaching 176 00:10:38,537 --> 00:10:43,708 are quite carnal followers of Christ. 177 00:10:43,708 --> 00:10:45,606 Of course, we know that those who love 178 00:10:45,606 --> 00:10:48,145 bad preaching, compromised preaching, 179 00:10:48,145 --> 00:10:49,713 ear-tickling preaching, 180 00:10:49,713 --> 00:10:52,377 are often compromised lovers of self. 181 00:10:52,377 --> 00:10:53,878 What we often forget is that 182 00:10:53,878 --> 00:10:55,294 those who love good preaching 183 00:10:55,294 --> 00:10:56,605 and good preachers 184 00:10:56,605 --> 00:11:00,778 are exactly the same 185 00:11:00,778 --> 00:11:04,046 in the quality of their lives. 186 00:11:04,046 --> 00:11:07,675 Not all. 187 00:11:07,675 --> 00:11:12,528 But enough that some spiritual introspection 188 00:11:12,528 --> 00:11:17,709 is called for. 189 00:11:17,709 --> 00:11:22,534 This is certainly the case with these Corinthians. 190 00:11:22,534 --> 00:11:24,512 Many of the Corinthians, 191 00:11:24,512 --> 00:11:26,658 despite all their faults, 192 00:11:26,658 --> 00:11:29,931 loved good preaching. 193 00:11:29,931 --> 00:11:31,782 They loved preaching that's better 194 00:11:31,782 --> 00:11:37,482 than any preaching you've ever heard. 195 00:11:37,482 --> 00:11:41,265 Notice in v. 4 what they said. 196 00:11:41,265 --> 00:11:43,644 "I follow Paul." 197 00:11:43,644 --> 00:11:47,759 Give me Romans! 198 00:11:47,759 --> 00:11:49,783 "I follow Apollos." 199 00:11:49,783 --> 00:11:51,295 That humble-hearted 200 00:11:51,295 --> 00:11:54,374 apologetics-driven preaching. 201 00:11:54,374 --> 00:11:57,474 Love it! 202 00:11:57,474 --> 00:11:59,953 And then, of course, in 1 Corinthians 1, 203 00:11:59,953 --> 00:12:03,466 "I follow Cephas," or as we often call him "Peter." 204 00:12:03,466 --> 00:12:06,057 That bold Peter who's been broken 205 00:12:06,057 --> 00:12:08,467 by his falls, but he's so honest and transparent 206 00:12:08,467 --> 00:12:10,179 and helps you out in your suffering 207 00:12:10,179 --> 00:12:12,381 preaching - Peter. 208 00:12:12,381 --> 00:12:14,340 Just loved it. 209 00:12:14,340 --> 00:12:16,555 Loved it. 210 00:12:16,555 --> 00:12:22,457 They loved the best preachers. 211 00:12:22,457 --> 00:12:24,870 And yet, though they loved the best preachers, 212 00:12:24,870 --> 00:12:26,572 these Corinthians were babies - 213 00:12:26,572 --> 00:12:30,482 total spiritual babies. 214 00:12:30,490 --> 00:12:36,187 Not because they had heard bad preaching. 215 00:12:36,187 --> 00:12:42,218 Not because they had unfaithful pastors. 216 00:12:42,218 --> 00:12:45,036 But in spite of the fact that 217 00:12:45,036 --> 00:12:47,999 they'd heard good preaching 218 00:12:47,999 --> 00:12:54,958 and had exceptionally faithful leaders. 219 00:12:54,958 --> 00:12:57,547 Notice the text. 220 00:12:57,547 --> 00:13:00,021 1 Corinthians 3 221 00:13:00,021 --> 00:13:05,515 Paul couldn't talk to them like spiritual people, 222 00:13:05,515 --> 00:13:07,665 but as people of the flesh. 223 00:13:07,665 --> 00:13:11,659 Infants in Christ. 224 00:13:11,659 --> 00:13:14,565 They hadn't even heard the best things 225 00:13:14,565 --> 00:13:18,994 Paul had ever preached. 226 00:13:18,994 --> 00:13:23,526 He gave them milk and not solid food. 227 00:13:23,526 --> 00:13:26,390 They weren't even ready for it. 228 00:13:26,390 --> 00:13:27,371 They heard Christ. 229 00:13:27,371 --> 00:13:28,897 They weren't content in Christ. 230 00:13:28,897 --> 00:13:33,280 They were envious of others. 231 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:35,342 They heard Christ, 232 00:13:35,342 --> 00:13:37,395 and they weren't much for peace-making, 233 00:13:37,395 --> 00:13:41,082 they were full of strife. 234 00:13:41,082 --> 00:13:43,291 They were of the flesh. 235 00:13:43,291 --> 00:13:47,510 They were behaving in a human way. 236 00:13:47,510 --> 00:13:50,899 And all the while, these were not the people 237 00:13:50,899 --> 00:13:54,916 who didn't show up to hear the preaching. 238 00:13:54,916 --> 00:13:56,712 These were the people who always 239 00:13:56,712 --> 00:14:01,403 showed up to hear the preaching. 240 00:14:01,403 --> 00:14:03,877 I follow Paul. 241 00:14:03,877 --> 00:14:06,828 I follow Apollos. 242 00:14:06,828 --> 00:14:08,396 And yet, Paul says despite 243 00:14:08,396 --> 00:14:10,886 the supernatural anointing that God had 244 00:14:10,886 --> 00:14:15,209 clearly placed on Paul, on Apollos, on Cephas, 245 00:14:15,209 --> 00:14:17,368 that supernatural anointing was not 246 00:14:17,368 --> 00:14:23,884 transferring into spiritual love 247 00:14:23,884 --> 00:14:28,057 in the Corinthians. 248 00:14:28,057 --> 00:14:30,543 And I'll just say this, 249 00:14:30,543 --> 00:14:35,848 I don't want to be that guy. 250 00:14:35,848 --> 00:14:39,428 And I've been that guy. 251 00:14:39,428 --> 00:14:41,363 Hear a great sermon, 252 00:14:41,363 --> 00:14:43,829 cut to the heart, 253 00:14:43,829 --> 00:14:46,115 get in the car, 254 00:14:46,115 --> 00:14:50,837 irritable with my wife. 255 00:14:50,837 --> 00:14:53,351 Maybe you can relate. 256 00:14:53,351 --> 00:14:54,849 You read a Christian biography 257 00:14:54,849 --> 00:14:56,945 and it doesn't make you humble and sweet, 258 00:14:56,945 --> 00:14:59,160 it makes you jealous and grumpy. 259 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:01,950 Spurgeon got to live a movie. 260 00:15:01,950 --> 00:15:04,407 I'm living a novel nobody's ever going to read 261 00:15:04,407 --> 00:15:16,608 and I can't even see the plot. 262 00:15:16,608 --> 00:15:19,474 A lot of carnality in the church 263 00:15:19,474 --> 00:15:26,380 can hide in the shadow of great preachers. 264 00:15:26,380 --> 00:15:27,720 And brothers and sisters, 265 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:32,185 I want something different for me. 266 00:15:32,185 --> 00:15:35,686 I want something different for you 267 00:15:35,686 --> 00:15:37,920 than immaturity, 268 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:39,858 carnality, 269 00:15:39,858 --> 00:15:43,241 and fleshly living. 270 00:15:43,241 --> 00:15:46,557 I want for myself and for each one here - 271 00:15:46,557 --> 00:15:48,210 and maybe you could just be 272 00:15:48,210 --> 00:15:49,814 praying to God for these things 273 00:15:49,814 --> 00:15:52,195 as we go through this message - 274 00:15:52,195 --> 00:15:55,286 I want for you and me 275 00:15:55,286 --> 00:15:57,710 maturity, 276 00:15:57,710 --> 00:15:59,606 biblical spirituality, 277 00:15:59,606 --> 00:16:02,497 heavenly love, 278 00:16:02,497 --> 00:16:05,780 heavenly living. 279 00:16:05,780 --> 00:16:06,928 The goal of this sermon 280 00:16:06,928 --> 00:16:08,606 is to help each of us think about 281 00:16:08,606 --> 00:16:12,593 the carnality in our lives 282 00:16:12,593 --> 00:16:15,326 and to walk away from it 283 00:16:15,326 --> 00:16:17,889 into biblical spirituality 284 00:16:17,889 --> 00:16:21,792 and a biblical following of Christ. 285 00:16:21,792 --> 00:16:23,516 Here in 1 Corinthians, 286 00:16:23,516 --> 00:16:25,715 these Corinthian Christians 287 00:16:25,715 --> 00:16:29,822 are not even living like Christians. 288 00:16:29,822 --> 00:16:31,435 They are living below 289 00:16:31,435 --> 00:16:33,052 what Christ has called them to, 290 00:16:33,052 --> 00:16:35,673 and below what Christ has made possible for them. 291 00:16:35,673 --> 00:16:37,193 They have sometimes been called 292 00:16:37,193 --> 00:16:38,404 carnal Christians, 293 00:16:38,404 --> 00:16:40,039 but there's so much controversy 294 00:16:40,039 --> 00:16:41,155 about that term 295 00:16:41,155 --> 00:16:43,022 and controversy about what they are 296 00:16:43,022 --> 00:16:44,019 and who they are 297 00:16:44,019 --> 00:16:44,979 and what that means, 298 00:16:44,979 --> 00:16:47,043 that I just want to walk through the text 299 00:16:47,043 --> 00:16:48,826 verse by verse 300 00:16:48,826 --> 00:16:52,261 and then we'll handle the bigger issues. 301 00:16:52,261 --> 00:16:55,164 So let's go. 302 00:16:55,164 --> 00:16:57,684 First of all, 303 00:16:57,684 --> 00:16:59,892 the Apostle Paul calls them brothers. 304 00:16:59,892 --> 00:17:03,448 "But I, brothers..." 305 00:17:03,448 --> 00:17:05,749 He calls them family. 306 00:17:05,749 --> 00:17:07,135 He identifies with them. 307 00:17:07,135 --> 00:17:11,156 It wasn't that Paul had family off in Corinth. 308 00:17:11,156 --> 00:17:12,987 It was that they had experienced 309 00:17:12,987 --> 00:17:14,798 the new birth along with him 310 00:17:14,798 --> 00:17:16,429 and now were children of God. 311 00:17:16,429 --> 00:17:17,988 They now had the Spirit in them 312 00:17:17,988 --> 00:17:19,598 that cried "Abba, Father." 313 00:17:19,598 --> 00:17:22,277 They were going to share a common inheritance. 314 00:17:22,277 --> 00:17:23,887 Though they may never have met 315 00:17:23,887 --> 00:17:26,014 or some of them may never have met Paul, 316 00:17:26,014 --> 00:17:28,340 they were one family 317 00:17:28,340 --> 00:17:30,915 because they were one in Christ. 318 00:17:30,915 --> 00:17:32,596 They were part of God's family 319 00:17:32,596 --> 00:17:34,030 where God is the Father, 320 00:17:34,030 --> 00:17:35,743 Christ is the elder brother, 321 00:17:35,743 --> 00:17:37,727 and the church is the company 322 00:17:37,727 --> 00:17:40,560 of God's redeemed. 323 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:42,489 His family. 324 00:17:42,489 --> 00:17:48,893 And so Paul does not disdain 325 00:17:48,893 --> 00:17:51,718 their carnality as the problem 326 00:17:51,718 --> 00:17:55,286 of some other church. 327 00:17:55,286 --> 00:18:00,555 He views their carnality as a family problem. 328 00:18:00,555 --> 00:18:03,549 Where he, a father in the faith, 329 00:18:03,549 --> 00:18:06,731 is going to move towards them in their sin 330 00:18:06,731 --> 00:18:08,783 and not away from them 331 00:18:08,783 --> 00:18:11,395 in their sin. 332 00:18:11,395 --> 00:18:13,770 "But I, brothers, could not address you 333 00:18:13,770 --> 00:18:15,844 as spiritual people." 334 00:18:15,844 --> 00:18:17,845 Now here's where the text gets strange 335 00:18:17,845 --> 00:18:20,000 because why can't Paul talk to them 336 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:22,040 as spiritual people? 337 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:23,766 Because the very definition 338 00:18:23,766 --> 00:18:25,749 of being a brother in Christ 339 00:18:25,749 --> 00:18:27,961 is that you are spiritual. 340 00:18:27,961 --> 00:18:30,200 The Apostle Paul has actually just finished 341 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:33,704 talking about the two divisions 342 00:18:33,704 --> 00:18:35,550 that everyone in the human race 343 00:18:35,550 --> 00:18:38,774 falls into in the two or three verses 344 00:18:38,774 --> 00:18:41,249 just prior to the ones we're reading. 345 00:18:41,249 --> 00:18:42,993 Every single human being 346 00:18:42,993 --> 00:18:46,158 is either spiritual because they receive 347 00:18:46,158 --> 00:18:49,555 the truth of the Gospel, 348 00:18:49,555 --> 00:18:52,409 or they are natural because they reject 349 00:18:52,409 --> 00:18:54,292 the truth of the Gospel. 350 00:18:54,292 --> 00:18:57,466 Look at 2:14, 351 00:18:57,466 --> 00:18:59,395 "the natural person does not accept 352 00:18:59,395 --> 00:19:01,009 the things of the Spirit of God, 353 00:19:01,009 --> 00:19:02,384 for they are folly to him 354 00:19:02,384 --> 00:19:04,223 and he is not able to understand them, 355 00:19:04,223 --> 00:19:06,164 because they are spiritually discerned." 356 00:19:06,164 --> 00:19:07,452 So, the natural person - 357 00:19:07,452 --> 00:19:09,258 could be a religious Muslim; 358 00:19:09,258 --> 00:19:11,362 could be a secular American; 359 00:19:11,362 --> 00:19:12,647 it doesn't matter. 360 00:19:12,647 --> 00:19:16,417 The natural person does not receive 361 00:19:16,417 --> 00:19:17,977 the things of the Spirit of God. 362 00:19:17,977 --> 00:19:20,776 That is, the truths of the Lord Jesus Christ, 363 00:19:20,776 --> 00:19:23,771 that He lived and died and rose again 364 00:19:23,771 --> 00:19:26,786 for wicked sinners to be 365 00:19:26,786 --> 00:19:29,035 completely reconciled to God. 366 00:19:29,035 --> 00:19:32,839 The natural man doesn't have any time for that. 367 00:19:32,839 --> 00:19:34,402 It doesn't make sense to him. 368 00:19:34,402 --> 00:19:36,781 He's a good guy. He doesn't need that. 369 00:19:36,781 --> 00:19:39,465 There's no God. He doesn't need that. 370 00:19:39,465 --> 00:19:43,743 The natural man does not receive these truths. 371 00:19:43,743 --> 00:19:46,727 The spiritual person judges all things. 372 00:19:46,727 --> 00:19:47,950 Now what that means is 373 00:19:47,950 --> 00:19:50,172 the spiritual person has received that 374 00:19:50,172 --> 00:19:51,933 and now they look at the whole world 375 00:19:51,933 --> 00:19:52,765 in light of that. 376 00:19:52,765 --> 00:19:55,676 They're able to make sense of the world and judge the world 377 00:19:55,676 --> 00:19:57,776 in light of what they've come to understand 378 00:19:57,776 --> 00:19:59,113 about the Lord Jesus Christ. 379 00:19:59,113 --> 00:20:00,242 And so, all I'm trying to say here 380 00:20:00,242 --> 00:20:02,418 is there's two kinds of people in the world: 381 00:20:02,418 --> 00:20:03,993 the natural who reject the cross 382 00:20:03,993 --> 00:20:06,805 and the spiritual who receive the cross. 383 00:20:06,805 --> 00:20:09,446 And Paul says that some brothers 384 00:20:09,446 --> 00:20:17,135 can't be talked to spiritually. 385 00:20:17,135 --> 00:20:22,023 What's happened is they can no longer grip - 386 00:20:22,023 --> 00:20:24,715 they are no longer gripping 387 00:20:24,715 --> 00:20:27,688 the truths that God has given them. 388 00:20:27,688 --> 00:20:29,870 They've let them slide off. 389 00:20:29,870 --> 00:20:32,724 A few years ago, we got a great gift - 390 00:20:32,724 --> 00:20:34,168 a lovely gift, 391 00:20:34,168 --> 00:20:38,405 stainless steel cookware. 392 00:20:38,405 --> 00:20:40,305 Very nice, unless you want to cook. 393 00:20:40,305 --> 00:20:42,123 And the problem with stainless steel 394 00:20:42,123 --> 00:20:45,205 in my opinion, 395 00:20:45,205 --> 00:20:47,227 is that when you put an egg 396 00:20:47,227 --> 00:20:49,488 onto stainless steel cookware, 397 00:20:49,488 --> 00:20:53,442 the steel says, "mine!" 398 00:20:53,442 --> 00:20:56,300 "Forever!" 399 00:20:56,300 --> 00:20:58,873 I didn't know there was space in that steel 400 00:20:58,873 --> 00:21:02,113 for egg, but there is. 401 00:21:02,113 --> 00:21:03,542 You pour the egg on there. 402 00:21:03,542 --> 00:21:04,484 It heats up. 403 00:21:04,484 --> 00:21:06,271 And the steel grabs it. 404 00:21:06,271 --> 00:21:08,405 And we bought all kinds of new products 405 00:21:08,405 --> 00:21:10,256 we didn't even know existed 406 00:21:10,256 --> 00:21:16,149 to scrub egg out of steel. 407 00:21:16,149 --> 00:21:21,144 I've got strategies I use now. 408 00:21:21,144 --> 00:21:23,612 That's what Christians are supposed to be like. 409 00:21:23,612 --> 00:21:24,707 They're supposed to be 410 00:21:24,707 --> 00:21:26,120 like stainless steel cookware 411 00:21:26,120 --> 00:21:27,450 that goes "mine!" 412 00:21:27,450 --> 00:21:28,635 They get spiritual truth 413 00:21:28,635 --> 00:21:30,143 and they just grab hold of it 414 00:21:30,143 --> 00:21:32,005 and they hold on 415 00:21:32,005 --> 00:21:33,880 to the things they have heard, 416 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:35,845 lest they drift away. 417 00:21:35,845 --> 00:21:37,743 They hold on tight. 418 00:21:37,743 --> 00:21:39,566 But the Christian soul can become 419 00:21:39,566 --> 00:21:40,651 like Teflon. 420 00:21:40,651 --> 00:21:41,932 And in this illustration, 421 00:21:41,932 --> 00:21:44,048 Teflon is a bad thing. 422 00:21:44,048 --> 00:21:50,273 In real life, quite enjoyable. 423 00:21:50,273 --> 00:21:55,528 Here our souls can be like Teflon. 424 00:21:55,528 --> 00:21:57,203 Where you hear great preaching 425 00:21:57,203 --> 00:22:01,345 that sizzles on your soul 426 00:22:01,345 --> 00:22:03,641 when you hear it. 427 00:22:03,641 --> 00:22:09,819 It's gone. 428 00:22:09,819 --> 00:22:11,741 And usually when it's gone 429 00:22:11,741 --> 00:22:15,252 is in the moment when it matters. 430 00:22:15,252 --> 00:22:17,197 When the family needs to be loved; 431 00:22:17,197 --> 00:22:20,923 when the boss needs to be honored; 432 00:22:20,923 --> 00:22:24,494 when the kids need to be cared for. 433 00:22:24,494 --> 00:22:26,228 I get very nervous when Christians 434 00:22:26,228 --> 00:22:30,456 don't talk about practical details in their lives 435 00:22:30,456 --> 00:22:33,486 when they're fellowshipping. 436 00:22:33,486 --> 00:22:34,734 I get very nervous 437 00:22:34,734 --> 00:22:36,421 when I feel like I'm getting 438 00:22:36,421 --> 00:22:39,479 a theological windbag affect: 439 00:22:39,479 --> 00:22:41,322 "You're so awesome!" 440 00:22:41,322 --> 00:22:47,046 "It must be awesome to be you!" 441 00:22:47,046 --> 00:22:48,581 I get nervous about that. 442 00:22:48,581 --> 00:22:50,642 I want to hear about the wife 443 00:22:50,642 --> 00:22:52,390 and the kids 444 00:22:52,390 --> 00:22:53,887 and the work 445 00:22:53,887 --> 00:22:55,670 and the church 446 00:22:55,670 --> 00:22:57,804 and the details, 447 00:22:57,804 --> 00:23:00,730 because that's where the Spirit of God 448 00:23:00,730 --> 00:23:04,193 actually works. 449 00:23:04,193 --> 00:23:06,293 The devil's in the details 450 00:23:06,293 --> 00:23:11,227 and so is God. 451 00:23:11,227 --> 00:23:15,310 And you need to cling to the truth 452 00:23:15,310 --> 00:23:18,802 in the moments when it matters. 453 00:23:18,802 --> 00:23:20,333 Not just in the moments when 454 00:23:20,333 --> 00:23:22,205 you're fellowshipping. 455 00:23:22,205 --> 00:23:24,229 If fellowship means 456 00:23:24,229 --> 00:23:25,377 you talk about things 457 00:23:25,377 --> 00:23:27,380 that you don't experience in the real life 458 00:23:27,380 --> 00:23:28,673 and they talk about things 459 00:23:28,673 --> 00:23:30,604 that they don't experience in real life, 460 00:23:30,604 --> 00:23:31,717 that's not fellowship. 461 00:23:31,717 --> 00:23:35,278 That's called play acting. 462 00:23:35,278 --> 00:23:36,673 Fellowship is when, 463 00:23:36,673 --> 00:23:41,133 I was going to scream and choke them to death. 464 00:23:41,133 --> 00:23:44,668 And then the Spirit of God came upon me 465 00:23:44,668 --> 00:23:47,345 and I gave them a big kiss. 466 00:23:47,345 --> 00:23:54,109 And I loved them. 467 00:23:54,109 --> 00:23:55,871 "...I, brothers, could not address you 468 00:23:55,871 --> 00:23:56,969 as spiritual people." 469 00:23:56,969 --> 00:23:58,816 You were just letting spiritual things 470 00:23:58,816 --> 00:24:00,121 slip off your souls, 471 00:24:00,121 --> 00:24:02,017 "but as people of the flesh." 472 00:24:02,017 --> 00:24:06,843 Again, we have to be careful. 473 00:24:06,843 --> 00:24:09,746 This may sound too particular. 474 00:24:09,746 --> 00:24:12,858 I think it's a necessary distinction. 475 00:24:12,858 --> 00:24:15,611 Paul is not calling the Corinthians 476 00:24:15,611 --> 00:24:19,296 people who are in the flesh. 477 00:24:19,296 --> 00:24:22,005 All people live in one of two realms. 478 00:24:22,005 --> 00:24:24,067 Romans 8. 479 00:24:24,067 --> 00:24:27,244 In the Spirit or in the flesh. 480 00:24:27,244 --> 00:24:29,092 As a Christian, 481 00:24:29,092 --> 00:24:33,888 you do not wake up and try to get spiritual. 482 00:24:33,888 --> 00:24:36,493 If you're a Christian, you just are spiritual. 483 00:24:36,493 --> 00:24:37,908 All the time. 484 00:24:37,908 --> 00:24:39,426 You might be Teflon spiritual - 485 00:24:39,426 --> 00:24:40,978 we've got to work on something. 486 00:24:40,978 --> 00:24:43,216 But you're always spiritual. 487 00:24:43,216 --> 00:24:47,525 Because the Spirit of God resides in you. 488 00:24:47,525 --> 00:24:51,397 You are His temple. 489 00:24:51,397 --> 00:24:53,773 But having said that the Christian 490 00:24:53,773 --> 00:24:56,016 is always in the Spirit 491 00:24:56,016 --> 00:24:57,813 and never under the dominion 492 00:24:57,813 --> 00:25:01,300 and the reign and the rule of the flesh, 493 00:25:01,300 --> 00:25:02,937 doesn't mean that the Christian 494 00:25:02,937 --> 00:25:06,769 cannot be influenced by the flesh 495 00:25:06,769 --> 00:25:09,511 and in fact influenced extremely 496 00:25:09,511 --> 00:25:11,336 by the flesh. 497 00:25:11,336 --> 00:25:13,194 The Apostle Paul acknowledges that 498 00:25:13,194 --> 00:25:14,671 in Galatians 5 499 00:25:14,671 --> 00:25:16,356 when he tells us that we should 500 00:25:16,356 --> 00:25:17,787 walk by the Spirit 501 00:25:17,787 --> 00:25:19,904 and not gratify the desires of the flesh. 502 00:25:19,904 --> 00:25:20,769 So here you are. 503 00:25:20,769 --> 00:25:22,192 You are in the Spirit. 504 00:25:22,192 --> 00:25:23,946 You are not in the flesh. 505 00:25:23,946 --> 00:25:25,292 And yet, even now, 506 00:25:25,292 --> 00:25:27,653 under the rule and reign of the Spirit 507 00:25:27,653 --> 00:25:29,806 with the Spirit of God dwelling in you, 508 00:25:29,806 --> 00:25:32,709 the flesh is constantly tugging on your soul 509 00:25:32,709 --> 00:25:33,927 at all times, 510 00:25:33,927 --> 00:25:35,181 pulling backwards 511 00:25:35,181 --> 00:25:38,795 from the forward motion of the Spirit of God. 512 00:25:38,795 --> 00:25:41,617 And while the Christian can never go back 513 00:25:41,617 --> 00:25:45,067 to being in the flesh, 514 00:25:45,067 --> 00:25:46,751 they can so consistently cave 515 00:25:46,751 --> 00:25:49,287 to the desires of the flesh, 516 00:25:49,287 --> 00:25:52,317 that they can be called unspiritual. 517 00:25:52,317 --> 00:25:58,978 They can be called "of the flesh." 518 00:25:58,978 --> 00:26:00,178 And when that happens, 519 00:26:00,178 --> 00:26:01,482 the Apostle Paul says 520 00:26:01,482 --> 00:26:05,247 they are infants. 521 00:26:05,247 --> 00:26:07,533 Big babies. 522 00:26:07,533 --> 00:26:10,544 Always making a mess. 523 00:26:10,544 --> 00:26:13,238 Always throwing a temper tantrum. 524 00:26:13,238 --> 00:26:14,951 No stamina. No resolve. 525 00:26:14,951 --> 00:26:16,866 No maturity. 526 00:26:16,866 --> 00:26:19,304 No backbone. 527 00:26:19,304 --> 00:26:22,736 Cute for a minute, 528 00:26:22,736 --> 00:26:27,371 and then, you need to mature. 529 00:26:27,371 --> 00:26:29,714 The Apostle Paul says these people were infants. 530 00:26:29,714 --> 00:26:32,428 And so, he fed them with milk 531 00:26:32,428 --> 00:26:35,019 and not solid food. 532 00:26:35,019 --> 00:26:38,036 This is a tragedy. 533 00:26:38,036 --> 00:26:40,134 I don't watch any of these cooking shows, 534 00:26:40,134 --> 00:26:42,329 but you've got Julia Child and Emeril 535 00:26:42,329 --> 00:26:43,732 and Wolfgang Puck - 536 00:26:43,732 --> 00:26:45,212 these guys can make anything - 537 00:26:45,212 --> 00:26:47,140 garlic, sage, oregano steak - 538 00:26:47,140 --> 00:26:48,723 boom! It's amazing. 539 00:26:48,723 --> 00:26:49,953 Whatever they do with it. 540 00:26:49,953 --> 00:26:51,467 They probably use a steel pan. 541 00:26:51,467 --> 00:26:54,824 They probably know what they're doing. 542 00:26:54,824 --> 00:26:57,941 Can you imagine one of these fancy cooks - 543 00:26:57,941 --> 00:26:59,656 one of these TV chefs 544 00:26:59,656 --> 00:27:01,800 going, "I need two scoops of the formula, 545 00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:03,289 six ounces of water, 546 00:27:03,289 --> 00:27:05,268 shake it in a bottle, 547 00:27:05,268 --> 00:27:07,173 stick it in your mouth." 548 00:27:07,173 --> 00:27:10,971 Do you not have a steak available? 549 00:27:10,971 --> 00:27:13,697 Yeah, I do. 550 00:27:13,697 --> 00:27:16,767 You couldn't digest it. 551 00:27:16,767 --> 00:27:19,644 It wouldn't do you any good. 552 00:27:19,644 --> 00:27:21,307 You actually cannot at this point 553 00:27:21,307 --> 00:27:26,273 profit from the best things I have to offer. 554 00:27:26,273 --> 00:27:28,267 I could cook you a Roman's banquet. 555 00:27:28,267 --> 00:27:30,815 It wouldn't help you. 556 00:27:30,815 --> 00:27:34,691 I could cook you an Ephesians appetizer. 557 00:27:34,691 --> 00:27:38,163 It wouldn't help you. 558 00:27:38,163 --> 00:27:44,933 Because you're not receiving spiritual truth. 559 00:27:44,933 --> 00:27:46,600 "And even now, you're not ready, 560 00:27:46,600 --> 00:27:48,134 for you're still of the flesh. 561 00:27:48,134 --> 00:27:49,946 For while there is jealousy 562 00:27:49,946 --> 00:27:51,010 and strife among you, 563 00:27:51,010 --> 00:27:52,332 are you not of the flesh?" 564 00:27:52,332 --> 00:27:53,599 How does Paul know 565 00:27:53,599 --> 00:27:57,628 that these Corinthians 566 00:27:57,628 --> 00:28:01,876 are immature babies? 567 00:28:01,876 --> 00:28:04,749 How does he know that? 568 00:28:04,749 --> 00:28:07,096 It wasn't because they had a lack of doctrine. 569 00:28:07,096 --> 00:28:09,625 There were doctrinal issues in the Corinthian church, 570 00:28:09,625 --> 00:28:14,625 but it's not primarily the test Paul uses 571 00:28:14,625 --> 00:28:17,565 to discern whether he can feed them 572 00:28:17,565 --> 00:28:19,927 the fullness that he has 573 00:28:19,927 --> 00:28:22,235 or whether he has to limit what he feeds them 574 00:28:22,235 --> 00:28:24,876 to just milk. 575 00:28:24,876 --> 00:28:26,520 He says the reason he knew 576 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:28,312 he couldn't feed them the best food 577 00:28:28,312 --> 00:28:32,488 is because they were jealous. 578 00:28:32,488 --> 00:28:34,792 I want what that guy has. 579 00:28:34,792 --> 00:28:37,415 He speaks in tongues and I don't. 580 00:28:37,415 --> 00:28:40,186 That was happening in the Corinthian church. 581 00:28:40,186 --> 00:28:41,975 That guy's got a gift of knowledge; 582 00:28:41,975 --> 00:28:44,805 I've got the gift of being dumb and serving, 583 00:28:44,805 --> 00:28:47,815 and I hate it. 584 00:28:47,815 --> 00:28:51,065 And my hatred is a fleshly rebellion 585 00:28:51,065 --> 00:28:55,990 against God. 586 00:28:55,990 --> 00:29:00,118 So Paul saw that jealousy, 587 00:29:00,118 --> 00:29:02,611 and he saw strife. 588 00:29:02,611 --> 00:29:06,173 Oh, they didn't just like preachers. 589 00:29:06,173 --> 00:29:10,923 They liked their preacher better than your preacher. 590 00:29:10,923 --> 00:29:16,097 Oh, that's bad. 591 00:29:16,097 --> 00:29:18,746 I really like Paul Washer 592 00:29:18,746 --> 00:29:23,035 and I guess you're in if you like John MacArthur. 593 00:29:23,035 --> 00:29:29,086 He's got a few problems. 594 00:29:29,086 --> 00:29:30,473 I'm really not a one guy - 595 00:29:30,473 --> 00:29:34,029 I'm sort of a zeal of a John Piper 596 00:29:34,029 --> 00:29:35,391 with sort of the family 597 00:29:35,391 --> 00:29:43,919 of Voddie Baucham splash going on. 598 00:29:43,919 --> 00:29:50,679 You're branding yourself with preachers. 599 00:29:50,679 --> 00:29:52,883 They're your foot-washing servants, 600 00:29:52,883 --> 00:29:57,955 not the logos on your t-shirt. 601 00:29:57,955 --> 00:30:00,121 They're just servants. 602 00:30:00,121 --> 00:30:03,409 You actually own them. 603 00:30:03,409 --> 00:30:05,201 They're just for you. 604 00:30:05,201 --> 00:30:09,861 They're not for you to get an identity from. 605 00:30:09,861 --> 00:30:12,261 Their zeal is not your zeal. 606 00:30:12,261 --> 00:30:14,108 Their awesome experience overseas 607 00:30:14,108 --> 00:30:16,488 is not your awesome experience overseas. 608 00:30:16,488 --> 00:30:18,609 Their life is not making up 609 00:30:18,609 --> 00:30:20,452 for the deficiencies in your life 610 00:30:20,452 --> 00:30:24,140 so that you can feel like a well-rounded person. 611 00:30:24,140 --> 00:30:26,752 That's the wrong way to approach a preacher. 612 00:30:26,752 --> 00:30:27,874 And when you do it, 613 00:30:27,874 --> 00:30:29,565 you will always have to look down 614 00:30:29,565 --> 00:30:32,364 on someone else. 615 00:30:32,364 --> 00:30:36,066 You have to. 616 00:30:36,066 --> 00:30:38,132 And you can't profit from the wealth 617 00:30:38,132 --> 00:30:41,055 of teaching that's out there 618 00:30:41,055 --> 00:30:43,106 because you've got to have a favorite. 619 00:30:43,106 --> 00:30:44,561 And if you have a favorite, 620 00:30:44,561 --> 00:30:48,015 you've got to despise someone else's favorite. 621 00:30:48,015 --> 00:30:49,480 And so often, 622 00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:52,024 the men teaching the cross of Christ 623 00:30:52,024 --> 00:30:53,439 meant to humble you, 624 00:30:53,439 --> 00:30:56,966 become vehicles for the exaltation of our pride 625 00:30:56,966 --> 00:31:00,253 and division in the church. 626 00:31:00,253 --> 00:31:02,103 And it's carnality. 627 00:31:02,103 --> 00:31:03,467 It's not maturity. 628 00:31:03,467 --> 00:31:04,614 And it's hard to spot, 629 00:31:04,614 --> 00:31:06,363 because the people who are into it, 630 00:31:06,363 --> 00:31:08,213 they can quote doctrinal confessions 631 00:31:08,213 --> 00:31:10,346 and verses and they've got YouTube 632 00:31:10,346 --> 00:31:12,233 glaring awesome preachers at them 633 00:31:12,233 --> 00:31:13,310 all the time, 634 00:31:13,310 --> 00:31:15,093 and how could they be in rank sin 635 00:31:15,093 --> 00:31:16,680 because what's on their iPod 636 00:31:16,680 --> 00:31:23,958 is just radical, good theology? 637 00:31:23,958 --> 00:31:26,220 Paul says, 638 00:31:26,220 --> 00:31:34,850 those people need a bottle of milk. 639 00:31:34,850 --> 00:31:38,779 These people are not mature. 640 00:31:38,779 --> 00:31:40,142 Notice this, beloved. 641 00:31:40,142 --> 00:31:42,400 He is not saying 642 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:45,408 that the Christians going to prostitutes 643 00:31:45,408 --> 00:31:46,510 are immature. 644 00:31:46,510 --> 00:31:49,299 That's true. They are immature. 645 00:31:49,299 --> 00:31:51,802 That's not what he's talking about here. 646 00:31:51,802 --> 00:31:53,575 He's not talking about the Christians 647 00:31:53,575 --> 00:31:55,517 who are going to sue each other 648 00:31:55,517 --> 00:31:58,919 being immature. 649 00:31:58,919 --> 00:32:00,746 He's talking about the sold out, 650 00:32:00,746 --> 00:32:03,237 on fire for the big preacher, 651 00:32:03,237 --> 00:32:05,215 I love good doctrine, 652 00:32:05,215 --> 00:32:07,072 I'm so into that guy, 653 00:32:07,072 --> 00:32:08,534 he's getting it mostly right - 654 00:32:08,534 --> 00:32:10,026 I'd tweak him a little bit - 655 00:32:10,026 --> 00:32:14,855 but mostly right. 656 00:32:14,855 --> 00:32:19,598 He's saying that person's a baby. 657 00:32:19,598 --> 00:32:25,408 That person's carnal. 658 00:32:25,408 --> 00:32:28,771 That person is behaving in merely a human way. 659 00:32:28,771 --> 00:32:31,052 The Corinthians loved fancy speakers. 660 00:32:31,052 --> 00:32:33,027 They love to identify with the big 661 00:32:33,027 --> 00:32:34,080 fancy speaker. 662 00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:35,883 It's like Americans love to identify 663 00:32:35,883 --> 00:32:37,186 with a pop star 664 00:32:37,186 --> 00:32:38,177 or a sports star 665 00:32:38,177 --> 00:32:40,002 and we bring that over into the church 666 00:32:40,002 --> 00:32:44,741 and identify with a preaching star. 667 00:32:44,741 --> 00:32:46,256 And we think that we've gone 668 00:32:46,256 --> 00:32:47,911 from being natural to spiritual 669 00:32:47,911 --> 00:32:49,740 because instead of liking sports stars 670 00:32:49,740 --> 00:32:52,448 we like preaching stars, 671 00:32:52,448 --> 00:32:53,975 but actually Paul doesn't think 672 00:32:53,975 --> 00:32:56,129 we've made the transfer. 673 00:32:56,129 --> 00:32:58,275 He thinks we've actually brought the world 674 00:32:58,275 --> 00:33:05,627 into the church. 675 00:33:05,627 --> 00:33:08,615 Just in case I don't say it later, 676 00:33:08,615 --> 00:33:15,760 I am not demeaning any great preacher. 677 00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:17,543 I want to be like every preacher 678 00:33:17,543 --> 00:33:19,985 I just mentioned. 679 00:33:19,985 --> 00:33:22,578 I am not demeaning 680 00:33:22,578 --> 00:33:24,868 loving and wanting to follow the example 681 00:33:24,868 --> 00:33:26,715 of those who have gone before us 682 00:33:26,715 --> 00:33:27,876 in leadership. 683 00:33:27,876 --> 00:33:30,236 No way. 684 00:33:30,236 --> 00:33:33,943 I'm demeaning finding an identity in them 685 00:33:33,943 --> 00:33:43,097 that excuses your immorality. 686 00:33:43,097 --> 00:33:48,542 So that's the text. 687 00:33:48,542 --> 00:33:55,912 Now, let's work out some implications. 688 00:33:55,912 --> 00:34:03,853 Is there such a thing as a carnal Christian? 689 00:34:03,853 --> 00:34:08,400 It depends what you mean. 690 00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:10,650 I'm using the word carnal Christian 691 00:34:10,650 --> 00:34:12,541 because that's the term we often use. 692 00:34:12,541 --> 00:34:14,382 We haven't seen that word in our text. 693 00:34:14,382 --> 00:34:15,823 We've seen "of the flesh." 694 00:34:15,823 --> 00:34:17,184 But the King James Version 695 00:34:17,184 --> 00:34:19,981 translates this word that we translate "flesh," 696 00:34:19,981 --> 00:34:20,854 carnal. 697 00:34:20,854 --> 00:34:22,860 You know carnal - chile con carne. 698 00:34:22,860 --> 00:34:24,553 Chili with meat. 699 00:34:24,553 --> 00:34:26,152 Dinosaurs were carnivores. 700 00:34:26,152 --> 00:34:28,308 They eat meat. 701 00:34:28,308 --> 00:34:33,814 It just means flesh. 702 00:34:33,814 --> 00:34:35,009 Is there such a thing as 703 00:34:35,009 --> 00:34:37,946 a fleshly, carnal Christian? 704 00:34:37,946 --> 00:34:40,555 Depends what you mean. 705 00:34:40,555 --> 00:34:43,244 Do you mean a "Christian" 706 00:34:43,244 --> 00:34:45,706 whose life is habitually, continually, 707 00:34:45,706 --> 00:34:47,279 and in a patterned way, 708 00:34:47,279 --> 00:34:50,812 dominated by sin? 709 00:34:50,812 --> 00:34:55,764 Absolutely not. 710 00:34:55,764 --> 00:34:58,438 In fact, we have to be careful 711 00:34:58,438 --> 00:35:01,643 not to be deceived on this point. 712 00:35:01,643 --> 00:35:03,596 Three times the New Testament tells us: 713 00:35:03,596 --> 00:35:06,216 Do not be deceived. 714 00:35:06,216 --> 00:35:07,851 The unrighteous will not inherit 715 00:35:07,851 --> 00:35:09,483 the Kingdom of God. 716 00:35:09,483 --> 00:35:11,219 And I'll tell you, as a pastor, 717 00:35:11,219 --> 00:35:13,908 when an ungodly person is weeping 718 00:35:13,908 --> 00:35:15,229 over their sin, 719 00:35:15,229 --> 00:35:19,325 more than you've wept over your sin, 720 00:35:19,325 --> 00:35:22,345 but they won't quit sinning, 721 00:35:22,345 --> 00:35:26,455 I can see how you'd get deceived. 722 00:35:26,455 --> 00:35:33,182 It's hard not to get deceived. 723 00:35:33,182 --> 00:35:35,079 But you must know that the unrighteous 724 00:35:35,079 --> 00:35:36,837 will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 725 00:35:36,837 --> 00:35:37,796 Do not be deceived. 726 00:35:37,796 --> 00:35:39,233 Neither the sexually immoral, 727 00:35:39,233 --> 00:35:41,349 nor idolaters, nor adulterers, 728 00:35:41,349 --> 00:35:43,423 nor men who practice homosexuality, 729 00:35:43,423 --> 00:35:45,360 nor thieves, nor the greedy, 730 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:47,155 nor drunkards, nor revilers, 731 00:35:47,155 --> 00:35:49,915 nor swindlers will inherit the Kingdom of God. 732 00:35:49,915 --> 00:35:54,963 And such were (past tense) some of you. 733 00:35:54,963 --> 00:35:58,805 Every Christian has experienced a change 734 00:35:58,805 --> 00:36:01,088 from the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. 735 00:36:01,088 --> 00:36:03,575 They have all been born again. 736 00:36:03,575 --> 00:36:05,917 They all walk in newness of life. 737 00:36:05,917 --> 00:36:08,226 They all have one way. 738 00:36:08,226 --> 00:36:10,217 There is a holiness without which 739 00:36:10,217 --> 00:36:11,871 no one will see the Lord. 740 00:36:11,871 --> 00:36:14,374 And every Christian pursues walking 741 00:36:14,374 --> 00:36:15,536 in that holiness. 742 00:36:15,536 --> 00:36:17,948 And if you believe you are a Christian 743 00:36:17,948 --> 00:36:20,406 and you are not pursuing holiness, 744 00:36:20,406 --> 00:36:21,854 you are deceived 745 00:36:21,854 --> 00:36:24,275 and I love you and I want you to know 746 00:36:24,275 --> 00:36:27,706 there's something better than what you think is the Gospel. 747 00:36:27,706 --> 00:36:29,123 And that is that Jesus Christ 748 00:36:29,123 --> 00:36:30,403 died to save sinners 749 00:36:30,403 --> 00:36:31,749 and if you believe in Him, 750 00:36:31,749 --> 00:36:33,543 He will give you new life 751 00:36:33,543 --> 00:36:36,729 and transform your lifestyle. 752 00:36:36,729 --> 00:36:42,743 That's the Gospel. 753 00:36:42,743 --> 00:36:44,878 Is there such a thing as a carnal Christian? 754 00:36:44,878 --> 00:36:47,291 If we mean a Christian's life is dominated 755 00:36:47,291 --> 00:36:49,490 by habitual sin, 756 00:36:49,490 --> 00:36:56,761 the answer is clearly no. 757 00:36:56,761 --> 00:37:00,816 But Paul uses the word here. 758 00:37:00,816 --> 00:37:04,265 Hey, if your theology gets rid of a verse, 759 00:37:04,265 --> 00:37:08,957 get rid of your theology. 760 00:37:08,957 --> 00:37:18,144 Every single verse is inspired by God. 761 00:37:18,144 --> 00:37:20,054 So, what does Paul mean 762 00:37:20,054 --> 00:37:21,793 when he says that there are infants; 763 00:37:21,793 --> 00:37:23,410 there are people of the flesh; 764 00:37:23,410 --> 00:37:25,025 there are people who are walking 765 00:37:25,025 --> 00:37:27,793 in carnality? 766 00:37:27,793 --> 00:37:29,193 I believe he means people 767 00:37:29,193 --> 00:37:32,611 with real marks of grace 768 00:37:32,611 --> 00:37:37,360 who go on living for years 769 00:37:37,360 --> 00:37:42,020 below what God has made possible for them. 770 00:37:42,020 --> 00:37:47,566 Paul led the Corinthians to the Lord in 51 A.D. 771 00:37:47,566 --> 00:37:49,532 The letter of 1 Corinthians was probably 772 00:37:49,532 --> 00:37:52,319 written around 55 A.D. 773 00:37:52,319 --> 00:37:54,768 We see in the text that he did not 774 00:37:54,768 --> 00:37:56,356 feed them with solid food 775 00:37:56,356 --> 00:37:57,879 because they were not ready 776 00:37:57,879 --> 00:37:59,980 and even now - at the time of the writing, 777 00:37:59,980 --> 00:38:02,237 depending on what time of year they got saved; 778 00:38:02,237 --> 00:38:05,125 what time of year this was written, four to six years later, 779 00:38:05,125 --> 00:38:06,896 even now you are not ready. 780 00:38:06,896 --> 00:38:09,609 These people had been jealous 781 00:38:09,609 --> 00:38:14,506 and full of strife for an embarrassingly long time. 782 00:38:14,506 --> 00:38:17,626 This was not a bad week. 783 00:38:17,626 --> 00:38:21,406 This was not a bad month. 784 00:38:21,406 --> 00:38:24,695 This was a bad pattern in the life 785 00:38:24,695 --> 00:38:28,534 of Christians who had great marks of grace 786 00:38:28,534 --> 00:38:30,456 in their life. 787 00:38:30,456 --> 00:38:33,314 Look at 1 Corinthians 1. 788 00:38:33,314 --> 00:38:36,526 The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:4, 789 00:38:36,526 --> 00:38:39,530 "I give thanks to my God always for you 790 00:38:39,530 --> 00:38:40,953 because of the grace of God 791 00:38:40,953 --> 00:38:42,992 that has been given you in Christ Jesus, 792 00:38:42,992 --> 00:38:45,510 that in every way you were enriched in Him." 793 00:38:45,510 --> 00:38:47,740 These were people enriched by Jesus. 794 00:38:47,740 --> 00:38:49,834 And they were enriched in all speech 795 00:38:49,834 --> 00:38:51,055 and all knowledge. 796 00:38:51,055 --> 00:38:53,631 So these people had speech gifts and knowledge gifts. 797 00:38:53,631 --> 00:38:55,623 They loved to study the Bible and teach it. 798 00:38:55,623 --> 00:38:58,159 They loved Paul and Apollos. And they learned a lot from them. 799 00:38:58,159 --> 00:38:59,877 These were real deal Christians 800 00:38:59,877 --> 00:39:03,938 with real marks of grace in their life. 801 00:39:03,938 --> 00:39:05,885 "Even as the testimony about Christ 802 00:39:05,885 --> 00:39:07,507 was confirmed among you, 803 00:39:07,507 --> 00:39:09,028 so that you are not lacking 804 00:39:09,028 --> 00:39:10,496 in any spiritual gifts 805 00:39:10,496 --> 00:39:12,277 as you are waiting for the revealing 806 00:39:12,277 --> 00:39:13,540 of our Lord Jesus Christ." 807 00:39:13,540 --> 00:39:14,912 Now, one of our things we do 808 00:39:14,912 --> 00:39:17,352 is when we see a church with some corruption in it, 809 00:39:17,352 --> 00:39:19,820 and then they also have the spiritual gifts active, 810 00:39:19,820 --> 00:39:23,060 we say it's all false. 811 00:39:23,060 --> 00:39:24,930 Paul didn't say that. 812 00:39:24,930 --> 00:39:26,885 There's nowhere in the Corinthian letters 813 00:39:26,885 --> 00:39:28,743 where Paul calls into question 814 00:39:28,743 --> 00:39:31,061 the tongues, the prophecies, 815 00:39:31,061 --> 00:39:32,731 the miracles of healing, 816 00:39:32,731 --> 00:39:34,537 or the discernment of spirits, 817 00:39:34,537 --> 00:39:37,029 or the exorcisms that may have been happening 818 00:39:37,029 --> 00:39:39,571 through the Corinthian church. 819 00:39:39,571 --> 00:39:42,831 They were real 820 00:39:42,831 --> 00:39:44,968 acts of power 821 00:39:44,968 --> 00:39:46,858 from the Holy Spirit 822 00:39:46,858 --> 00:39:51,800 being done by babies. 823 00:39:51,800 --> 00:39:54,697 The presence of God's supernatural power 824 00:39:54,697 --> 00:39:56,973 in your life is not a sign 825 00:39:56,973 --> 00:39:59,158 of your maturity. 826 00:39:59,158 --> 00:40:01,665 Let me say that again. 827 00:40:01,665 --> 00:40:04,726 The presence of God's supernatural power 828 00:40:04,726 --> 00:40:07,483 in your life is not a sign 829 00:40:07,483 --> 00:40:14,380 of your maturity. 830 00:40:14,380 --> 00:40:16,674 So these Christians had real marks of grace. 831 00:40:16,674 --> 00:40:17,978 They had speech gifts. 832 00:40:17,978 --> 00:40:19,513 They had spiritual gifts. 833 00:40:19,513 --> 00:40:21,179 They loved good preaching. 834 00:40:21,179 --> 00:40:22,913 They asked all kinds of questions. 835 00:40:22,913 --> 00:40:24,972 These were interested Christians. 836 00:40:24,972 --> 00:40:26,723 If you know the book of Corinthians, 837 00:40:26,723 --> 00:40:28,984 you know that much of it is centered around 838 00:40:28,984 --> 00:40:31,226 questions that the Corinthians had written 839 00:40:31,226 --> 00:40:32,875 to Paul that he was answering. 840 00:40:32,875 --> 00:40:34,683 Should a man ever touch a woman? 841 00:40:34,683 --> 00:40:36,224 What about the Lord's Supper? 842 00:40:36,224 --> 00:40:37,971 Hey, some guys are suing each other. 843 00:40:37,971 --> 00:40:41,877 These were Christians hungry to grow. 844 00:40:41,877 --> 00:40:45,830 These were the real deal. 845 00:40:45,830 --> 00:40:52,362 And yet they were jealous and fighting. 846 00:40:52,362 --> 00:40:56,648 And in that way, we can rightly call them fleshly 847 00:40:56,648 --> 00:41:03,892 or carnal. 848 00:41:03,892 --> 00:41:11,515 Let me make a little aside before I go on. 849 00:41:11,515 --> 00:41:14,722 Many of you, 850 00:41:14,722 --> 00:41:18,468 because God has done a marvelous, 851 00:41:18,468 --> 00:41:23,380 transforming and saving work in your life, 852 00:41:23,380 --> 00:41:25,824 are now too quick to call other people 853 00:41:25,824 --> 00:41:31,872 non-Christians. 854 00:41:31,872 --> 00:41:34,615 And the reason it's important for me to tell you, 855 00:41:34,615 --> 00:41:38,865 it's not so that I can be the big rebuking preacher; 856 00:41:38,865 --> 00:41:41,616 it's because the Lord Jesus does not break 857 00:41:41,616 --> 00:41:44,370 a bruised reed. 858 00:41:44,370 --> 00:41:48,655 And He does not quench a smoldering flax. 859 00:41:48,655 --> 00:41:53,714 And you can really hurt people. 860 00:41:53,714 --> 00:41:58,849 You can really hurt people. 861 00:41:58,849 --> 00:42:04,009 You can cause your brother to despair. 862 00:42:04,009 --> 00:42:05,363 If you're too quick - 863 00:42:05,363 --> 00:42:07,729 Not saved! Saved! You see that? Not saved! 864 00:42:07,729 --> 00:42:11,411 No Christian would do that! Not saved! Saved! 865 00:42:11,411 --> 00:42:13,767 I'm not saying there's not a time for that. 866 00:42:13,767 --> 00:42:15,662 There is. 867 00:42:15,662 --> 00:42:17,781 Any pastor who's executed church discipline 868 00:42:17,781 --> 00:42:19,159 thoughtfully and wisely knows 869 00:42:19,159 --> 00:42:21,064 there's a time to say 870 00:42:21,064 --> 00:42:24,301 that person is an evil man. 871 00:42:24,301 --> 00:42:30,505 That person is a Gentile and tax collector. 872 00:42:30,505 --> 00:42:36,506 But don't be faster than the Apostle Paul. 873 00:42:36,506 --> 00:42:38,288 Someone's going to prostitutes? 874 00:42:38,288 --> 00:42:40,828 You know what the first thing out of Paul's mouth 875 00:42:40,828 --> 00:42:42,781 when a Christian's going to a prostitute? 876 00:42:42,781 --> 00:42:50,925 You're the temple of the Holy Spirit! 877 00:42:50,925 --> 00:42:56,130 Affirmation and assurance. 878 00:42:56,130 --> 00:42:58,556 Oh, man it's so encouraging. 879 00:42:58,556 --> 00:43:01,100 Come on, you've been that guy! 880 00:43:01,100 --> 00:43:02,317 Maybe not a prostitute, 881 00:43:02,317 --> 00:43:05,864 but you've fallen flat on your face somewhere, right? 882 00:43:05,864 --> 00:43:07,912 As a Christian? 883 00:43:07,912 --> 00:43:10,914 And Jesus comes along and says, "Mine!" 884 00:43:10,914 --> 00:43:12,280 "I love you!" 885 00:43:12,280 --> 00:43:13,540 "Come back!" 886 00:43:13,540 --> 00:43:15,474 "Feed My sheep!" 887 00:43:15,474 --> 00:43:17,367 Jonah falls flat on his face. 888 00:43:17,367 --> 00:43:18,822 God puts him in a whale 889 00:43:18,822 --> 00:43:19,638 and then it says, 890 00:43:19,638 --> 00:43:22,826 "And the Word of God came to Jonah a second time." 891 00:43:22,826 --> 00:43:30,430 I love that. 892 00:43:30,430 --> 00:43:39,591 Be slow to declare churches not churches. 893 00:43:39,591 --> 00:43:41,108 There's a place for it. 894 00:43:41,108 --> 00:43:43,533 Absolutely. 895 00:43:43,533 --> 00:43:50,061 Be slow to declare immature Christians 896 00:43:50,061 --> 00:43:51,110 non-Christians. 897 00:43:51,110 --> 00:43:54,284 There's a place for it. 898 00:43:54,284 --> 00:44:01,837 Be slow. 899 00:44:01,837 --> 00:44:04,529 Second implication. 900 00:44:04,529 --> 00:44:07,934 Second, I don't know. I never know what my points are called. 901 00:44:07,934 --> 00:44:12,281 So this is what this is. 902 00:44:12,281 --> 00:44:15,244 All my sermons used to say three things, 903 00:44:15,244 --> 00:44:16,547 four things; I had an elder 904 00:44:16,547 --> 00:44:23,043 who was like maybe you should try something other than things. 905 00:44:23,043 --> 00:44:28,908 Is a carnal state a state we should leave people in? 906 00:44:28,908 --> 00:44:32,853 Or be content in ourselves? 907 00:44:32,853 --> 00:44:36,228 Absolutely not. 908 00:44:36,228 --> 00:44:38,791 Some would tell us that there are Christians 909 00:44:38,791 --> 00:44:42,166 who have Jesus as their Savior and not as Lord. 910 00:44:42,166 --> 00:44:44,778 And the implication of that could be 911 00:44:44,778 --> 00:44:47,842 that it's fine if they have Him as Savior 912 00:44:47,842 --> 00:44:50,924 and never make Him Lord. 913 00:44:50,924 --> 00:44:55,072 But the Bible never talks like that. 914 00:44:55,072 --> 00:44:58,010 There are not two Christ's. 915 00:44:58,010 --> 00:45:02,156 Christ the Savior and Christ the Lord. 916 00:45:02,156 --> 00:45:05,357 There's one Christ: Christ. 917 00:45:05,357 --> 00:45:08,819 Our Savior and our Lord. 918 00:45:08,819 --> 00:45:11,497 What Paul here is doing is not telling them 919 00:45:11,497 --> 00:45:12,994 hey, some of you are spiritual, 920 00:45:12,994 --> 00:45:14,316 some of you are natural, 921 00:45:14,316 --> 00:45:15,069 get used to it, 922 00:45:15,069 --> 00:45:17,222 the Second Coming will come and end all that. 923 00:45:17,222 --> 00:45:19,008 No, he is working with the immature 924 00:45:19,008 --> 00:45:21,343 to bring them to maturity. 925 00:45:21,343 --> 00:45:23,276 That's the Great Commission. 926 00:45:23,276 --> 00:45:25,700 Teaching them to obey everything 927 00:45:25,700 --> 00:45:27,046 I have commanded, 928 00:45:27,046 --> 00:45:28,789 even till the end of the age. 929 00:45:28,789 --> 00:45:30,734 To get those who are still struggling 930 00:45:30,734 --> 00:45:32,500 with disobedience, even after four, 931 00:45:32,500 --> 00:45:33,673 and five and six years, 932 00:45:33,673 --> 00:45:34,972 to get them more mature. 933 00:45:34,972 --> 00:45:36,176 That's our job, 934 00:45:36,176 --> 00:45:37,397 not just as preachers, 935 00:45:37,397 --> 00:45:38,660 but as Christians. 936 00:45:38,660 --> 00:45:41,291 We all have a ministry of equipping one another, 937 00:45:41,291 --> 00:45:43,473 of speaking the truth in love to one another, 938 00:45:43,473 --> 00:45:44,606 so that we help people 939 00:45:44,606 --> 00:45:46,626 go from immaturity to maturity. 940 00:45:46,626 --> 00:45:49,693 We do not pull back from the immature 941 00:45:49,693 --> 00:45:52,145 in the name of keeping ourselves holy. 942 00:45:52,145 --> 00:45:54,105 We move towards the immature 943 00:45:54,105 --> 00:45:58,403 keeping ourselves holy to help them. 944 00:45:58,403 --> 00:46:00,128 That's the impulse of the heart 945 00:46:00,128 --> 00:46:03,101 of the Lord Jesus Christ. 946 00:46:03,101 --> 00:46:10,720 That impulse is why anyone here is saved. 947 00:46:10,720 --> 00:46:12,587 So we should not leave people 948 00:46:12,587 --> 00:46:15,729 in a carnal state. 949 00:46:15,729 --> 00:46:17,395 To leave people in a carnal state 950 00:46:17,395 --> 00:46:19,179 will lead to more and more people 951 00:46:19,179 --> 00:46:24,794 experiencing a false assurance. 952 00:46:24,794 --> 00:46:26,796 They are treated like brothers here, 953 00:46:26,796 --> 00:46:33,756 but brothers, if they never get any victory, 954 00:46:33,756 --> 00:46:35,935 then there comes a time late in the letter 955 00:46:35,935 --> 00:46:37,765 to the 2 Corinthians where you say 956 00:46:37,765 --> 00:46:38,809 test yourselves. 957 00:46:38,809 --> 00:46:41,168 See if you're even in the faith. 958 00:46:41,168 --> 00:46:42,266 There's a time to say, 959 00:46:42,266 --> 00:46:43,916 you fell? You're a temple! 960 00:46:43,916 --> 00:46:45,300 You're God's! 961 00:46:45,300 --> 00:46:46,835 There's a time to say, 962 00:46:46,835 --> 00:46:53,646 maybe we need to look at this again. 963 00:46:53,646 --> 00:46:58,864 We don't want to encourage false assurance. 964 00:46:58,864 --> 00:47:02,817 How do we help such people? 965 00:47:02,817 --> 00:47:06,064 How do we help such people? 966 00:47:06,064 --> 00:47:13,303 Four observations and three questions. 967 00:47:13,303 --> 00:47:15,771 First observation. 968 00:47:15,771 --> 00:47:17,757 We need to have the humility to know 969 00:47:17,757 --> 00:47:22,411 we could be the people in need of help. 970 00:47:22,411 --> 00:47:24,666 What a nightmare! 971 00:47:24,666 --> 00:47:26,345 The Fellowship Conference dismissed 972 00:47:26,345 --> 00:47:29,436 and they're coming to save America 973 00:47:29,436 --> 00:47:32,549 from her carnality. 974 00:47:32,549 --> 00:47:34,371 I think there's something in the Bible 975 00:47:34,371 --> 00:47:38,779 about getting a log out of your own eye, 976 00:47:38,779 --> 00:47:41,697 before you take a speck 977 00:47:41,697 --> 00:47:45,003 out of a brother's eye. 978 00:47:45,003 --> 00:47:50,755 Christians going to prostitutes are carnal. 979 00:47:50,755 --> 00:47:53,660 Christians suing one another 980 00:47:53,660 --> 00:47:56,650 are being carnal. 981 00:47:56,650 --> 00:47:58,314 But Christians who love preaching 982 00:47:58,314 --> 00:47:59,927 and spiritual gifts and have tons 983 00:47:59,927 --> 00:48:01,135 of spiritual questions, 984 00:48:01,135 --> 00:48:02,709 but don't know how to get along 985 00:48:02,709 --> 00:48:04,077 with other people because 986 00:48:04,077 --> 00:48:07,029 they're envious fighters 987 00:48:07,029 --> 00:48:15,786 are also equally carnal. 988 00:48:15,786 --> 00:48:17,918 I'm telling you this because as a pastor 989 00:48:17,918 --> 00:48:20,146 I regularly encounter guys who know the Word, 990 00:48:20,146 --> 00:48:21,177 know theology, 991 00:48:21,177 --> 00:48:26,060 and they're not nice. 992 00:48:26,060 --> 00:48:30,580 They don't know how to be normal or nice. 993 00:48:30,580 --> 00:48:32,001 Where's nice in the Bible? 994 00:48:32,001 --> 00:48:33,144 The fruit of the Spirit is - 995 00:48:33,144 --> 00:48:34,925 I think kindness is in there somewhere, right? 996 00:48:34,925 --> 00:48:36,247 Love is kind? 997 00:48:36,247 --> 00:48:37,871 How are you doing? 998 00:48:37,871 --> 00:48:40,286 How's your day? 999 00:48:40,286 --> 00:48:45,734 Those are ok questions. 1000 00:48:45,734 --> 00:48:48,375 And the nightmare is the guy who thinks 1001 00:48:48,375 --> 00:48:50,999 everyone else is carnal 1002 00:48:50,999 --> 00:48:52,669 and thinks there's no such thing 1003 00:48:52,669 --> 00:48:54,658 as a carnal Christian. 1004 00:48:54,658 --> 00:48:56,063 So he's walking around going 1005 00:48:56,063 --> 00:48:59,484 "not a Christian, not a Christian, not a Christian, not a Christian..." 1006 00:48:59,484 --> 00:49:01,794 Meanwhile there's a Holy Spirit neon light over him going, 1007 00:49:01,794 --> 00:49:04,250 "this is the carnal Christian right here." 1008 00:49:04,250 --> 00:49:07,886 That guy's a nightmare. 1009 00:49:07,886 --> 00:49:09,995 And he can't be convinced he's a nightmare. 1010 00:49:09,995 --> 00:49:12,675 Because if you try to convince him he's a nightmare, 1011 00:49:12,675 --> 00:49:15,541 you're compromising. 1012 00:49:15,541 --> 00:49:17,870 Because you won't lay every believer flat 1013 00:49:17,870 --> 00:49:25,313 like he would. 1014 00:49:25,313 --> 00:49:28,604 He is the Christian who's acting carnally. 1015 00:49:28,604 --> 00:49:30,392 And some of us probably just need to 1016 00:49:30,392 --> 00:49:36,003 meditate on our interactions with our parents; 1017 00:49:36,003 --> 00:49:38,795 brothers and sisters; 1018 00:49:38,795 --> 00:49:42,635 other pastors; 1019 00:49:42,635 --> 00:49:45,454 church leaders. 1020 00:49:45,454 --> 00:49:46,831 You know, some of you, 1021 00:49:46,831 --> 00:49:51,772 the standards you come to other churches with? 1022 00:49:51,772 --> 00:49:53,639 There would be seasons in the preachers 1023 00:49:53,639 --> 00:49:55,101 at this conference lives', 1024 00:49:55,101 --> 00:49:58,940 you wouldn't have gone to their church. 1025 00:49:58,940 --> 00:50:01,337 Because maybe they hadn't learned something yet 1026 00:50:01,337 --> 00:50:10,374 that you're discerning is the absolute right way. 1027 00:50:10,374 --> 00:50:14,527 So this is for me. 1028 00:50:14,527 --> 00:50:17,140 This is for us. 1029 00:50:17,140 --> 00:50:20,199 Don't you want us to grow? 1030 00:50:20,199 --> 00:50:21,852 I want to grow. 1031 00:50:21,852 --> 00:50:23,427 I can't remember if it was Mack 1032 00:50:23,427 --> 00:50:24,525 who said yesterday, 1033 00:50:24,525 --> 00:50:26,697 you can change. 1034 00:50:26,697 --> 00:50:32,291 So wonderful. 1035 00:50:32,291 --> 00:50:34,671 Second observation. 1036 00:50:34,671 --> 00:50:37,121 We need to help people see that maturity 1037 00:50:37,121 --> 00:50:40,329 is not about doctrine, 1038 00:50:40,329 --> 00:50:43,838 but about walking in love. 1039 00:50:43,838 --> 00:50:47,095 Now doctrine matters. 1040 00:50:47,095 --> 00:50:49,388 Not denying that for a minute. 1041 00:50:49,388 --> 00:50:52,719 It really matters. 1042 00:50:52,719 --> 00:50:55,169 But the way you discern 1043 00:50:55,169 --> 00:50:57,524 this kind of carnal person 1044 00:50:57,524 --> 00:51:01,501 is envy and strife. 1045 00:51:01,501 --> 00:51:04,265 You can't discern them by doctrine alone. 1046 00:51:04,265 --> 00:51:06,760 They, in fact, generally have Paul's doctrine. 1047 00:51:06,760 --> 00:51:08,625 I love Paul. I love chapter 1 on Romans 1048 00:51:08,625 --> 00:51:10,412 and 2 and 3 and 4, 5, and 6, 1049 00:51:10,412 --> 00:51:16,778 and 7, and 8, and 9! I love 9! 1050 00:51:16,778 --> 00:51:20,375 And then they fight. 1051 00:51:20,375 --> 00:51:22,179 I think. I think that the elder's 1052 00:51:22,179 --> 00:51:25,059 not supposed to be pugnacious. 1053 00:51:25,059 --> 00:51:26,799 Not supposed to be quarrelsome. 1054 00:51:26,799 --> 00:51:29,588 Which means that's supposed to transfer into the whole body. 1055 00:51:29,588 --> 00:51:31,392 A meekness. 1056 00:51:31,392 --> 00:51:34,168 A tenderness. A patience. 1057 00:51:34,168 --> 00:51:38,654 Even when people don't agree with you. 1058 00:51:38,654 --> 00:51:40,580 And one of the most important things 1059 00:51:40,580 --> 00:51:42,636 you can do is when you assess your maturity 1060 00:51:42,636 --> 00:51:44,063 you shouldn't say, you know, 1061 00:51:44,063 --> 00:51:45,794 I've really grown a lot in doctrine 1062 00:51:45,794 --> 00:51:50,154 so therefore I must be mature now. 1063 00:51:50,154 --> 00:51:52,007 But rather, has that doctrine 1064 00:51:52,007 --> 00:51:56,487 led me to be patient? 1065 00:51:56,487 --> 00:51:57,506 Isn't that amazing? 1066 00:51:57,506 --> 00:52:01,964 The first thing: love is... patient. 1067 00:52:01,964 --> 00:52:03,958 Love is patient means that love 1068 00:52:03,958 --> 00:52:08,899 is expecting people not to get there very fast. 1069 00:52:08,899 --> 00:52:11,436 And then when they're not getting there very fast, 1070 00:52:11,436 --> 00:52:14,893 love is kind. 1071 00:52:14,893 --> 00:52:17,284 That's just what love is. 1072 00:52:17,284 --> 00:52:20,490 It's shaped by doctrine. 1073 00:52:20,490 --> 00:52:22,119 But if the doctrine doesn't create 1074 00:52:22,119 --> 00:52:24,064 this kind of love, it's not maturity, beloved. 1075 00:52:24,064 --> 00:52:26,255 It's not maturity when you can hash out 1076 00:52:26,255 --> 00:52:28,347 the fine points of theology 1077 00:52:28,347 --> 00:52:30,201 and not learn how to form 1078 00:52:30,201 --> 00:52:34,869 a loving community. 1079 00:52:34,869 --> 00:52:44,432 Loving community is a big biblical value. 1080 00:52:44,432 --> 00:52:46,510 Third observation. 1081 00:52:46,510 --> 00:52:50,820 We need to feed and receive milk 1082 00:52:50,820 --> 00:52:56,814 and not solid food. 1083 00:52:56,814 --> 00:52:58,377 What is milk vs. solid food? 1084 00:52:58,377 --> 00:52:59,870 What is that anyway? 1085 00:52:59,870 --> 00:53:00,921 That's a hard one. 1086 00:53:00,921 --> 00:53:02,853 Is milk the introductory level teachings 1087 00:53:02,853 --> 00:53:05,326 and then once pastor gives you the secret handshake, 1088 00:53:05,326 --> 00:53:09,581 you get the solid food? 1089 00:53:09,581 --> 00:53:13,363 Solid food is not secret doctrines. 1090 00:53:13,363 --> 00:53:16,852 Solid food is the fullness of doctrines. 1091 00:53:16,852 --> 00:53:19,626 Every doctrine can be presented in simplicity. 1092 00:53:19,626 --> 00:53:23,133 You can be forgiven by Christ. 1093 00:53:23,133 --> 00:53:27,681 Every doctrine can be presented in complexity. 1094 00:53:27,681 --> 00:53:29,278 By the justifying righteousness 1095 00:53:29,278 --> 00:53:30,638 of the Lord Jesus Christ, 1096 00:53:30,638 --> 00:53:32,025 His propitiatory death 1097 00:53:32,025 --> 00:53:32,929 on the cross, 1098 00:53:32,929 --> 00:53:35,244 you can feel the free and full 1099 00:53:35,244 --> 00:53:36,674 forgiveness of your sins 1100 00:53:36,674 --> 00:53:39,264 by His atoning sacrifice 1101 00:53:39,264 --> 00:53:40,989 which fulfills all the sacrifices 1102 00:53:40,989 --> 00:53:43,071 of the Old Testament. 1103 00:53:43,071 --> 00:53:48,380 Simple. Full. 1104 00:53:48,380 --> 00:53:51,803 What I've found in counseling situations: 1105 00:53:51,803 --> 00:53:59,750 Immature people get irritated by milk 1106 00:53:59,750 --> 00:54:02,106 Hey, you're the temple of the Holy Spirit. 1107 00:54:02,106 --> 00:54:05,185 You need to quit looking at pornography. 1108 00:54:05,185 --> 00:54:07,337 Can you give me a little more? 1109 00:54:07,337 --> 00:54:13,588 I think the Bible says, "flee." 1110 00:54:13,588 --> 00:54:18,329 But that's not helping me. 1111 00:54:18,329 --> 00:54:24,643 You're not ready for what you think would help you. 1112 00:54:24,643 --> 00:54:26,792 In fact, what you think would help you 1113 00:54:26,792 --> 00:54:28,897 would be the most delusional experience 1114 00:54:28,897 --> 00:54:33,538 you could ever receive. 1115 00:54:33,538 --> 00:54:35,567 You need it basic and quick. 1116 00:54:35,567 --> 00:54:36,910 You're going to prostitutes. 1117 00:54:36,910 --> 00:54:38,761 You're the temple of the Holy Spirit. 1118 00:54:38,761 --> 00:54:42,579 Cut it out. 1119 00:54:42,579 --> 00:54:43,802 You're suing each other. 1120 00:54:43,802 --> 00:54:45,735 Don't you know you're going to judge angels? 1121 00:54:45,735 --> 00:54:49,258 Quit it! 1122 00:54:49,258 --> 00:54:51,063 You make some baby steps in that 1123 00:54:51,063 --> 00:54:52,792 and then you can start exploring 1124 00:54:52,792 --> 00:54:57,258 the relationship between Noah's ark and baptism. 1125 00:54:57,258 --> 00:54:58,692 But you don't need to know 1126 00:54:58,692 --> 00:55:01,215 every single typological construct 1127 00:55:01,215 --> 00:55:04,113 and every single point of doctrine 1128 00:55:04,113 --> 00:55:07,310 before you can make the right moves 1129 00:55:07,310 --> 00:55:09,040 towards the Lord Jesus Christ. 1130 00:55:09,040 --> 00:55:10,654 And if some pastor is giving you 1131 00:55:10,654 --> 00:55:11,815 real simple stuff 1132 00:55:11,815 --> 00:55:13,232 or some discipler is giving 1133 00:55:13,232 --> 00:55:14,295 real simple stuff, 1134 00:55:14,295 --> 00:55:22,645 maybe it's not because they're shallow. 1135 00:55:22,645 --> 00:55:24,434 Maybe they're sitting there going, 1136 00:55:24,434 --> 00:55:31,636 no, I'm not giving them that. 1137 00:55:31,636 --> 00:55:35,323 So humility requires that we put ourselves 1138 00:55:35,323 --> 00:55:38,348 in a place that says 1139 00:55:38,348 --> 00:55:40,773 whatever simple truth I'm given, 1140 00:55:40,773 --> 00:55:42,678 I'm going to receive that in humility 1141 00:55:42,678 --> 00:55:45,563 and make the right move in response for it. 1142 00:55:45,563 --> 00:55:46,757 That's humility. 1143 00:55:46,757 --> 00:55:48,583 And you find that in new Christians. 1144 00:55:48,583 --> 00:55:50,138 You find it in new Christians. 1145 00:55:50,138 --> 00:55:51,718 Like, what have you got for me? 1146 00:55:51,718 --> 00:55:52,862 I don't know anything, 1147 00:55:52,862 --> 00:55:54,521 so just tell me what you got. 1148 00:55:54,521 --> 00:55:55,622 And then after awhile, 1149 00:55:55,622 --> 00:56:00,630 we don't like being humble for long term. 1150 00:56:00,630 --> 00:56:03,723 That was good for the beginning. 1151 00:56:03,723 --> 00:56:05,235 You just want me to stay there? 1152 00:56:05,235 --> 00:56:08,239 Broken, weak, not knowing very much? 1153 00:56:08,239 --> 00:56:09,877 Beloved, that is how I feel 1154 00:56:09,877 --> 00:56:19,068 before every single time I preach. 1155 00:56:19,068 --> 00:56:23,392 My wife and I were driving in the car the other day. 1156 00:56:23,392 --> 00:56:24,524 She says to me, 1157 00:56:24,524 --> 00:56:27,826 "Maybe God just made us so weak 1158 00:56:27,826 --> 00:56:30,253 and so low capacity 1159 00:56:30,253 --> 00:56:31,829 so other people in the body 1160 00:56:31,829 --> 00:56:34,578 would have all kinds of opportunities 1161 00:56:34,578 --> 00:56:37,716 to serve." 1162 00:56:37,716 --> 00:56:45,140 I love my wife. 1163 00:56:45,140 --> 00:56:48,765 We're just not much. Any of us. 1164 00:56:48,765 --> 00:56:51,753 Not much for brains. 1165 00:56:51,753 --> 00:56:55,308 Not much for zeal. 1166 00:56:55,308 --> 00:56:58,370 And it's just ok. 1167 00:56:58,370 --> 00:57:02,224 Because we've got the wisdom of God. 1168 00:57:02,224 --> 00:57:07,857 We have the power of God. 1169 00:57:07,857 --> 00:57:11,120 And so if someone starts giving you milk, 1170 00:57:11,120 --> 00:57:13,891 don't be insulted. 1171 00:57:13,891 --> 00:57:18,920 Say, ok, that's where we're at. 1172 00:57:18,920 --> 00:57:22,794 I'm going to drink some milk. 1173 00:57:22,794 --> 00:57:26,429 But I want to go serve the nations! 1174 00:57:26,429 --> 00:57:27,786 Drink some milk 1175 00:57:27,786 --> 00:57:30,986 and you'll get strong enough to serve the nations. 1176 00:57:30,986 --> 00:57:32,664 Try to serve the nations without 1177 00:57:32,664 --> 00:57:33,809 getting any milk, 1178 00:57:33,809 --> 00:57:39,825 you'll be a disaster overseas. 1179 00:57:39,825 --> 00:57:42,997 But do drink milk and get strong, beloved. 1180 00:57:42,997 --> 00:57:46,537 Do. 1181 00:57:46,537 --> 00:57:52,391 Fourth observation, then three quick questions. 1182 00:57:52,391 --> 00:57:58,949 We were meant for something more. 1183 00:57:58,949 --> 00:58:03,249 What a uniquely Christian insult. 1184 00:58:03,249 --> 00:58:07,370 You're so human. 1185 00:58:07,370 --> 00:58:09,193 Isn't that interesting? 1186 00:58:09,193 --> 00:58:10,249 Last I checked, 1187 00:58:10,249 --> 00:58:14,714 all Christians were human. 1188 00:58:14,714 --> 00:58:21,493 Any non-humans present this evening? 1189 00:58:21,493 --> 00:58:25,073 But what Paul means 1190 00:58:25,073 --> 00:58:28,500 when he says, "you're just being human," 1191 00:58:28,500 --> 00:58:30,170 is he means you're just living 1192 00:58:30,170 --> 00:58:31,491 by your five senses. 1193 00:58:31,491 --> 00:58:34,153 You're just living without 1194 00:58:34,153 --> 00:58:38,818 the enlightenment of the third Person of the Trinity; 1195 00:58:38,818 --> 00:58:40,907 without the shaping moral influence 1196 00:58:40,907 --> 00:58:42,948 of the second Person of the Trinity. 1197 00:58:42,948 --> 00:58:45,923 Without the empowering, encouraging 1198 00:58:45,923 --> 00:58:48,491 presence of the Fatherhood of God. 1199 00:58:48,491 --> 00:58:50,439 You're just living like normal people. 1200 00:58:50,439 --> 00:58:51,896 You're not living like people 1201 00:58:51,896 --> 00:58:55,416 who are seated at the right hand of God. 1202 00:58:55,416 --> 00:58:57,022 You're not living like people 1203 00:58:57,022 --> 00:58:58,609 who have the life of God 1204 00:58:58,609 --> 00:59:00,182 in the soul of man. 1205 00:59:00,182 --> 00:59:01,632 You're not living like that. 1206 00:59:01,632 --> 00:59:03,948 And the best thing is, you should. 1207 00:59:03,948 --> 00:59:04,898 You can! 1208 00:59:04,898 --> 00:59:06,868 God has made that possible for you. 1209 00:59:06,868 --> 00:59:08,467 Jesus Christ died on the cross 1210 00:59:08,467 --> 00:59:10,387 so that you were not just going to be 1211 00:59:10,387 --> 00:59:12,437 tossed to and fro by circumstances, 1212 00:59:12,437 --> 00:59:14,305 but you could learn to abound 1213 00:59:14,305 --> 00:59:15,727 in the worst circumstances 1214 00:59:15,727 --> 00:59:16,890 and in the best. 1215 00:59:16,890 --> 00:59:18,620 You can thrive when you're poor 1216 00:59:18,620 --> 00:59:19,907 and when you're rich. 1217 00:59:19,907 --> 00:59:21,696 You can thrive when your brain works 1218 00:59:21,696 --> 00:59:22,751 and when it doesn't. 1219 00:59:22,751 --> 00:59:24,381 You can thrive when you're healthy 1220 00:59:24,381 --> 00:59:25,589 and when you're sick. 1221 00:59:25,589 --> 00:59:27,444 You can walk like Jesus 1222 00:59:27,444 --> 00:59:29,609 on this planet today 1223 00:59:29,609 --> 00:59:31,846 because of the abiding presence 1224 00:59:31,846 --> 00:59:34,149 of the Holy Spirit of God. 1225 00:59:34,149 --> 00:59:36,834 That's you if you're a Christian. 1226 00:59:36,834 --> 00:59:37,787 That's you. 1227 00:59:37,787 --> 00:59:39,848 And so the reason you should quit fighting 1228 00:59:39,848 --> 00:59:42,378 and the reason you should quit being jealous of other people 1229 00:59:42,378 --> 00:59:43,880 is nobody could have it better 1230 00:59:43,880 --> 00:59:49,305 than you ever! 1231 00:59:49,305 --> 00:59:50,724 But I've got these trials! 1232 00:59:50,724 --> 00:59:55,757 They are just the trials to make you like Jesus. 1233 00:59:55,757 --> 00:59:57,767 But I've got these weak gifts! 1234 00:59:57,767 --> 00:59:59,368 They are just the gifts 1235 00:59:59,368 --> 01:00:03,241 to make you depend on God. 1236 01:00:03,241 --> 01:00:04,729 You didn't get anything 1237 01:00:04,729 --> 01:00:06,590 that wasn't meant to draw you near 1238 01:00:06,590 --> 01:00:08,447 to Jesus. 1239 01:00:08,447 --> 01:00:09,832 That's you! 1240 01:00:09,832 --> 01:00:10,619 That's me! 1241 01:00:10,619 --> 01:00:13,373 That's amazing! 1242 01:00:13,373 --> 01:00:15,152 We were meant for something more. 1243 01:00:15,152 --> 01:00:16,598 And so the way you enter in 1244 01:00:16,598 --> 01:00:18,140 to the life of a carnal person 1245 01:00:18,140 --> 01:00:19,949 is not immediately condemnation. 1246 01:00:19,949 --> 01:00:21,712 I don't even think you're a believer. 1247 01:00:21,712 --> 01:00:25,798 But I see grace in your life. 1248 01:00:25,798 --> 01:00:27,541 Here's some milk. 1249 01:00:27,541 --> 01:00:29,250 Some quick truth 1250 01:00:29,250 --> 01:00:32,062 that implies obedience. 1251 01:00:32,062 --> 01:00:33,500 And then with a celebration 1252 01:00:33,500 --> 01:00:35,480 of what they could be - 1253 01:00:35,480 --> 01:00:37,366 do you see what you could be? 1254 01:00:37,366 --> 01:00:39,748 You weren't meant to worship Paul and Apollos. 1255 01:00:39,748 --> 01:00:41,481 Paul and Apollos are your servants 1256 01:00:41,481 --> 01:00:47,964 to get you to worship Jesus! 1257 01:00:47,964 --> 01:00:51,491 Three questions. Then I'm done. 1258 01:00:51,491 --> 01:00:52,602 Three questions. 1259 01:00:52,602 --> 01:00:53,862 I heard these in a sermon. 1260 01:00:53,862 --> 01:01:00,859 Like them a lot. 1261 01:01:00,859 --> 01:01:02,760 Three questions to help you move on; 1262 01:01:02,760 --> 01:01:04,132 help me move on. 1263 01:01:04,132 --> 01:01:06,574 What victories have you won? 1264 01:01:06,574 --> 01:01:07,701 Let's start there. 1265 01:01:07,701 --> 01:01:09,207 You want to move? You want to make progress? 1266 01:01:09,207 --> 01:01:11,127 Out of carnality into greater spirituality? 1267 01:01:11,127 --> 01:01:12,701 What victories have you won? 1268 01:01:12,701 --> 01:01:14,698 Start by encouraging yourself. 1269 01:01:14,698 --> 01:01:16,495 Start by encouraging other people. 1270 01:01:16,495 --> 01:01:18,587 One of the greatest things you can do in the body is just walk around 1271 01:01:18,587 --> 01:01:21,770 telling people how you see Jesus in their life. 1272 01:01:21,770 --> 01:01:23,484 It's wonderful to do. 1273 01:01:23,484 --> 01:01:26,715 Make it a full time hobby. 1274 01:01:26,715 --> 01:01:28,324 What victories have you won? 1275 01:01:28,324 --> 01:01:30,970 What fruit has there been? 1276 01:01:30,970 --> 01:01:32,676 Do not fall into the trap that says 1277 01:01:32,676 --> 01:01:34,286 because there's a sin, 1278 01:01:34,286 --> 01:01:37,217 everything else is trash. 1279 01:01:37,217 --> 01:01:38,793 Don't do that. 1280 01:01:38,793 --> 01:01:40,576 One Puritan said when you do that 1281 01:01:40,576 --> 01:01:44,666 you're slandering the grace of God. 1282 01:01:44,666 --> 01:01:46,042 So what's there been? 1283 01:01:46,042 --> 01:01:47,906 Did you used to not think the Bible 1284 01:01:47,906 --> 01:01:49,612 was the Word of God and now you do? 1285 01:01:49,612 --> 01:01:52,666 That's a big step. 1286 01:01:52,666 --> 01:01:54,369 Did you used to scream at your parents 1287 01:01:54,369 --> 01:01:56,390 and how you just sort of hold yourself down 1288 01:01:56,390 --> 01:01:57,563 and pray for mercy? 1289 01:01:57,563 --> 01:01:59,981 That's a big step. 1290 01:01:59,981 --> 01:02:01,613 That's a big step. 1291 01:02:01,613 --> 01:02:03,438 It's not all the way, 1292 01:02:03,438 --> 01:02:07,237 but it's a big step. 1293 01:02:07,237 --> 01:02:08,620 What's there been? 1294 01:02:08,620 --> 01:02:10,750 If you're dealing with somebody (unintelligible) 1295 01:02:10,750 --> 01:02:12,140 Tell them what there's been. 1296 01:02:12,140 --> 01:02:13,033 Draw it out. 1297 01:02:13,033 --> 01:02:15,165 Encourage them. 1298 01:02:15,165 --> 01:02:18,265 Tell them where there's been victory. 1299 01:02:18,265 --> 01:02:22,295 Second, where do you need to grow? 1300 01:02:22,295 --> 01:02:26,979 Where do you need to grow? 1301 01:02:26,979 --> 01:02:29,697 And it's probably not that you need to be able 1302 01:02:29,697 --> 01:02:33,023 to refute every argument against 1303 01:02:33,023 --> 01:02:37,388 some obscure heresy. 1304 01:02:37,388 --> 01:02:39,003 It's probably like, 1305 01:02:39,003 --> 01:02:41,799 I need to take a meal to the shut-in 1306 01:02:41,799 --> 01:02:45,465 in my church regularly. 1307 01:02:45,465 --> 01:02:52,433 I need to be nice when I talk about Romans 9. 1308 01:02:52,433 --> 01:02:55,081 It's that I need to not lift my hands up in worship, 1309 01:02:55,081 --> 01:03:01,592 and then run home to look at pornography. 1310 01:03:01,592 --> 01:03:07,279 Where do you need to grow? 1311 01:03:07,279 --> 01:03:11,365 Put your finger on it. 1312 01:03:11,365 --> 01:03:12,369 There's too many. 1313 01:03:12,369 --> 01:03:15,827 Just start with the biggest one. 1314 01:03:15,827 --> 01:03:20,252 I'm not saying you tolerate sin, 1315 01:03:20,252 --> 01:03:23,408 but start somewhere. 1316 01:03:23,408 --> 01:03:27,214 Where do you need to grow? 1317 01:03:27,214 --> 01:03:31,707 Last question: what's the game plan? 1318 01:03:31,707 --> 01:03:32,780 What's the game plan? 1319 01:03:32,780 --> 01:03:34,354 What are you going to do? 1320 01:03:34,354 --> 01:03:36,359 What are you going to do about it? 1321 01:03:36,359 --> 01:03:37,780 The Bible calls us to action. 1322 01:03:37,780 --> 01:03:39,250 What a wonderful word we heard 1323 01:03:39,250 --> 01:03:40,478 from Brother Kevin today, 1324 01:03:40,478 --> 01:03:42,687 God's sovereignty; human responsibility. 1325 01:03:42,687 --> 01:03:44,454 You know what that sermon did 1326 01:03:44,454 --> 01:03:46,081 in my soul regarding this sermon 1327 01:03:46,081 --> 01:03:47,310 was I thought to myself, 1328 01:03:47,310 --> 01:03:49,928 I can't just sit around thinking God's going to give me a sermon. 1329 01:03:49,928 --> 01:03:54,070 I've got to go back to my hotel room and work. 1330 01:03:54,070 --> 01:03:56,816 It just takes work. 1331 01:03:56,816 --> 01:03:58,433 If a preacher thinks that sermons 1332 01:03:58,433 --> 01:04:00,880 just drop in their head... 1333 01:04:00,880 --> 01:04:02,671 I've been preaching like 15 years. 1334 01:04:02,671 --> 01:04:05,472 I think that's happened like 5 times. 1335 01:04:05,472 --> 01:04:09,945 The rest of the time it's work. 1336 01:04:09,945 --> 01:04:13,355 What's the game plan? 1337 01:04:13,355 --> 01:04:17,550 Who do you need to tell? 1338 01:04:17,550 --> 01:04:20,425 Confession is good for the soul. 1339 01:04:20,425 --> 01:04:23,118 Confession gives accountability. 1340 01:04:23,118 --> 01:04:25,042 Who do you need to tell? 1341 01:04:25,042 --> 01:04:27,853 You don't need to tell her you've been lusting after her. 1342 01:04:27,853 --> 01:04:31,131 You need to tell him you've been lusting after her. 1343 01:04:31,131 --> 01:04:35,959 Be wise in your confession. 1344 01:04:35,959 --> 01:04:38,283 Who do you need to tell? 1345 01:04:38,283 --> 01:04:40,823 Where do you need to get away and pray? 1346 01:04:40,823 --> 01:04:43,272 Is there a book that particularly deals with this? 1347 01:04:43,272 --> 01:04:46,068 Maybe it's not a massive envious 1348 01:04:46,068 --> 01:04:47,660 looking at the book stall. 1349 01:04:47,660 --> 01:04:48,761 I haven't read it all, 1350 01:04:48,761 --> 01:04:53,708 therefore I suck. 1351 01:04:53,708 --> 01:04:56,176 But it's a humble: 1352 01:04:56,176 --> 01:04:59,816 which one would help me right now? 1353 01:04:59,816 --> 01:05:03,559 What would help me now? 1354 01:05:03,559 --> 01:05:07,056 Maybe you could ask. 1355 01:05:07,056 --> 01:05:08,693 What do you need to get rid of? 1356 01:05:08,693 --> 01:05:10,242 Make no provision for the flesh. 1357 01:05:10,242 --> 01:05:11,603 What do you need to cut off? 1358 01:05:11,603 --> 01:05:13,377 What do you need to gouge out? 1359 01:05:13,377 --> 01:05:15,803 You'll be ok without it. 1360 01:05:15,803 --> 01:05:18,302 Really, you will. 1361 01:05:18,302 --> 01:05:19,459 Right now, in my house, 1362 01:05:19,459 --> 01:05:20,662 there's a really big TV. 1363 01:05:20,662 --> 01:05:22,186 It actually hangs on the wall. 1364 01:05:22,186 --> 01:05:29,960 If you want come over, you can see it. You can judge me. 1365 01:05:29,960 --> 01:05:31,906 But for years after I got saved, 1366 01:05:31,906 --> 01:05:33,589 I never had a television. 1367 01:05:33,589 --> 01:05:34,749 I couldn't handle it. 1368 01:05:34,749 --> 01:05:38,004 I'd just turn it on and just zone out. 1369 01:05:38,004 --> 01:05:40,335 I'd watch things that wouldn't be helpful. 1370 01:05:40,335 --> 01:05:43,439 I just had to get rid of it for years. 1371 01:05:43,439 --> 01:05:45,848 And now there's one right there on my wall 1372 01:05:45,848 --> 01:05:47,056 and as far as I know, 1373 01:05:47,056 --> 01:05:49,224 I'm not sinning with it. 1374 01:05:49,224 --> 01:05:50,581 But there might be something 1375 01:05:50,581 --> 01:05:52,357 you need to get rid of. 1376 01:05:52,357 --> 01:05:55,380 Maybe there's a place you can't go. 1377 01:05:55,380 --> 01:05:56,635 A thing you can't do. 1378 01:05:56,635 --> 01:05:58,570 It's not that it's wrong for everyone. 1379 01:05:58,570 --> 01:06:00,174 You don't need to preach a sermon 1380 01:06:00,174 --> 01:06:01,451 on no one can do this. 1381 01:06:01,451 --> 01:06:09,055 We're talking about you. 1382 01:06:09,055 --> 01:06:12,998 Tell people your plan. 1383 01:06:12,998 --> 01:06:14,499 Pursue it. 1384 01:06:14,499 --> 01:06:16,500 Run after it. 1385 01:06:16,500 --> 01:06:19,281 Get some people in your life who when you fall flat on your face, 1386 01:06:19,281 --> 01:06:21,829 they'll say, yeah, but there's still marks of grace. Get back up! 1387 01:06:21,829 --> 01:06:23,657 You're meant to be more than human. 1388 01:06:23,657 --> 01:06:26,716 Jesus saved you! 1389 01:06:26,716 --> 01:06:29,383 And then keep pursuing it. 1390 01:06:29,383 --> 01:06:31,283 Don't pursue it as a legalistic plan 1391 01:06:31,283 --> 01:06:32,573 to get right with God. 1392 01:06:32,573 --> 01:06:36,877 Jesus already got you right with God. 1393 01:06:36,877 --> 01:06:39,297 Pursue it as a wonderful opportunity 1394 01:06:39,297 --> 01:06:43,410 to grow, to be the spiritual, mature 1395 01:06:43,410 --> 01:06:46,969 man or woman that you were meant to be - 1396 01:06:46,969 --> 01:06:50,243 you were meant and you are destined to be. 1397 01:06:50,243 --> 01:06:51,696 Listen to this, beloved. 1398 01:06:51,696 --> 01:06:59,910 You're going to be exactly like Jesus someday. 1399 01:06:59,910 --> 01:07:03,680 Isn't that amazing? 1400 01:07:03,680 --> 01:07:07,523 So flee carnality. 1401 01:07:07,523 --> 01:07:10,275 Walk by the Spirit. 1402 01:07:10,275 --> 01:07:15,921 You will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 1403 01:07:15,921 --> 01:07:18,614 Instead, you will grow 1404 01:07:18,614 --> 01:07:23,394 into the very likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ. 1405 01:07:23,394 --> 01:07:31,803 Let's pray. 1406 01:07:31,803 --> 01:07:35,251 Father, we praise You and glorify You 1407 01:07:35,251 --> 01:07:36,792 and magnify Your name. 1408 01:07:36,792 --> 01:07:38,562 You're so patient, 1409 01:07:38,562 --> 01:07:40,224 so loving, 1410 01:07:40,224 --> 01:07:44,769 so kind. 1411 01:07:44,769 --> 01:07:48,312 Lord, You have such high hopes for us. 1412 01:07:48,312 --> 01:07:49,752 Not just hopes. 1413 01:07:49,752 --> 01:07:53,045 You've done such a mighty work for us. 1414 01:07:53,045 --> 01:07:54,400 Would You just help us 1415 01:07:54,400 --> 01:07:56,734 to walk in what You are already doing in us? 1416 01:07:56,734 --> 01:07:58,300 Would You help us to work out 1417 01:07:58,300 --> 01:08:00,395 our salvation with fear and trembling 1418 01:08:00,395 --> 01:08:01,847 because God is at work in us 1419 01:08:01,847 --> 01:08:03,618 to will and to do? 1420 01:08:03,618 --> 01:08:07,899 Would You help us to walk away from carnality? 1421 01:08:07,899 --> 01:08:11,635 And to walk towards the fullness of the Spirit? 1422 01:08:11,635 --> 01:08:15,072 To the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. 1423 01:08:15,072 --> 01:08:18,063 To the praise of God the Father. 1424 01:08:18,063 --> 01:08:21,167 Amen.