The Carnal Christian

What Kind of Christian Are You? Sermon Series

“The Carnal Christian” (Part #1)

KEY PASSAGE: 1 Corinthians 3:1–3 (NASB)

Father God, may this church experience Your glory. Your Shekinah [Shuh· Kai· Nuh] Glory. We pray that this service and every service in this church will glorify Your holy name. We pray that You will be with us and that we might open our hearts to hear and respond to Your presence and [Your] Word as it is proclaimed. You are the Vine, and we are the branches. May this church bear much fruit. Father God, please help us to take the message today and apply it to our lives. May those around us be able to see You through us? Our lives are worthwhile [meaningful] because we know You through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Savior, and our Redeemer. And for that, we give You all the glory and honor. Amen. You may be seated. Worship team, thank you for blessing us again with praise and worship songs.

TITHE and OFFERING

We will call on the ushers to pass around the plates to collect our tithes and offerings. Please follow the instructions on the screen on how to give to the church. The worship team will lead us with a song as we collect our tithes and offerings.

WELCOME

Please stand up, greet some folks around you, and welcome them to worship. We welcome you [all] again to our Sunday Worship Service and are glad to have you in God’s house. Our first-time visitors, please stand so we can see you. We also welcome all who join us online.

ANNOUNCEMENT

· The Worship Night is on Friday, November 22, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. Please join us for an evening of extended praise and worship.

· The Thanksgiving Potluck is on Sunday, November 24th. This will be a time of fellowship after church. If you are interested in bringing a meal, there is a sign-up sheet at the back of the church.

· Our Men’s Breakfast is on Saturday, November 30, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. All men, please join us for our monthly Men’s Breakfast. This is a time of fellowship and encouragement, and we [pray] for one another.

· Wednesday Night [Remember] is our Bible Study Connect at 7:00 p.m. Please join us on Wednesday night to STUDY THE WORD OF GOD. We have excellent teachers. And we are studying the Book of Romans.

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

Let us go to God in Prayer:

We take great comfort, heavenly Father, from Your Word, which tells us that if anyone lacks wisdom, we are to ask of You because You love to give it without censuring or criticizing. So, we do ask for it, not only today but every time we gather here at church, in decisions that are not spelled out in Scripture, that we may nevertheless have the mind of Christ and act in conformity with what is revealed. Grant, Lord God, that we may be slow to speak, swift to hear, humble as we learn from one another in this church, and eager to conform our lives to Your most Holy Word. We also pray for the collection of the tithes and offerings from Your people that the giving will be used to advance the gospel and the work of Jesus Christ here on earth. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

DECLARATION of FAITH in GOD

Let us stand and say the Declaration of Faith in God together.

SERMON INTRODUCTION

When a person becomes a Christian, they have moved to a new location. When a person becomes a believer, they are adopted into God’s family. They learn how to live and and navigate in an environment that is not the environment of their history, their background, or their previous orientation. They have become adopted into a new family and adapt to a new point of view, a new perspective, a new orientation, a new philosophy, and a new way of thinking. Great tension arises when believers try to get the new world to accept their previous orientation; there is a conflict between the old [world] and the [new world] because the new world does not operate by our old world perspective. The theological word for seeking to operate in our new world based on the standards of our old world is carnality. Carnality may be defined as a Christian who knowingly and persistently lives to please self rather than living to please Christ or to please God.

Before we go any further, allow me church to establish some truths about what it means to be carnal. [The] basic human nature is carnal, sold out to sin, and therefore living in the realm of death. People walk in the flesh or the spirit, leading to death or life. The carnal person is hostile to God, unable to please God. Church folks can be carnal, being babes in Christ, as Paul indicated in writing to the Corinthians in our text for today. A carnal Christian is a person who always lives by their pre-salvation standard, pre-salvation worldview, and pre-salvation perspective in the context of their Christian life. A carnal Christian is a person who does not allow the new world that they entered into to define them, how they think, how they operate, how they prioritize, and how they make decisions.

But they want the new world to accept where they are coming from; they want [the new world] to adapt to this way of thinking that is not part of that world. Most Christians today do not understand the radical shift of salvation. Salvation is not simply an eternal destiny [where you get to experience heaven: heaven is your final destination if you are Christian], but salvation is a radical shift of a Kingdom, of a whole different worldview. So, over the next twelve weeks, we will begin a new sermon series [today] titled “What Kind of Christian Are You?” We will start today by looking at “The Carnal Christian " and close with [this series] “The Victorious Christian.”

SERMON EXPOSITION

If you have your Bible, please turn with me to 1 Corinthians 3 for our lesson this morning in the Word of God. 1 Corinthians 3, we are going to look at verses 1–3, a very familiar portion of Scripture to students of the Word of God. This portion has been used [as a basis for understanding] much of what is taught regarding the Christian’s behavior. The third chapter of 1 Corinthians contains some important things regarding the Christian life.

Paul [an apostle of Jesus Christ] was writing to the Corinthian church and in writing to the Corinthian church, which [by the way] is the most carnal church in the New Testament. This church was made up of people [who were] trying to live in the new world based on the stands of the old world. They were trying to get Heaven to accept Earth. And so, this church had all kinds of chaos and confusion because the people refused to transition to the new world order that salvation had made them a part of, and that refusal is known as carnality.

The word carnal, translated in many of your Bibles, is fleshly and refers to your unredeemed humanity. It refers to your non-salvation orientation. It refers to a body committed to a certain direction and a soul supporting that rather than the spirit wanting to redefine it.

[Now] I could have started at the end of Chapter 2 because Paul describes in verse 14, [the] natural man who does not accept or welcome the things of the Spirit of God. The natural man is the non-Christian; the non-Christian does not have an orientation to the spiritual way of life. But then Paul says, “But he who is spiritual” …in verse 15. The opposite of the unsaved is the saved, who is supposed to be oriented to the spiritual way of looking at life and living life; that is, the spiritual man [that is, the spiritual person].

That leads to Chapter 3, the carnal man. This is a Christian. We know he is a Christian because in verse 1 of Chapter 3, Paul says, “And I, brethren,” which means they are saved and on their way to heaven. In First Corinthians, chapter 1, verse 2, Paul tells them, “To the Church of God, which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Jesus Christ.” He says, “I am writing to my fellow Christians. [I am writing to believers at the Anointed Church of Jesus Christ]. Therefore, it is possible to be saved by the blood of Jesus and not be spiritual. It is possible to be saved but not live in light of the new spiritual realm into which you have been adopted. Paul is writing to save people but cannot speak to them spiritually because they are still operating in the old world, the old system. These people don’t look at things from a spiritual perspective but as men and women in the flesh or as infants in Christ.

It is hard to have a serious conversation with an infant [With a baby]. It is hard to try to make sense [or] talk to a baby because they have not reached the point where they can make sense of your serious conversation. A baby cannot interact with you [in a meaningful way] because they have not grown to the point where they can interact with you. That is how Paul describes the Corinthian believers: “You are saved, but you are not functioning at the spiritual level that God wants you to be.”

He says in verse 2, “I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to consume it.” You are carnal, which means you are still fleshy. This is very important, and I want you to follow me here … Paul went to [visited] the Corinthians and led them to Christ in approximately [50] or [51] AD. He led them to Christ and taught them by spending eighteen [18] months teaching them a class on spiritual growth. Five years later, Paul wrote this letter back to the Corinthian Church. He says, "Five years have passed, and you have made no progress!" A carnal Christian is a genuine Christian because to become a Christian, you must believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ for your salvation. But a carnal Christian is a stationary Christian! In other words, they have made little or no progress toward spirituality.

So, if you have been saved for more than five years and [You] are still not spiritual, we call that a rested development because there has been no growth in your Christian life. And we have [a lot of] things going in the wrong direction in our lives today because there has been no spiritual growth… that is, living by the spirit. Would you allow me to tell you why Jesus saved you? Jesus saved you so that you could become spiritual and adopt a new orientation, reality, and perspective.

Whenever you give the carnal Christian God’s perspective, they will say, “Well, I think my momma or my papa told me.” They will resist the divine point of view because they are operating in the flesh. This leads to another aspect of carnality, which is rebellion. Paul says in verse 3, “There is jealousy and strife among you.” There Is a war going on, a battle, or a conflict. Or, to put it in the words of a child … Temper Tantrums [tan-truhm]! When a child doesn’t like what parents want, the child will rebel and throw a temper tantrum [tan-truhm]. This leads to a conflict between the parent and child.

One of the realities that is hard to face is that most Christians are living in conflict with God. They are living in conflict with God because when a child throws a temper tantrum, it is a tantrum with a purpose. They are losing their minds to get you to change. They throw a tantrum to make you adjust your perspective. Paul goes on to say you can recognize a carnal Christian starting with yourself, myself, ourselves, or a carnal church by their diet. He says in verse 2, “I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, for you were not yet able to receive it.” Paul says your diet will demonstrate your development. Or your diet will [demonstrate] your lack of spiritual growth. Paul differentiates the diet between milk and meat. He gives us a practical example. Babies drink milk. Babies demand milk, but that is all because that is all they can receive. You cannot take a newborn baby to a steakhouse restaurant. Paul says, “You are five years old in your walk with God, and I have a problem with you because you are not eating solid food.” That is why so many Christians today set aside entertainment to determine ministry and the strength and growth of a church.

SERMON ILLUSTRATION 1

When a baby is born, [the baby is fed by their parents]. When a toddler and a child develop, they learn to feed themselves. The child is no longer dependent upon what is provided, although they still need their parents to make food. That child can pick up a spoon and eat by themselves. Why? Because there has been development! If you are a Christian and the only thing you get from God is what you get on Sunday, then you are a carnal Christian. I know this is a hard one, but … if ALL YOU GET FROM GOD IS WHAT YOU GET ON SUNDAY … You are a Christian, but you are still operating in the flesh.

SERMON EXPLANATION

In First Corinthians Chapter 2, verse 16, Paul says, “For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.” And so, the ‘spiritual’ person, [as opposed to] the carnal person, thinks [like] Christ. In other words, they have the mind of Christ. It has to do with mental orientation. For example, you can be a Seminary graduate and be carnal even though you know Greek, Hebrew, Latin, and maybe a little bit of Aramaic.

Like the Pharisees during the earthly ministry of Jesus, you can memorize and know the whole Pentateuch [the first five books of the Hebrew Bible] and still not be saved. It is not the amount of data you have accumulated, although the Bible says Christians are to grow in the wisdom and the knowledge of Jesus Christ. So, we want Christians to grow in the knowledge of Christ, but you can grow in knowledge without growing spiritually because spirituality has to do with the mindset.

When you are a meat-eater in this Christian life, you are concerned about Jesus' mindset when you make a decision. It has to do with your initiative to establish Christ’s perspective on whatever issue you consistently address. Carnal Christians may still attend Bible study, Sunday School, and prayer meetings but are not concerned with incorporating that perspective into life’s decisions.

[Watch This] A MILK-drinking Christian gathers information. Alright. They come to church and get information. Milk-drinking Christians will say [that was a] “Great sermon.” They come to church to get data, which is foundational. They will get the information on some level but not apply it to life’s directions, decisions, orientations, mindsets, and priorities. That information has NO BEARING! In other word … Sunday has no bearing on Monday. And so, Paul condemns the Corinthians because carnality is a choice. You are not a carnal Christian by chance. You are a carnal Christian by choice. It is a decision. You will see this throughout the Book of Corinthians because they are taking each other to court; they were abusing each other, and they had crazy [sexual] relationships that went unaddressed in the church. There were disorderly women in the congregation who would try to overrule the men, and there was chaos in this church. This was a church that was out of order. It was a chaotic church.

SERMON EXPLANATION

What is the difference between a milk-drinker and a meat-eater? Simple: A milk-drinking Christian will say, “Jesus died for my sins.” “Jesus is the Son of God!” That is a milk statement. Meat-eating Christians will say, “I am going to go deeper by going into justification, sanctification, glorification, atonement, fasting, and prayer.”

SERMON ILLUSTRATION 2

During the Lent Season, folks would practice farewell to the flesh with [certain] denials of pleasure to the flesh. Before Lent, they would consume the flesh, get drunk, satisfy, and [fill up] the flesh in every possible way. An example is the famous Mardi Gras [Maar Dee Graa] in New Orleans, which means “Fat Tuesday,” which refers to the Tuesday before Lent begins. Paul describes these folks as “Do what comes naturally and let the flesh have its way.” Perhaps you are saying, “Well, I am not a carnal Christian, and I don’t believe in carnivals. I even get sick on a Ferris wheel, and I am a separated Christian.”

And what is the mark of a carnal Christian? Paul tells us in verse 3, “For you are still fleshly because there is jealousy and strife among you.” [You see,] the carnal Christian is not necessarily a person who rides on roller coasters. Whenever there is strife and division, there is a “carnival” going on in that particular church. And today, in many fundamental mainline churches, one can see the evidence of divisions, gossip, strife, bitterness, and hatred. When that happens, we know that the flesh is operating in that church. Sometimes, Christians can lose their temperaments and then cover it up by saying, “Well, I am just being frank with you.” No, they are just being mean, and their flesh is [on] displayed. When you gossip or stir up conflict, envy, and division, you can turn a Sunday school class, Bible study class, or prayer meeting into a carnival. And so, you may not do “worldly things” like unsaved people, and you can still be a “carnal Christian.”

SERMON EXPLANATION

Paul tells you the difference between a carnal Christian and a spiritual Christian. In Romans, Chapter 8, the Book before 1 Corinthians, Paul tells you the consequence of carnality. Romans 8 verse 5 says, “For those who are according to the flesh, carnal set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the spirit the things of the spirit.” Spirituality versus [vs.] carnality. “For the mindset on the flesh, here it is, “is death, but the mindset on the spirit is life and peace.” [Watch this now!] Paul says if you don’t have peace in your life and [you are not living life] as it was meant to be, [it is because] your mindset is in the wrong place. Your mindset is in the wrong location.

Paul says that the mindset that focuses on the spirit is life and peace, but then he says, “The mind that is carnal, or fleshly …” He says, “That mind is death!” He is not talking about falling to the ground or over with your heart not beating. He is not speaking of physical death; Paul is speaking of spiritual death. What is spiritual death? Spiritual death is being disconnected from God. Death means separation. And physical death is when your immaterial part gets separated from your material part. The spirit and soul get separated from your body. Paul says when you operate with a carnal mindset, God is not part of the equation, that is, DEATH!

And so, the problem with being a carnal Christian is that you get to live a dead Christian life. You get to be Christian … while living a dead Christian life. That is no experience of life and peace; instead, it is emptiness and chaos instead of life and peace. On the other hand, you know you are spiritual because you are experiencing life and peace and not chaos and emptiness.

So, “It is a mindset!” Paul says. Many Christians today are saved and on their way to heaven, but they are unhappy and depressed. They attend church every Sunday, attend Bible Study, and some even read the Bible in the year because they gather milk [in other words, they gather information] without graduating to meat.

FAITH APPEAL, CALL to ACTION and ALTAR CALL

We all know and perhaps have experienced, to some level or degree, that you can have a legal relationship without meaningful fellowship if you have been married or are married. Can I get a witness? On [a] eleven [11] by eight [8] horizontal paper, you are married, but in life [in reality], you are unhappy [miserable]. In other words, the legal relationship between you and your spouse does not automatically mean intimate fellowship. The carnal Christian has a legal relationship with God, and [it is] called justification. Carnal Christians are legally connected with God, but there is no meaningful fellowship with Him, and they never get to hear God talk to them. They never get to experience God. They don’t know what it means to be led by the Holy Spirit or to have divine intervention. They don’t experience any of that, but they go to church.

Paul is after the spiritual man. That is what he wants us to become, what he wants this church to become, and what he wants us to develop into. I started this sermon with a question, and I want to conclude it with a question. And so, the question is: “What kind of Christian are you?” Here is our first point of action: If, after today’s message, you have changed your view on the kind of Christian you are. If you came to church today feeling like you are a spiritual Christian, and after the wonderful Praise and Worship Service, you still feel like you are a spiritual Christian. [But] after this message, you just discovered you are a carnal Christian, and you are still drinking MILK [and not eating MEAT]. If that is you, you have just taken your first step in the right direction. You have taken the first step to spiritual growth. Because it is worse being carnal and not knowing it or being willing to admit it, but once you know it and are willing to admit it, you are on your way to spiritual development. In the second sermon, we will [find out] what it means to be a spiritual Christian.

God bless you.

If you are here today and you don’t have a relationship with Jesus, you have two options: to get to heaven and be with God. The first way is to be as good as God, and that is perfection. Why? Because God is perfect, and He only accepts perfection. But if God can’t do it that way for you, He has another way. God has another option for you. And that is grace. God will give you salvation free of charge by accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. God will give you perfection and credit it to your account. If that is you, please come up so we can pray for you. And if you are here today, and maybe you need encouragement through prayer, please come up so we can pray for you. Let’s stand on our feet.

BENEDICTION [CLOSING PRAYER]

Let us pray.

Father, thank You for our time with You today and for the clear word of God. We pray that You will bind it to our hearts, as frontlets to Your law that was bound to Israel of old, to the priests, that it might be constantly before us and in our mouths, when we stand and sit, and walk in the way and lie down. We pray that Your truth will govern our behavior and lives for Your glory. We pray that if there is any division in this church, You will heal the disease. That might be honest and objective, understanding the cause of that division, carnality, and refocusing on You and You alone. We commit ourselves and the Word to You to be used for Your glory. We pray in Christ’s name, Amen.

God bless you. We will see you next week at 10:30 a.m.