Carnal Minded

Danger in being Carnal

Have you ever visited a family member or a friend who’s young school aged child(2-5 grade was laying around the house still sucking on a bottle and acting like 12 or 15 month old baby? This is really something that should catch your attention. On top of this we look to the parents to be doing something about this behavior but they are just moving forward with their day like everything is okay. Well let me sound the alarm bells here, there is nothing more abnormal than a 7 to 10 year old sucking a bottle and acting like a small baby.

Now I have a question for you, how do you think there parents feel about this young child. Some of you in this room are thinking I could handle that, other may think that this type of behavior is okay. In todays scripture this could be the feel the apostle Paul has when he penning this passage. Paul has an expectation of the natural course of development of the young newly converted Christian.

Today we are going to talk about maturity. Christian growth and development. Are we as christians where we need to be.

1 Corinthians 3:1–4 “1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?”

Carnality/Carnal

What do we mean when we see this word carnal?

This is the process when a young christian believer is not maturing, developing, and growing as they should.

Now what causes this lack of growth and development.

Ruled by the flesh

Here we have one of the most common problems when it comes to the lack of maturity and growth in a believer. This does not always just happen to young believers it can happen to any believer at any time. It is when the lust of the flesh becomes so important that it rules over the life of the christian. sometimes during this process you will see very selfish acts that are taken just to benefit themselves at the expense of everyone else. Lust is the appetite for the sinful nature that is found in all of us. This may be something we do with the basic instincts for survival, you know what happens we we get into survival mode, we will destroy each other just so we can survive. Think of the move the Lion King, when Simba returnes to the desolate pride lands, He faces a very immature uncle named scare who is what I would call immature, lazy, and only cares about his own well being. This perfectly describes a carnial Christian.

The church here in Corinth is just in this same shape, they are full of the fleshly desire of life. This is so many so called Christians today they are all about the sinful fleshly desire of the sinful or natural man.

Lets slide over to the book of Galatians Chapter 5.

Problem

Galatians 5:15–21 “15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Answer

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

1 Thessalonians 4:3 “3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality.

II Spiritually complacent

Complacent= is feeling excessively satisfied with your own abilities, achievements, or current situation, to the point that you stop trying or fail to notice potential risks or dangers.

One of the most common reasons for spiritual complacency is self pride.

Let me give you an example of self pride,

This past week everything I did was perfect, I got the big promotion at work, I landed the big fish at the fishing tournament, I was the youngest person to be promoted to CEO, I , I , I.

It is when we are so busy worring about everything else we forget to pour into ourselves through the word of God. WE stop our devotions, we stop our daily readings, we stop studying the word of God, we stop assembling ourselves at church, we stop coming on wednesday night and being spiritually fed in study of the scriptures word by word and verse by verse.

The process of sanctification takes work it is not a natural occurance.

Spiritual deadness

What are one of the signs of something starting to die? A plant when it begins to die it begins first by wilting. This reminds me of some christians they start off strong but then the zeal fades or something happens in their life and they begin to fade or wilt. When a plant begins to wilt it is not getting the nutrients it needs to support itself. Its root system has began to fail, and if it continues and is not transplanted into some fertil soil it will turn from green to brown and die.

Let me ask you this question is it possible for a person to think they have salvation and profess to be a christian to only learn they are sadly mistaken. I think the answer can be yes. I think this is often because people do not understand what salvation is and how it comes to be.

2 Timothy 3:5 “5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!”

Not every one who confesses Jesus Christ as Lord understand that first you must believe. Now I’m not going to stand here and try and give you and exhausted list of what you must believe but here are some musts.

The Virgin Birth

Jesus is the son of God

Jesus lived a sinless life

Jesus was beaten scourged, and crucified and died

Jesus was buried

on the third day he arose again and was seen by his disciples and others

Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father and interceeds for you and I

Listen if your not planted in good soil get transplanted into some good fertil soil.

Matthew 7:21–23 “21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

Listen to what James says in his discription of a similiar circumstance.

James 1:26 “26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.”

This passage is about those who profess to be christians, who are sitting in a church somewhere as we speak, but there lives have not changed, they are still living the same old lifestyle as before.

have you even grabbed a pecan off the tree or the ground and cracked it open to find nothing inside the shell. This is what we are talking about it looks good but it is empty.

2 Corinthians 5:17 “17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

We must be new creatures in Christ Jesus

the former or old things must be passed away and their should be some signs of growth. What are some of these signs

A desire to not do the things of the past

A inward witness of the Holy Spirit.

A willingness to obey God, His word, and His call on our lives

A desire to pray, fast, study, and read his word, all of which will lead to spiritual maturity.