1 Corinthians 3:1-4

Introduction:

I am making observation about him.

He just turned a month old on Sunday.

He has been growing by drinking a lot of milk.

Then it occurred to me that he is not going to always be drinking milk.

Pretty soon he will have a combo of milk and really tiny bits of solid food.

Eventually he will be able to be fully on solid food, but will have to learn to chew.

My little baby will then eventually have to walk, and run.

The he will have to dress himself.

In time he will learn to drive.

Pretty soon, before I know it, he is going to slowly start having to make decisions for himself.

Just because he knows how to chew, dress himself, and drive, does that mean he will make good life decisions?

No.

What we just talked about wa the process of maturity.

There is physical maturity, and mental maturity.

Do you guys like being around people that don’t act their age?

When people aren’t mature, it is a real drag for people that want to be serious.

What would you do if you found out I couldn’t eat solid foods, or dress myself?

You would think there is something wrong, wouldn't you?

1 Corinthians 3:1 ESV

1 But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.

1 corin

They had a lot of problems.

They were a church of imperfect people.

All churches are full of people that

How do your parents speak to you when you are doing something bad?

I want to hear your impersonations of your parents.

There is a time when parents speak to you a certain way, because you know better.

Paul is saying that we cannot speak to the people of this church in a certain way.

His tone is that he should speak to them a little differently.

I think Paul is disappointed.

Hey should know better.

The people of Corinth have been Christians for a while.

They should know better.

What was their problem?

Paul called the Corinthians carnal!

1. What does carnal mean?

Think carne asada or reincarnation…

It literally means meat or flesh.

The idea is that they are acting in their flesh.

What does flesh represent for a Christian?

It means acting on your sinful instincts.

Not acting according to the Spirit of God who is in you.

What are some examples of acting in the flesh?

Bits of anger.

Jealousy.

Being perverted.

Disobeying your parents.

Gossiping/talking trash about someone.

Being vulgar.

Can you be a “carnal christian?”

This is an oxymoron.

They are opposites in meaning.

But somehow believers live in their flesh, and call themselves Christians.

Paul says that they are not spiritual.

It is like when you have a friend who is your age but they act like they are three.

What does this mean?

Maybe always telling perverted jokes.

They are ignoring their spirit senses.

The more we disobey God, and live in our flesh.

Maybe they never take serious moments serious.

It gets repulsive.

Paul is saying he has to treat them like babies.

They should know better.

My son just started eating solid food.

Let me ask you this, do you like it when someone treats you like a baby?

I doubt you do.

He is having a hard time.

The same thing is true for our spiritual lives.

Paul had to feed them like babies.

I even bet that you think you are ready to be treated more like an adult.

You think because of your age, you deserve more trust, and freedoms.

These are things that you have to earn as you grow in maturity.

1 Corinthians 3:2 ESV

2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready,

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;

Paul had to feed them like babies.

My son is now starting to eat solid food.

He is having a hard time.

He is still use to the milk.

This is going to be okay in this stage.

He can’t always be like this.

He needs to learn to like solid food.

The Corinthians lives was like a person who isn’t a baby is trying to stay on milk, but are past that stage.

It doesn’t matter if you are five, or 25, it is weird.

Paul is speaking about the Bible.

That is how you grow.

That is how you grow.

That is what feeds your spirit.

Imagine your body needs food, but you cannot sense hunger?

That is what feeds your spirit.

That is what happens as a result of sin.

Imagine your body needs food, but you cannot sense hunger?

That is like our

1 Peter 2:1–2 ESV

1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—

1 peter 2:1-2

Hebrews 5:12–14 ESV

12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

There comes a point, and level that you should be able to teach.

Hebrews 6:12–14 ESV

12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.”

To help other people grow in their walk.

To be an example.

If you aren’t studying the Bible, and obeying/living what it says, you are like a baby who needs milk.

That is how you grow.

I am not saying that by just memorizing bible verses you will be mature.

I am saying that if you study the word, you will grow and transform as you live it.

That is what feeds your spirit.

He says that the solid food of the word is going to grow you.

Imagine your body needs food, but you cannot sense hunger?

Solid

That is what happens as a result of sin.

But you can’t have it if you aren’t eating it.

The word if God has the power to transform you into something and someone great.

I ask a lot of you if you have been in your bibles.

I always hear similar responses.

Things like, I just can’t get into it.

I don’t have time.

I couldn’t this, I couldn’t that.

Look, I am not trying to pick on anyone.

I have had my times where I was the very same way.

I am just being honest, like Paul was.

Not wanting to get into your Bible, and the things of the Spirit of God is like saying that you can’t get into eating solid food.

That is essentially what you are doing.

Jesus died to have a relationship with you and that means spending time with Him.

It is what gives are spirits nourishment.

The ways to do this are studying/living the Bible.

1 Corinthians 3:3–4 ESV

3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?

Having a prayer life.

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?

If you don’t have these things, you are drifting away from Jesus.

How did you guys feel about how I acted in the beginning?

I am sure you didn’t like it.

I tried to be immature.

Even more so I tried to be repulsive.

To sh

Repulsive is the best word I can think of, for a Christian who is living in the flesh.

Living in things like:

Gossip.

Jealousy.

Outbursts of wrath.

Disobeying your parents.

Drama

Unloving

Bitter

Etc.

Raise your hand if you are living in any of those things right now at present?

Maybe more than one.

These things are not of God, but of sin and flesh.

God is repulsed when we live in the flesh and try and walk with Him.

Yes, I said it, God is repulsed by us.

When we sin,

When we do not grow into maturity.

There is a time it is cute.

Then the cuteness fades, and you are just annoying.

I am not trying to be harsh, but that is the reality.

The challenge is simple: Are you growing?

If you are not, then you are just going to be like a grown up who has to be treated like a baby.

You don’t want that.

,

But this is a whole church.

The sad thing is that this is more common than it should be for people who have the Spirit of God in them.

Conclusion:

How long have you been a Christian?

Are you still acting like a baby Christian, when you should be feeding other people milk?

If you are, how long are you going to act that way?

The cool thing about spiritual maturity, is just like there are very mature kids,