Sermon Tone Analysis

*9THE ROAD MAP TO MATURITY* \\ 1 Cor.

2:14-3:1 \\ Intro: Ill.

We are all the time categorizing people.

We label them according to \\ \\ economics, careers, etc.

The Bible is a book that also categorizes men.

It groups \\ \\ into three categories: Natural, Spiritual, and Carnal.

Everyone in this building \\ \\ today falls into one of these three categories.

You are in one of the three.

\\ \\ The primary purpose of the Bible is that God desires to reveal Himself to \\ \\ fallen men so that He might enter into a relationship with them.

His desire is that \\ \\ men will come to know Him through His Son Jesus Christ, and that after they are \\ \\ saved, they will grow up in him into mature Christians.

Sadly, not everyone is \\ \\ saved, and not all saved people are growing in Christ.

Now, as I said, the Bible \\ \\ offers a plan for growing into maturity.

However, you must know where you are \\ \\ before you can ever hope to go farther.

\\ \\ My desire in this message is to help you see which of these 3 Biblical \\ \\ categories you fit into, and to help you grow from there.

Notice with me the Road \\ \\ Map To Maturity.

\\ \\ \\ \\ I. 2:14 *THE NATURAL MAN (Lives Naturally)* \\ \\ A. *He Is Depraved* - Ill.

Psa.

58:3; Isa.

48:8; John 8:44a (Ill.

Eph.

2:3a) \\ \\ The natural man is prone to sin.

There is a bent in his nature toward evil.

\\ \\ (Ill.

Water and electricity - The course of least resistance!) (Ill no good - \\ \\ Rom.

3:10-12) \\ \\ B. *He Is Directed* - Eph. 2:1-3 The natural man’s life is out of his hands.

He is \\ \\ under the control of Satan and like a mindless puppet he carries out every \\ \\ whim of the flesh and the devil!

(Ill.

John 8:44b) \\ \\ C. *He Is In Darkness* - 2 Cor.

4:4 (Ill.

Nicodemus - A teacher among the Jews, \\ \\ but in the depths of darkness.)

The natural man does not see his problem, \\ \\ nor does he understand the things of God.

(Ill.

Receiveth = “to welcome” \\ \\ He may appreciate some things about the church and worship, but spiritual \\ \\ things will be pure foolishness to him - Ill. 1 Cor.

1:18.)

(Ill.

He doesn’t \\ \\ understand the people of God and he will criticize the things he doesn’t \\ \\ understand because they bother him and he doesn’t know why!) (Ill.

Like a \\ \\ deaf man criticizing music or a blind man ridiculing art!)

He is in the dark, \\ \\ but Jesus can change all that - Ill.

John 9:25! \\ \\ D. *He Is Doomed* - Hell is his certain future!

Psa.

9:17 (Ill.

Born 1 die 2) \\ \\ E. *He Is Dead* - While he lives and breathes, the natural man is in a perpetual \\ \\ state of death.

(Ill.

What death is!) (Ill.

A car with no battery!)

\\ \\ \\ \\ II.

v.15-16 *THE SPIRITUAL MAN (Lives Supernaturally)* \\ \\ (Ill.

There is a vast difference between the natural man and the spiritual man.

\\ \\ The spiritual man has been born twice.

He is in a living, growing, vibrant, \\ \\ personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

As a result, he has the God given \\ \\ capacity to live differently.

Because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the \\ \\ spiritual man is able to comprehend the spiritual things of God and it tells in \\ \\ the way he lives his life - Ill. 1 Cor.

2:12-13) \\ \\ A. *He Lives By The Spirit* - The spiritual man lives his life governed by the \\ \\ rule of the Holy Spirit in his heart.

He gets into the Word and allows it to \\ \\ transform his life and he is different because of it - Ill.

Psa.

119:105.

(Ill.

\\ \\ Christians are not tadpoles!

We have already been changed into princes by \\ \\ the kiss of God’s amazing grace, but we are to make an effort!

(Ill.

The \\ \\ Spirit will lead if we will allow Him to - John 16:13; Gal.

5:16.

\\ \\ B. *He Learns From The Spirit* - The spiritual man is able to receive the truths \\ \\ of the Word.

He is able to grasp spiritual things, he can understand the \\ \\ Bible, he can enjoy the presence of the Lord.

God’s truths are not \\ \\ foolishness, they are food - Job 23:12 (Ill.

When the treasure house of the \\ \\ Word is opened, he gathers all he can and then he applies it to his life and \\ \\ grows from it!)

\\ \\ C. *He Is Liberated By The Spirit* - The spiritual man is liberated from the \\ \\ bondage to the flesh, the world and the devil because he is able to discern \\ \\ the will of God by “judging” or “examining” everything by the truth of the \\ \\ Word!

Therefore, he is not easily squeezed into the world’s mold, Rom.

\\ \\ 12:2, but he is a able to look at things through a different set of lenses.

He \\ \\ literally possesses the mind of Christ in His daily life!

(Ill.

He is always \\ \\ misunderstood and thought to be crazy by the world!) \\ \\ D. The spiritual man is literally “filled” with the Spirit of God.

God controls \\ \\ his mind, his heart, his hands, his feet, his tongue, his flesh, everything is \\ \\ yielded to the control of the Spirit of the Lord!

Nothing is held back from \\ \\ the Lord! \\ \\ E.

Not many achieve this level of Christianity, but it should be the goal for \\ \\ every sincere Christian!

Are you here yet?

\\ \\ III.

3:1 *THE CARNAL MAN (Lives Unnaturally)* \\ \\ (Ill.

This type person is saved, yet mostly unchanged.

He has never grown \\ \\ in the Lord.

He is always being defeated by the flesh, the world and the \\ \\ devil.

It is possible to be a Christian and be very carnal!) \\ \\ A. *He Is Defeated* - There are three areas where his carnality continually shows \\ \\ up.

\\ \\ 1. *He Can’t Walk Spiritually *- Constantly losing the battle to the flesh, the \\ \\ world and the devil.

\\ \\ 2. *He Can’t War Spiritually* - He isn’t able to dress up in the “whole” \\ \\ armor of God - Eph. 6:10-17.

Some of the pieces are missing and the \\ \\ ones he does have, he doesn’t know how to use!

He can’t fight evil!

He \\ \\ is always beaten! \\ \\ 3. *He Can’t Work Spiritually* - This type person is not much use to the \\ \\ Kingdom.

The carnal Christian doesn’t win souls, support the church \\ \\ with his presents or his presence, doesn’t teach, and never becomes \\ \\ actively involved!

He is always riding around on the effort of others.

\\ \\ B. *He Is Dependent* - 3:2 (Ill.

Must always be spoon fed) \\ \\ The carnal Christian is totally dependent on others for any spiritual \\ \\ nourishment he receives.

He can’t teach, he must always be taught, (Ill.

\\ \\ Heb.

5:12-14!)

He cannot serve, but must be served.

He cannot glean \\ \\ spiritual truth for himself, the pastor must spoon feed him when he shows up \\ \\ for church.

He is helpless.

Spiritually speaking, he is a baby!

(Ill.

The \\ \\ monstrosity of not growing!) \\ \\ C. *He Is Divisive* - 1 Cor.

3:3-7) (Ill.

The troubles at Corinth!) \\ \\ The carnal Christian is always looking for a fight.

They are willing to tear \\ \\ the church to pieces over any silly, immature issue that comes to mind.

\\ \\ They are easily offended and quick to defend rights that they have never \\ \\ earned for themselves.