Sermon Tone Analysis

Three Chairs

1 Corinthians 2:14-3:3—The Holy Spirit, Part 4   |   Shaun LePage   |   March 26, 2006

 

 

I.

Introduction

A.   I want to show you three pictures—a little boy, a teenager and an adult.

Could you tell these are all the same person?

Some may, some may not.

What we can all agree on is that each snapshot is very different from the other two.

Agree?

These are three points on a timeline.

They represent a 42-year journey.

A lot of time passed between each snapshot.

A lot has happened—it’s almost like three different people.

B.    First Corinthians 2:14-3:3 describes three different people who are really three points on a timeline.

1.

As I read, look for the three people.

Read in NASB then in NLT.

2.     Paul describes three men (three people) in this passage.

He’s not referring to specific individuals, but three people at different stages in the spiritual journey.

3.     What’s even more important is that by evaluating which description best fits you, you can begin to develop a plan for how you can move forward—mature—in your spiritual life.

C.   Review: Over the past few weeks, we’ve been reintroducing ourselves to the Holy Spirit because we understand that we simply can’t live the kind of life described by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount and other places without the Helper—the Holy Spirit.

We’ve looked at who the Holy Spirit is and what He does.

Now, let’s look at how we are supposed to respond to Him.

D.   Don’t write in your charts yet, but notice the three men:

1.

The first man mentioned is the “natural” (2:14)

2.     The second man mentioned is the “spiritual” (2:15)

3.     The third man mentioned is the “man of flesh” or “carnal” (The KJV translated this word “flesh” as “carnal”.

The Greek word for “flesh” here is /sarkinos/ and the Latin translation is “carnalis.”)

(3:1)

E.    Now before we take a closer look at these three guys, I want to set up an illustration.

Three Chairs (not an original illustration—Bruce Wilkinson).

On your outlines, write down the “names” of these three “Men” (top row of your chart) in this order—we’ll get to the traits and fates in a little bit:

1.     Chair Three is Natural.

This is someone who has never responded to Jesus Christ in faith.

In other words, he has never trusted Christ and Christ alone for salvation.

He has not been—as Jesus said in John 3—“born again”.

He has not been “regenerated” by the Holy Spirit.

He does not have the Holy Spirit dwelling within him.

2.     Chair Two is who Paul was warning in 1 Corinthians 2-3: Carnal.

This is a Christian.

He has been “born again.”

He will go to heaven when he dies, */but /*he is not walking in the Spirit.

He is walking in the “flesh”.

He is in the middle between a life devoted to God and a life devoted to himself.

3.     Chair One is where you want to be: Spiritual.

This guy is walking in the Spirit.

He is God-focused and Spirit-led.

He is not perfect, but he is growing and bearing fruit.

4.     Now, these are general descriptions, but I think you’ll find them to be very helpful.

One of these chairs is you—a picture of how you are responding to God at this time in your life.

You may be way over on one side or the other of one of these chairs, but generally, one fits you today.

We probably won’t be able to tell by looking at you which chair you’re in, but you’ll know.

The Holy Spirit will reveal to you—in your heart—which chair you’re in.

F.    What I want to do is look at the traits of each man and the fates of each man.

As we do, let’s ask the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts and show you which chair you’re in right now at this time in your life.

This is honest evaluation.

Not judgment!

I’m not pointing any fingers this morning.

I didn’t prepare this message for anyone in particular.

This evaluation is between you and God.

Evaluation of where we are is necessary in order for us to develop a plan for where we need to go.

G.   Pray.

II.

Body—The Three Men.

Now, since Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to a bunch of “carnal” Christians, I decided to scan this letter—all 16 chapters—to get a full description of these people.

What I found was that he also contrasted those carnal Christians with himself—a spiritual man.

At times he also refers to the natural man, but the book is mostly a contrast between the carnal and the spiritual people.

A.   First, let’s look at Chair Three—the “Natural man”.

Two overarching traits of the “natural man” are brought out in 1 Corinthians:

1.     Spiritually foolish.

a)    “The Cross is foolish”: 1:18, 23, 21; 2:14; 3:19, 20.

He thinks he’s wise, but God says he’s foolish.

The things of God—especially the Cross of Christ—seems like foolishness to him.

He may understand that Christians believe Jesus Christ died for him but either blatantly or secretly he considers it all foolishness.

He rejects the idea that he is so sinful that he is going to hell.

He rejects the idea that he is so sinful he can do nothing but trust himself to the mercy of God.

He rejects the idea that he cannot earn his way.

b)    “I’ll make my own god”: 5:10; 6:9-10; 10:20; 12:2.

He was designed to relate to God—this is why there are thousands of false religions in the world.

Man is inherently religious because he was created to be in relationship with his Creator.

When he rejects his Creator, he finds something else to worship.

The Bible tells us all those other religions—nice as they may seem—are inspired by demons.

Fallen angels leading rebellious people astray to idolatry.

2.     Selfishly motivated.

a)    “Today is all that matters”: 15:32.

If there is no tomorrow and we will not be raised to new life in heaven, then it only makes sense to live for the moment.

But the fact is, there is a resurrection!

Tomorrow matters!

Today should be lived for God because tomorrow we’ll stand before God.

b)     “*/I’ll /*make my life meaningful”: 5:10; 6:9-10.

He’s looking for the intimacy that will fill his soul, but he’s looking in all the wrong places: sexual pleasure, the power of false religions and possessions that promise fulfillment but provide emptiness.

c)    Please note: Natural people grow up in churches all the time and learn to look and sound and even live a little bit like the spiritual man for a while.

There’s a wide range of possibilities here.

(i)   On one end of the spectrum, you have natural people who boldly declare their rebellion against God—claiming they don’t even believe He exists and living as though He doesn’t exist.

(ii) On the other end of the spectrum, you have natural people who secretly rebel against God—pretending to know Him but in reality they have enthroned themselves as their god.

3.     The natural man may look good and spiritual on the outside, but inside he is at odds with God.

Look at the “fate” of the natural man: 15:22 (dead); 11:32 (condemned); 16:22 (accursed; see also Galatians 1:8-9).

4.     The good news is this: All that can change in an instant for the natural person.

If you’re sitting here today and you believe the Holy Spirit is telling you you’re “natural,” you can stop trusting in yourself (a.k.a.

repent) and start trusting in Jesus Christ alone.

Ephesians 2 tells us that though you’re dead He’ll make you alive.

Though you are condemned, John 3 tells us that He will save you from that condemnation.