Spiritual Infants And Spiritual Adults Series

I. Introduction

A. Mr. Lee was terribly overweight, so his doctor put him on a diet. "I want you to eat regularly for 2 days, then skip a day, and repeat this procedure for 2 weeks. The next time I see you, you'll have lost at least 5 pounds." When Mr. Lee returned, he shocked the doctor by losing nearly 20 pounds. "Why, that's amazing!" the doctor said, "Did you follow my instructions?" Mr. Lee nodded. "I'll tell you though, I thought I was going to drop dead that 3rd day." "From hunger, you mean?" asked the doctor. Replied Mr. Lee, "No, from skipping."

II. Body

A. Lets begin by reading 1 Corinthians 3:1 - 4

1 Corinthians 3:1-4 (NKJV)

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?

1. The word translated “carnal” is a word that means “flesh”

a. The Greek ending of one word, means “made of”

b. The Greek ending of another word means “characterized by”

2. So that Paul is saying in one place that the Corinthians church is made up of humans, characterized by following the flesh

a. Simply put, they were very immature Christians

(1) Now Paul says that in the years he spent preaching and teaching in Corinth he did not see spiritual growth beyond the stage of spiritual infancy

(2) And consequently, he found that they had not advanced beyond the spiritual infancy they had achieved before

(a) Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote during the German church's controversy over Hitler, “The unrest in church politics! ‘The heart is a stubborn and despondent thing.’ Stubbornness and despondency--these can only be overcome in prayer”

(b) Can you imagine Christians having any controversy over Hitler?

(c) Even Christians can support the wrong issues

3. Paul points out the several signs, that is evidence, that they are mere babes in Christ

a. Note that he does attribute believing faith to these people

(1) He calls them babes in Christ

b. But he points to these evidences of their infancy

(1) Envy

(a) Envy of some one else’s position

i) Position in this world

ii) Or position in the church

a) Pastor

b) Deacon

c) Or door keeper, greeter

(b) Of another’s influence

i) Influence in the world

ii) Or influence in the church

(c) Of another’s financial position

i) Financial position in the world

(2) Strife

(a) Envy can cause strife

i) A battle to increase one’s position often means tearing down another

ii) This battle may manifest itself in many ways

a) A battle for position of influence

b) A battle for doctrinal influence

c) A battle for financial influence

d) A battle for recognition

(3) And divisions

(a) The natural consequences of envy and strife is divisions in the church

(b) Paul points this out very specifically in verse 4

1 Corinthians 3:4 (NKJV)

For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal?

(c) And the natural consequence of division is contention and discord

(4) This tension and discord may not be over which teacher is to be followed

(a) Yes, the discord here is over the teacher

i) Apollos

ii) Peter

iii) Or Paul

a) And this has happened in churches and denominations

(b) But the discord could be over the color of the lady’s rest room carpet

(c) Or over whether that should be a Christmas tree in the church

(d) Or even whether the Christmas decorations have a place in the church

i) Lets turn to Mark 9:40

B. One evidence of maturity is unity

Mark 9:40 (NKJV)

"For he who is not against us is on our side.

1. Lets turn to Matthew 12:30

2. This is the other side of the coin

Matthew 12:30 (NKJV)

"He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

a. I believe that the first thing we must note is the very positive way Jesus said these two statements

(1) If your not against us, you are for us

(2) If you are not for us, you are against us

(3) There is no nurtural position

(a) For

(b) Or against

(c) No fence sitting

b. Lets understand this one thing, “No matter the controversy, we must always remember that believers, every believer and all believers, are on the same team”