10-11-09 1 Cor Series: Milk, Meat, and Divisions

I.         Have the Spirit, but for purposes of this life, might as well not have

Verse 1

Paul has just finished telling this Church that understanding Spiritual truths requires that one have the Spirit dwelling in him.  Now Paul is telling them that He could not communicate to them Spiritual things.  Having the Spirit enables one to receive the Truth.  A carnal Christian has the Spirit, but since he allows himself to be dominated by the flesh, he can only receive baby food. 

Carnal - Pertaining to flesh; fleshly; sensual; opposed to spiritual; as carnal pleasure.

II.        Could not Bear Meat – no foundation

III.       You are carnal

IV.      How Do We Mature Heb 5:10-14

Verse 2 & 3a

The folk at Corinth had not moved past the milk stage.  The reason was not that Paul was not willing or able to serve meat.  They could not bear meat.  Paul makes it clear that they still are unable.

The Truth is always right.  Paul gives the Church here some hard truths.  Paul is telling this Church that they are carnal.  They are fleshly.  They are acting like lost people, and because of the dominance of their sensual, fleshly appetites, the more difficult Truths of the word had no foundation on which to rest.

We mature to the point of handling meat by becoming familiar with using God’s Word in our lives.  We must make God’s Word at least an active element in all our decision making activities.  Then, we must move from active to dominant, then, from dominant to preeminent.

Heb. 5:10-14 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. ¹¹Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. ¹²For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. ¹³For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. ¹⁴But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

V.        Divisions are proof of the fact that they are carnal

Verse 3

Their envying and strife and divisions serve to manifest the fact that these folks are carnal.  They are walking as men.  This is no complement.  Paul is telling these brothers and sisters that they are acting like unsaved people.

Envy - To feel uneasiness, mortification or discontent, at the sight of superior excellence, reputation or happiness enjoyed by another; to repine at another's prosperity; to fret or grieve one's self at the real or supposed superiority of another, and to hate him on that account.

Strife - Exertion or contention for superiority; contest of emulation, either by intellectual or physical efforts.

Verse 4