INTRO
Welcome to Hot Topics!
Quotes…
“I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” – Mahatma Ghandi
“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, and walk out the door and deny them with their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” – Brennan Manning/DC Talk
TENSION
What’s your “Bad Christian” experience?
- Bad Christians discourage us.
- Bad Christians give all Christians a bad rep.
- Bad Christians make us wonder…what’s the point?
Will you commit to two perspectives tonight?
- Perspective #1 – Binoculars… who are the bad Christians you know?
- Perspective #2 – Mirror… am I a bad Christian?
Tonight: If you’re a bad Christian, welcome to the club.
TRUTH
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:12-3:3
Background: A church full of “Bad Christians”
- Drinking in excess
- Lots of gossip and comparing personalities
- Lots of sexual sin
- Some bad Christians aren’t really Christians at all (2:12-16).
The natural person vs. the spiritual person…
- Natural person
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- Rejects God’s way
- Laughs at God’s way
- Doesn’t “get” God’s way
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- Spiritual person
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- Sees like God sees.
- Fears God, not people.
- Is Christ-like in their perspective and practice
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What doesn’t make someone a Christian?
What does make someone a Christian?
2. Bad Christians are babies who need to grow, not influencers who need to be followed (3:1-3).
A strange thing: a Christian who lives by the flesh
- Brother/adelphos – Paul was addressing Christians
- Greek “of the flesh”
- Some versions: “Carnal”
- In short, Paul called them “Bad Christians”
Wrong appetites + spiritual stagnation = unChristian behavior
- They wanted milk, not meat (Give me what I want, not what I need)
- They had no desire to grow in their spiritual life
- The result: unChristian behavior
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- Drinking – they got drunk taking the Lord’s Supper!
- Gossip – There was lots of backbiting and division. They were even suing each other!
- Sexual sin – Things too disgusting to mention!
- It affected everyone in the church. Paul used the vocative in addressing them, “brothers and sisters.”
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- Bad Christians will be judged at the Judgement Seat of Christ (3:10-15).
3. If you’re a bad Christian, welcome to the club.
Common critique: “The church is full of hypocrites…”
- The church was established by God to build Christians up to be like Jesus.
- Why do I go to church? Because, more often than I’d like to admit, I’m a bad Christian.
- This is why we push you. We want to grow together!
APPLICATION
#1 – Look in the mirror.
Admit the time when you’ve been a bad Christian.
Resolve to grow in Jesus!
#2 – Look to Jesus.
You can’t become like Jesus without knowing Jesus.
The solution for the bad Christian, you know? Jesus!
LANDING
Which person are you? Natural? Spiritual? Bad Christian?
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