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Sunday, May 17th
Sermons stream at 10:25am.
Service at 10am
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“Natural Man vs Spiritual Man”Preached by Bro. Mahlon T. LeCroix on 5/17/2026.Sermon Series: 1Corinthians: Worth the Work
Main Passage: 1Corinthians 2:6-16
I began my sermon this morning talking about the ancient civilization of Egypt.- If it was not for the Rosetta Stone, we would have never been able to decipher hieroglyphics.- The Gospel was hidden and confusing to mankind on purpose. (ref: Mark 4:10-12; Matthew 11:25, 13:10-11)- If it wasn’t for the Holy Spirit, we would never understand and believe the Gospel. 1) The Natural Man (vs.6-9)- Paul says that what the world considers foolishness is actually wisdom for the “mature.”a) Mature here is referring to believers who are no longer “babes in Christ” or “carnal/fleshly” as he will say in 3:3 (walking by flesh not Spirit).- The Gospel is only “wisdom” to those who are actively growing in their faith, to everyone else it is foolishness.- His proof that natural man cannot grasp God’s will and wisdom is the crucifixion of Christ. The religious, political, and demonic leaders all played a role in it, because they didn’t understand.- For us to truly understand anything about the God, it must come from God. (ref: Matthew 16:16-17) 2) The Spiritual Man (vs.10-14)- Paul includes himself using the word “us”, meaning He only gained true knowledge of God through the Spirit like everyone else. - It is the Spirit who will guide us, teach us, and equip us to fulfill the Father’s will for our lives. (ref: John 14:26; Acts 1:8)- In order to explain why the Spirit is required, Paul will give an illustration of knowing or understanding one’s own mind. a) Without the Spirit of God, one cannot begin to grasp the wisdom of God. - With the Spirit of God within us, and no longer the spirit of this world, we can see the Gospel as power and wisdom and no longer foolishness. - Until God sets us free and renews our mind through the power of His Spirit, we cannot know God. Christianity will remain foolish to those still of this world. (ref: Rom.12:2) 3) Conclusion (vs.15-16)- The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to discern (appraise/judge) the spirits and understand God’s will for us, even though the world will see us as foolish.- Jesus said we shouldn’t be shocked if the world hates us and ridicules us. They do so because they are not of us and don’t understand. (ref: John 15:18-19)- We must not remain silent or change Scripture in order to gain the approval of this world. God never said the world would love and understand Christians. (ref: Matthew 10:32-34)
I began my sermon this morning talking about the ancient civilization of Egypt.- If it was not for the Rosetta Stone, we would have never been able to decipher hieroglyphics.- The Gospel was hidden and confusing to mankind on purpose. (ref: Mark 4:10-12; Matthew 11:25, 13:10-11)- If it wasn’t for the Holy Spirit, we would never understand and believe the Gospel. 1) The Natural Man (vs.6-9)- Paul says that what the world considers foolishness is actually wisdom for the “mature.”a) Mature here is referring to believers who are no longer “babes in Christ” or “carnal/fleshly” as he will say in 3:3 (walking by flesh not Spirit).- The Gospel is only “wisdom” to those who are actively growing in their faith, to everyone else it is foolishness.- His proof that natural man cannot grasp God’s will and wisdom is the crucifixion of Christ. The religious, political, and demonic leaders all played a role in it, because they didn’t understand.- For us to truly understand anything about the God, it must come from God. (ref: Matthew 16:16-17) 2) The Spiritual Man (vs.10-14)- Paul includes himself using the word “us”, meaning He only gained true knowledge of God through the Spirit like everyone else. - It is the Spirit who will guide us, teach us, and equip us to fulfill the Father’s will for our lives. (ref: John 14:26; Acts 1:8)- In order to explain why the Spirit is required, Paul will give an illustration of knowing or understanding one’s own mind. a) Without the Spirit of God, one cannot begin to grasp the wisdom of God. - With the Spirit of God within us, and no longer the spirit of this world, we can see the Gospel as power and wisdom and no longer foolishness. - Until God sets us free and renews our mind through the power of His Spirit, we cannot know God. Christianity will remain foolish to those still of this world. (ref: Rom.12:2) 3) Conclusion (vs.15-16)- The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to discern (appraise/judge) the spirits and understand God’s will for us, even though the world will see us as foolish.- Jesus said we shouldn’t be shocked if the world hates us and ridicules us. They do so because they are not of us and don’t understand. (ref: John 15:18-19)- We must not remain silent or change Scripture in order to gain the approval of this world. God never said the world would love and understand Christians. (ref: Matthew 10:32-34)
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Today's message will air later on theShoal Creek Priceville Podcast