The Roadmap to Maturity | Part 1

How are you reading the roadmap to maturity. Listen to Adrian Rogers, a map is not of much value to you and let you know one thing where you are now you know where you are now you can say I'm here this is where I need to get what I want you to do is find out where you are. In order to help you get to where you need to be welcomed to love teaching the lessons and insights into pastor and Bible teacher Adrian Rogers know it's important to know where we are in our spiritual maturity in order to grow into what we could be. The Bible places men and women in three different categories natural, spiritual, or carnal. As Christians we want to be spiritual men and women. But in order to get there. We must begin to see the Bible as our roadmap to maturity. If you have a copy of the Scriptures turned out first Corinthians chapter 2 is Adrian Rogers begins. Part one of the roadmap to maturity here is in one of three categories, one of three classes I want to point them out in chapter 2 verse 14. Look at the first part of verse 14 natural man may say I don't read the rest of that verse. All I want to show you is the category there some here in the category of the macro man on the natural woman try go down verse 15. I look in verse 50, but he that is spiritual. That's the second category persons here today, he that is spiritual all right not go right on through chapter 3, verse one, and I brethren could not speak of you is him to spiritual but is on to carnal on the score, the phrase the word carnal, there you have the three categories of persons.

There is the natural man. There is the spiritual man.

There is the carnal man either you're a natural manner. Spiritual man, carnal man. Your natural woman, a spiritual woman are a carnal woman now. We divide people into different categories. We say this upper-class middle-class lower-class players this or that, but it's not the blue book of society of the bankbook of finance but it is God's book the Bible that puts us into these categories. Now you say what you want me to categorize myself. Obviously I want to be a spiritual person, but you see the Bible is like a roadmap to guide you to get where you need to be one thing important about any man, no matter what method it is a map is not of much value to you and let you know one thing where you are now. You don't know where you are now. What good is the map, but if you know where you are now you can say I'm here and this is where I need to get to you been to buildings, big buildings and they will have a schematic of that building. Then will be a little red dot middle say you are here. So what I want you to do is to find out where you are. In order to help you get to where you need to be the first question asked a man in the Garden of Eden was this Adam where are you where are you not God was not asking for information. God knew where Adam was. God wanted Adam to know where Adam was know the predicament that Adam was in so here's what I want us to do. I want us to ask three questions.

The first question I will ask and I want you to answer. Are you a natural man doing what comes naturally.

What you say yes, that sounds pretty good to me to do what comes naturally.

Well, the Bible says in Ephesians chapter 2 and verse three you are by nature children of wrath, let me tell you about the natural man what he's like. I want you three marks of the natural man. First of all, he is born into the macro world.

He is born. Just like anybody else. He has a natural birth. And he's bored once he is born into the natural world, where the former vice president of the United States who said this when he heard that one of the other presidents said he'd been born again. This vice president said this and I couldn't believe he could say this but he said it openly, publicly ask him if you been born twice. He said I haven't been born twice. He said I count myself lucky to have been born wants, but he said I certainly have been born twice a friend that day will come when he will not count himself lucky to be born wants if the admin born twice because you see if you born wants to die twice. The first death is the physical death.

The second death is eternal, that, but if you're born twice. You can only die once, you may die physically, but that which is born again goes on and on and on and on. You see the problem with man is what he received by his first birthday is born into the natural world.

I have reminded you before that if you have an Apple and see a warm holy man Apple don't worry about the worm having come in through that whole even come in through them only when out through that whole were molded. Let the were man and let the worm out is a will. How did the worm get an Apple. He was born in the Boston. He was hatched in the Blossom. The egg was laid in the blossom and that worm came out of the heart that Apple and it came out of the heart of that Apple to the outer extremity about Apple and Jesus says that all of the sins that are in mankind come out of the heart. You never have to teach a baby to steal you baby not to steal it natural.

You never have to teach a baby to be selfish. You teach a baby not to be selfish. You never have to teach baby to tell lies you teach a baby not tell lies. The Bible said the wicked are strange from the womb. They go astray.

Speaking lies as soon they are born that macro man. He is born into natural world. He's only had one bird I want to say this the very best quality and every individual and then somehow combine all those qualities of the one individual there would not be enough goodness and that one individual to save his one so he would have to bow at the cross, and receive Jesus Christ. The Bible says in our own nature. There is nothing good.

We are by nature children of wrath, but natural man is born into the natural world and therefore he is blind to the spiritual world. Look in verse 14 but the natural man receive is not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness on the him I watch this. Neither can he know because they are spiritually discerned.

That is there spiritually understood delicate word receive. You sit there in verse 14 the natural man receive is not that word receive literally means to welcome he does not welcome spiritual things. He has no appreciation for spiritual things that you put natural man in the church service like this that a lot of things that are natural man could appreciate the natural man could enjoy this choir natural man could enjoy handshaking arrives. I like that. Don't suppose a friend with my like that natural man could enjoy hearing messages together makes sense. I can understand what I thought was I natural man to get excited about Sunday school attendance campaign meeting a budget building built all that the natural man.

He can understand those things but he does not understand the things of the spirit of God. Now go back to chapter 1 a look in verse 18 for the preaching of the cross is to them that perish. You see that this foolish look again in verse 14 but the natural man receive is not the things of the spirit of God there foolishness to him. He doesn't understand what we were talking about was thank praise the lamb that Jesus died for our sins.

Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world you don't understand that what will why he spoke so excited you see he's born in the natural world.

He is in line to the spiritual world he doesn't enjoy the true things of God we can enjoy Dexter you put a natural man in heaven.

Did you know what he be miserable. He be miserable unless he is born again that people think they want to live forever. They don't even know what to do on a rainy afternoon and not being able to say how will you praise the Lamb.

That's what they going to do for all eternity as worship and praise the Lord Jesus Christ.

The natural man is born into the natural world. He my friend is blind to the spiritual world is. He has no appreciation has no understanding look in verse 14.

Again, it says neither can he know he couldn't figure out if he wanted to get the idea for him that you can bring your intellect to this book and say I'm going to rip Ruth out of this book, you can't do onto you get born again you will never understand this book you will know the words, but you never get the music you will never understand the Bible says neither can he know them, they are spiritually discerned there spiritually understood why can't I let me give you a modern-day lustration. If you have a little monitor. You could pick up.

Maybe Gilligan's Island.

You can pick up a replay of yesterday sports you can get this thing that I think all those things are there. But you have to have a tumor to bring that out of the air so you can see and receive about your great-great-grandfather would not believe that if you told him that all these things in the air. If you would bring him out of that generation and jamming this generation, but we know that's true. There is an unseen world as a spiritual world broadcasting on station W ORD God. But unless you have the receive a problem with the natural man is he has no antenna is no antenna and the Bible says he does not welcome the things of God, and neither can he know them while they are spiritually discerned.

They are spiritually understood. Nicodemus was a master. This really Jesus said are you mastering this real and you don't understand these things.

You see he had all this education, but he could not understand when you talk to an unsaved man about Jesus and he may remonstrate with you and he may say I just don't see don't argue with Ray and he doesn't see he is telling the truth, he just doesn't see he is born to the natural world. He is blind to the spiritual world and therefore he isn't bound to the material world about about the natural man is born in the natural world, blind to the spiritual world and therefore he is bound to material world. This world is the only world that he knows he is a materialist, pure and simply has no capacity for spiritual things.

The Bible speaks of these in Jude verse 19 as sensual, having not the spirit, sensual, having not the spirit.

The word sensual is the same word is translated here as natural as the same word in the Greek language, natural or sensual. He lives by census. I have the privilege to go to Moscow in Moscow, I was invited into the mayor's office.

Mayor of Moscow. We went in through that oppose marble stairs over that red carpet into the office of the mayor Moscow and into that board room and sat there with the people administrate that great city, I said several things to them. I want them to understand who we are and what we believe will evangelical Christians, but I said to them, I hope in this revolution and this renaissance that you're having here that as you look toward the West that you don't try to emulate everything in the West and that you don't think that the secret of the West is capitalism nice and very frankly, I believe in capitalism.

I believe it's far better than communism but I said I want to learn this that capitalism and communism are two forms of materialism, both of both capitalism and communism that I said to those men. I said let me tell you what capitalism can provide for you the very best it can provide for you is what I would call a good dog life.

I said if you give a dog a warm place to sleep.

Give a dog adequate food to eat.

Give a dog some affection, rub his head scratching behind the ears, patting a little and give a dog a sense of achievement may be a frisbee care.

One time I said to Chase a lady wrote me a message like I was in favor of dogs chasing cats to very irate so a frisbee to catch all right. I want to miss the point. Get all those four things creature comforts affection, a sense of achievement and all but I said those men what I want to save you man is more than an animal. He has a capacity for God and of all he has adjust those four things a place to sleep something to eat some love and affection and a sense of achievement could expect. He's more than that he's a spiritual creature and I told those men what I want to tell you that the crisis in the world today is a spiritual crisis and the deep longing the hunger of man's heart is for God, Augustine said there's a God shaped vacuum in every man's heart and man will never be satisfied until he knows the Lord. But what about the natural manner you a natural man is born into the natural world. He is blind to the spiritual world and he is bound to material world. Egypt bound to cannot know God.

He cannot fellowship with God, he must be born again in order for that to happen now.

That's the first category was moved to the second category persons.

The first category is the natural man. Now the second category, there is the spiritual man verse 15 but he that is spiritual. Now the natural man does what is natural.

He does what comes naturally, the spiritual man does what comes supernaturally the spiritual man is not been born only once he's been born twice look if you will, in verses 1112 for what man knows the things of a man, save her except the spirit of man which is in him.

Even so the things of God knows no man, but the spirit of God not notice verse 12 now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is God.

The spiritual man lives by the spirit. He lives by the spirit. Verse 12 says he has received the spirit of God.

He has received the Spirit of God that is this man has been born twice. He's been on the spirit is salvation. Salvation is not merely getting man out of earth and heaven.

It is getting God out of heaven in command. He received the spirit of God. He has been born again learn this about Christians. Christians are are not just natural people who decide to do better. Christians have been radically dramatically supernaturally changed by something called a new birth, he receives the spirit of God and God moves in him. God inhabits his humanity. Now don't get the idea that a Christian, therefore, is like a tadpole who becomes a frog.

You see, there is a frog in every tadpole and he just keeps maturing you become a frog. That's the kind of Christianity. Some people believe and I think well I'll go to church and learn to do better.

I'll grow up and be the frog I want to be a Christian is not like a tadpole who is become a frog, a Christian is like a frog who is become a prince by the kiss of grace. It is a miracle. It is a miracle.

It is not just simply a change, a gradual change becoming more what we are by nature it is becoming what we could never be, by nature he is a person number one is by the spirit. He has received a new life and because he lives by the Spirit, he learns from the spirit now look in verse 12 now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God not want to, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. When you receive the spirit you receive the organ of spiritual knowledge that you might know God not remember the natural man. Verse 14 he did receive the things of the spirit of God for their foolishness on the him he can't know them because they are spiritually discerned or spiritually understood so when a man receives God he receives when he is born again he receives life from the spirit. He lives by the Spirit, and he learns by the spirit.

When you get saying even if your little child God turns the light ON your soul.

The Bible says the spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, what is that mean when God wants to illuminate you.

He takes your human spirit. He puts the oil of his Holy Spirit and that human lamp, and God illumines you the spiritual man lives by the spirit.

He learns from the spirit and he is liberated through the spirit of missionary list look down verse 15. Look at verse 15 but he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged. No man, what is that mean judges all things that mean he sits on the bench and he says this is right. This is wrong on stalking that N-word discernment actually. Some translations give this way, the spiritual man is earns all things. He has a different value system.

He sees things to a different lens. Actually this word desire and is a legal word and what it means is this it means to make an examination and on the basis of that examination make Marlon spiritual judgment spiritual makes an examination and on the basis of that examination. He makes Marlon spiritual judgment.

But what is the difference between the natural man who tries to that and the spiritual man while the spiritual man. He sees with the mind of Christ. When a man receives the spirit of God, he learns to the spirit. He lives through the spirit he is liberated through the spirit because this world system doesn't squeeze them into its mold. He sees through things he sees what is happening in today's world is not like the marching millions that are going on to oblivion and going on to have a system that is completely different. He sees things from God's viewpoint.

He has the mind of price and he sees through this world is not bound to the material world is liberated, his memory by the spirit of God.

He sees through things. Now the Bible says he is earns all things he judges all things, but no man judges him.

What is that mean it means he understands the unsaved man, but the unsaved man that understand him as a what makes him take Boise where a post-Boswell face" at that point we are Looney Tunes but related. I mean, they think that somehow we have jumped the track. The Bible says they think it strange that we don't run with them and in excess of right they think that we are the funny one like that woman with the psychiatrist had Friday only having two strips of bacon over each year. She said I came to see about my brother they really think that we are the one who is spiritual discerns all things in judges all things, but no man judges and they don't understand him. They don't know what makes him tick.

So one of the marks of the spiritual man. He lives by the spirit.

He learns the spirit he is liberated through the spirit spiritual man lives by the spirit learns from the spirit and is liberated through this. It was her part two of this important message tomorrow but maybe today you have questions about who Jesus is what he means to you.

How to begin a relationship with God through Christ. Go to her discover Jesus page@lwf.org/radio you find resources and materials.

The answer questions you may have about faith in Christ LWF.org/radio and click discover Jesus at the top of the page. If you like to order a copy of today's message. Call us at 1877 love God and request the roadmap to maturity. This message is also part of the insightful back to the basics series for that complete collection all 18 powerful messages: 1877 love God or go online to LWF.org/radio or you can write us at love Worth finding box at 38, 600 Memphis, TN 38183. Many of the messages in this series are also featured in our new resource called the what every Christian ought to know, study utilize this tool it LWF.org/radio. Thanks for studying in God's word with us today. Take time to prayerfully figure out where you are in your relationship with Christ you have the markings of the spiritual man, woman lived by the spirit, learn, and deliberated by. Join us tomorrow for part two roadmap to mature love with. Sometimes listeners write us and say things that are so encouraging and I want to encourage you today with this. I am a licensed clinical social worker who visits the elderly and people with disabilities and their homes listen to Pastor Rogers online every day and always receive conviction, comfort and encouragement.

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