I Corinthians 2:1-3:4

What we see in the text...
v. 1-5      the wisdom of man vs. the power of God
v. 6-9      the wisdom of this age vs. the wisdom of God
v. 10-13  human wisdom vs. the Holy Spirit

1. Natural person, v. 14

* They do not because they cannot. 
* In a time of crisis this person asks, “What do I do?”
* Their take on the Bible is, “Prove it to me.”
* They find comfort in their intellect and what their intelligence will not allow them to believe.
* They disagree with anything that goes against their opinion because there is no greater standard by which all things are measured.

“Diseases and disasters are natural consequences of the Fall. If God miraculously prevented coronavirus, he would have to counteract every consequence of the Fall. But if there are no consequences to human freedom, God is not just and we are not truly free.”
 -Dr. Jim Denison


2. Spiritual person, v. 15-16

* They do because they can, have a capacity brought by the Holy Spirit
* In a time of crisis this person asks, “What is God doing?”
* Their take on the Bible is, “Just tell me what it says.”
* They find comfort in a biblically-informed worldview that makes sense of the world regardless of its condition.
* They disagree with anything that goes against the clear teaching of Scripture because there is no greater standard by which all things are measured. 
Two things to notice:

1) “judges all things”
2) “the mind of Christ”

-Philippians 2:1-11


3. People of the flesh, v. 3:1-4

* They are never quite ready for what should be their experience because they like the experiences they can provide for themselves.
* In a time of crisis this person asks, ‘What have I done?”
* Their take on the Bible is, “Convince me.”
* They find comfort in their getting their way.
* They disagree with anything that goes against their desires because there is no greater standard by which all things get measured. 


Mental worship…

Are you currently able to find comfort in your worldview?
How would you explain this quote to a natural person, “Diseases and disasters are natural consequences of the Fall. If God miraculously prevented coronavirus, he would have to counteract every consequence of the Fall. But if there are no consequences to human freedom, God is not just and we are not truly free.”
What is God teaching you during this time?  Anything you rely on too much or anything you do not rely on enough?
Did you hear anything today that made you sad, hopeful or that concerned you?
As you listened today, which one of these persons is you?
How would you contextualize the Gospel for each of these people? Said differently, what would you say to each?