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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida, clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

I wanted to give you something because you need to know when you’re not right with God. right with God. Now you can know that because you know when you’re not happy and you feel kind of rotten inside and you’re all worried and frustrated and despair, maybe you’re not on your most spiritual high. Maybe you’re getting close to the valley. But there’s some things that are found in the book of Corinthians that I thought I’ve often made this statement. You know there’s about thirteen, fourteen major problems in the book.

And so here’s a few of them. It’s not all the problem, but it’s some of the major ones. And it kind of lets you see what Paul was up against. You would think, you know, the first century church, but they must have been dynamic. They must have been really on the ball. I mean, they had the apostles. I mean, they were right there. And yet, when you see what they were going through, they weren’t so spiritual after all. You know, when you study some of the people in the Bible, they weren’t all that godly.

Some of them, yes, but most of them had problems. And just like today, every person has assets and liabilities. It doesn’t matter who you are. Remember a statement I made Sunday morning in church when the little kids were sitting down here? And I was talking about Jesus Christ, how that he was a promised baby, a prophesied baby, he was a precious baby, and even all these children may be precious, but not a one of them is perfect, except my grandkids.

There’s only one that’s perfect, and that was Jesus Christ. Everybody else has had problems, and you got them too. And you’re going to have, you’re going to struggle as long as you’re in this whole body of flesh. We get tired, weary, and worn. But I want you to take your Bible and look there in the book of 1 Corinthians in chapter 3, 1 Corinthians in chapter 3, and you can kind of follow along with the notes, but they were not growing in grace.

It’s a how do you know they weren’t growing in grace? Well, because when you can see that they’re not growing in love, they’re not growing in mercy, they’re not growing in compassion, they’re not growing in forgiveness, they’re not growing in Godly discipline, you know they’re not growing in grace. Growing in grace is bestowing upon others that which God bestowed upon you. So did God bestow upon us love and kindness and grace and mercy and forgiveness and compassion all those things?

That’s what we’re supposed to do. But you see we get offended. So when I get offended that stops the flow of all of those things towards you. Because now I don’t love you and I’m mad at you and I’m offended by you and I’m not going to forgive you and I’m going to get a graduate to the day. I die and no mercy. But that’s what all I did. When you’re living by grace, you manifest those qualities. Now this is why in the book of Philippians in chapter 1, the apostle Paul made this statement.

He says that Christ may be magnified in my body. Like I am magnifying the Lord like I’m a magnifying glass and when people see me I’m magnifying something. Now when you are wanting to magnify the Lord you live and think one way but when you want to magnify yourself it’s totally a different way and you do whatever it takes to magnify you. And not the Lord. If you want to magnify Him, then you think one way. If you want to magnify you, then you think a different way.

And so that’s the difference between humility and pride. So if you’ll be humble enough and give Him the credit and the glory and magnify the Lord the way God wants you to be, that’s one thing. But if you don’t, then you lift up yourself and pride and it’s all you. And so you hurt my feelings. I’ll get you the last thing I do. And so we don’t forgive. We’re not as compassionate and we’re mean and ugly and unkind and we are easily offended.

All that comes because of that. So this is why he makes this statement here in chapter 3. First Corinthians chapter 3 verse 1 and 2, and I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, which is what he wanted. This is why you’re supposed to be spiritually minded. What is spiritually minded, mind the spirit. Fleshely minded, mind the flesh. Have you ever had children to tell them to mind you? What do you mean by minding you? Obey you.

Do what you tell them. So if you do what the flesh tells you to do, you’re mind in the flesh. Now that’s explained very clearly in the book of Romans in chapter 8. So he says, but I cannot speak and use on the spiritual, but it doesn’t decarnal. That means you’re saved, but fleshly minded. saved but walking as a lost man. Now can you be a Christian and live like a lost man? Now here’s what some people say. Yes once you’re saved you can’t lose your salvation and if you backslide you’ll come back to the Lord before you die.

It’s a guarantee that if you backslide you can’t die like that you have to come back to the Lord which is a sign that you really were saved. Well I knew people that God took them home because of their sin and they didn’t get right. Oh boy, so that is not true. That is not in the Bible. Number two, they were living according to the flesh or the old nature. See there in verse three, for ye are yet carnal for whereas there is among you envene and strife, divisions argue not carnal and walk as men, walk as lost men.

In other words, you’re not walking like God, you’re walking like a man does. You’re living the way people that don’t know God. And he goes through and explains this as following chapter two when he talks about this. But now hold your place right here because this is so important to see this. Look there in Galatians and chapter five. Galatians chapter five, so when he says you’re carnal, fleshly minded, this is what we mean. So here in the book of Galatians in chapter 5, look in verse 16.

Verse 16 says, this I say then walk in the Spirit, be it spiritually minded, you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh by being fleshly minded. So which one are you going to mind? The Spirit, the flesh, the battle isn’t it? Always a battle. Then He tells you what it’s like for the works of the flesh. She died in verse 19. The works of the flesh are manifest which are these. Now you can magnify the flesh or you can magnify Christ.

It’s a choice. So if you magnify the flesh because you’re fleshly minded, then this is what’s going to happen. A adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lysiviousness, idolatry witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envy, murder, drunken and reveling, such like all these are things from the first birth. The first birth does not inherit the came of God. Last part of that verse 21. So the flesh does not inherit the came of God. Why are you as a Christian that’s going to heaven walking into flesh?

Being fleshly minded. So these things that you find mentioned here is exactly what Paul was telling them that they are doing. I go back to the first Corinthians in chapter 3. So he says there in verse 3 were among you envying and strife, division Carbuncle that’s the flesh. So it’s a Christian who should be spiritually minded but they’re fleshly minded and they walk and they live like lost people. This is why they had all these problems in the church but they didn’t see that they didn’t know that but that’s the truth.

Now look at number three in your notes. They were sitting in judgment of those that were more spiritual than they were. Look there in 1 Corinthians in chapter 4. The Apostle Paul. I believe the Apostle Paul was probably from what we read from Scripture, one of the most godliest men that there is. Buddy, you talking about somebody dedicated? Need to count on my life, dear unto myself and I might finish my course with joy and the ministry that God’s given him.

So he said, I have fought a good fight. I’ve kept the faith therefore, as later for me, a crown of righteousness and so on. So he fought a fight, a battle, and he never quit. And look what he says here in verse 4. For I know nothing. By myself, yet am I not hereby justified, but he that judged me is the Lord. There were some that were setting in judgment on Paul. These carnal Christians are setting in judgment on Paul and telling them how wrong he is and what he does wrong.

You know, that’s what carnal people do. They’ve tried to find out some wrong so they can justify their carnality. But now notice what he says here. in verse three. He says, but with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of man’s judgment. Yeah, I judge not my own self because he says in verse five, judge nothing before the time to come until the Lord comes. The Lord is going to judge and he’s going to make manifest and he’ll reveal.

This is why later on you find the word talking about judge yourself. If you’ll judge yourself, then you won’t have to be judged. But see everybody wants to judge everybody else. Instead of looking at themselves, they were looking at the most spiritual, godliest man that he led him to Christ. He’s the one that did it. And this is why he says there in verse 14, same chapter he said in verse 14, I write not these things to shame you, but as as my beloved sons, I warn you.

For though you have 10,000 instructors in Christ, yet have you not many fathers for in Christ? Jesus, I have begotten you through the gospel. In other words, you are my fruit. I want you to Christ. And now you’re sitting in judgment on me. Does that make them look more spiritual? Because they’re trying to pick out some faults with Paul and as you go through, you’ll see where Paul has to justify himself. and say things that he doesn’t want to say.

And he says, I don’t want to boast, but you’ve compelled me. And so he says, and he says, and the more I love you, the less I be loved. He had given so much and all the beatings that he went through just to get the gospel to them and now to have them turn on him. I guess Paul could have said, no, that’s the thanks I get. You know, over the years, I’ve won a lot of people to Christ.

I’ve had some go on and do some great things. I’ve had some who have stabbed me in the back. And if it wasn’t for me, they’d be going to hell. And yet all that doesn’t mean anything to them. But one day when we get to heaven, they’ll be glad they’re in heaven. And so maybe I won’t look quite as bad, but it’s so important for people to understand. There are those who will set in judgment on you. What should you do?

The Bible talks about examine yourself. And later on Paul talks about ye that examine me. examining me. Carnal Christians. That’s why sometimes I get fed up with spiritual snobs. With carnal Christians who try to act so spiritual, they never do anything. They’re not faithful. You can’t depend on them, but they always want to cut you down. Try to show you whatever you’re doing that can prove you’re wrong. And all they do is sit around trying to find dirt on somebody.

You say Christians don’t do that. Yes, they do. And if they’ll do it to the preacher, I bet you they’ll do it to you. And so the way that they can look like their light is shining brighter is to go around and blow out your light. They go around blowing out people’s lights. Why? Make my light shine brighter. Your light don’t shine any brighter just because you’re trying to blow out somebody else’s light. There’s no honor in that. Look at number four, they were proud.

1 Corinthians chapter four, verse six, look what he says. These things brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollo’s figure saying that you might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written. That no one of you be puffed up for one against another, puffed up. Now this word puffed up is used quite a few times. We talk about little 11, 11 at the whole lump. A little yeast inside the dough raises the dough.

And so they are finding out that it says in chapter 8 of 1 Corinthians, knowledge puffed up. They were puffed up because God had given them the gift of knowledge. So they could no thing because the Word of God hadn’t yet been completed. And so they were puffed up and they were puffed up about a lot of things. See, they’re in verse 18. Now some are puffed up as though I would not come to you. And then they’re in verse 2 of chapter 5 and you’re puffed up.

And it’s also mentioned in several other places, they were popped up. In other words, exploding themselves as getting a big head, and when they have no justification for a big head, acting so spiritual when they’re carnal. You see, a spiritual person doesn’t have to go around trying to do that. You want to try to help those that are weak and build them up and not try to puncture their tires. Have you ever seen somebody want to do something great and all they do is they walk around with a bucket of cold water.

Just to throw cold water on, if you got a good idea, you want to do something for the Lord. I don’t think you ought to do that. I don’t think you ought to do that. And there’s still water on just throwing water on you. And making people suffer, trying to kill their will, their desire. Look at number five, they were calloused to sin in the church, proud of their tolerance. This is where we are in America today. See, there is a man in verse one of chapter five.

It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, commonly, not just one. And such fornication is not so much as named among the Gentile that one should have his father’s wife. You’re popped up. There was not the church discipline that there should have been. So we have today here in America, we are supposed to be tolerant of everybody who doesn’t believe the way we believe. And if you want to have an abortion, we ought to be tolerant. They have they’re right.

If they want to be homosexuals, what they have they’re right. We ought to be tolerant of people. And so all the things that goes on in that country, all the sin, that hey, we ought to be tolerant. We have to show that we are peaceful people, that we love everybody. You don’t want to discriminate against anybody. You don’t want to force your views on other people. So you got to be tolerant of all these views. I can see Jesus Christ being tolerant.

I can see if all twelve apostles were here today just how tolerant they would be. Remember a guy named John the Baptist that Jesus Christ said, no greater man was ever born of woman than John the Baptist. And how did he die? They cut off his head. Why did they cut off his head? Well he was in prison. Why was he in prison? Because he said, Philip, you don’t have a right to that woman. You’re committing adultery. Now, what if all the people that today are committing adultery, we took a strong stand and said, that’s not right.

You think you’ll be loved or has he got to where we’re tolerant? We don’t want to rock the boat. We got to show how peaceful we are, we are. So who do you think you are better than them? So I guess I don’t want to show that I’m holy in the dial. So I just be wicked as you. What a world we live in. But this is what was going on. Number six, they were immoral and needed church discipline and they weren’t doing it.

And so Paul says we’re going to pray that God will take that person home. Number seven, they were taking each other to court and mistreating one another. Look in 1 Corinthians chapter 6, he says in verse one, there any of you having a matter against another go to law before the unjust and not before the saints. In other words, why should Christians take another Christian to an unsaved judge to settle a matter that Christians can’t settle themselves? Wouldn’t that be better if God’s people could settle their own problems without having to go to court.

And yet he says, when you do this, he says, don’t you know that you’d be better off like in verse 7. Now therefore, there is utterly a fault among you because you go to law one with another. Why do you not rather take wrong? Why do you not yet rather suffer yourself to be afraid? You said, well, this against the law. It’s against my principle. Nobody’s going to defraud me. Why? You’re not going to wrong me and get away with it.

Why? because I’m going to get even with you. I am a vengeful person. You’re going to pay. You have no idea how many times over the years I’ve walked away from things that if I’d have took them to court out of one but I didn’t do it. You’d be surprised. Do you do what is right? And when he makes this statement here in verse 8, nay you do wrong and defraud that your brethren. Is Paul meeting mouth here? Is he trying not to offend anybody?

You do wrong. Is he saying they’re doing wrong? He says it. You’re doing what’s wrong. You’re defrauding, but you’re defrauding your own kind, your own brother. And then he makes a statement. He says, Daniel in verse 12, all things are lawful. In other words, you may have a right legalize to take a brother to court. But he says all things are not expedient. In other words, I don’t have to. All things are loving me, but I will not be brought under the power of any of it.

The power is the power of the law, under the power of a judge to solve a problem. We can solve that with God’s Word. We need to follow God’s people, but we don’t do it because it’s just living in a world in which we live. Now, it’s one thing if you get somebody hurts or injures you and so forth. The Bible says in the law, in the Old Testament, that it’s supposed to be made right. And I guess you could say, well, if a man puts out my eye, I’m going to put out your eye.

Now Christ says in the New Testament, no. But there’s times when you have to do what is right. And whenever you can, he says, live peaceably with all men. What’s the next two words? If possible. Is it possible to live peaceably with everybody? No. There are people in the world today who does not want peace. They want you dead. Remember I told y’all, I don’t know when I first came here, it won’t be long before you’ll see riots in the streets.

And it’s going to happen. And it’s happening. You see what everybody knew that? No, they didn’t. And nobody didn’t say it. I preached it. I warned people about Obama before he ever became president of what he was like and what he wanted to do. And buddy, he is doing exactly what he wants to do. He’s not a done man. He has an agenda. You can say, well, he’s a puppet, but he is a good puppet. He’s doing what a liberal, how he thinks and what he wants done.

And it’s just doing a lot of damage to this country. But anyway, that’s another sermon for another time. Look at the next point. Number eight, they were abusing their liberty in Christ and making another stumble. in verse Corinthians chapter 8. First Corinthians chapter 8. And you’ll notice down here in verse 9 where he says, but take heed, lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak. They were doing that. They were stumbling blocks.

They were carnal. A carnal Christian causes other people to stumble. That’s carnal Christian. Because if he walks in the flesh He encourages other people to walk in the flesh. But the Bible says, let him that is Spirit-joint Galatians, chapter 6, seek to restore the one that’s walking in the flesh. So the goal is not just to condemn a person, but to try to help the person that’s not right with the Lord. Get right with the Lord. God is going to reward you when you get to heaven, not just for the lost you on the Christ, but for the Christians you help train in the Lord and get to serve the Lord.

So that’s why that is so important. Look at number nine. They were critical of Paul, the one who led them to Christ. Look in chapter nine. Look in verse one. So they’re getting all over his case, these carnal Christians. Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Or not ye my work in the Lord? I want you to Christ. you are my work. If I be not an apostle unto others, yet, Dallas, I am the you for the seal of my apostleship are you in the Lord.

My answer to them that do get to examine me is this. So people were examining Paul, questioning Paul, questioning his spirituality. And who made you an apostle? And he’s the one who let him to Christ. Can you imagine how he felt? a whole different place right here. I just want you to see this. Look there in 2 Corinthians in chapter 10. 2 Corinthians chapter 10, there’s a verse there that really grips your heart. It really does. Look what he says in 2 Corinthians chapter 10, look in verse 8, for though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification and not for your destruction.

I should not be ashamed. No word, I’m not ashamed of who I am and what I have and what I’m doing. My apostleship, I’m not ashamed. I’m not ashamed of the gospel. I’m not ashamed of my position. I asked why he says later on he says, I labored more abundantly than And they all, all the apostles, because his grace was not bestowed upon me in vain.” Then he says in verse 9, that I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.

For his letters say they are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible. This is what they were saying about Paul. speech is contemptible and his bodily presence weak. I don’t know what did he look like, an old shriveled up Jew, bent over, bad eyesight. What did he go through? What did he suffer to get them the gospel and then have them treat him like they did and then give that air of spirituality. So he lures a bone, he says you’re a carnal Christian.

I can’t speak on you as spiritual. So then he says here in verse 11, let’s such in one think this, that such as we are in words by letters when we are absent, such will we be also indeed when we are present. That day is coming. And if only they would understand just how great of a man he really was and they didn’t understand. And he says, the more I love you, the less I be loved. Look there in chapter 12.

I want you to see this. Look in verse 14. Behold the third time I am ready to come to you. And when I do, I’m going to bring a razor strap. That was a shank yarn. He said, and I will not be burdensome to you for I seek not yours but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parent but the parents for the children. And I’m the parent. In verse 15, and I will very gladly spend and be spent for you.

Though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. Wouldn’t it break your heart? I believe Paul wrote and wrote with tears. You remember in the book of Ephesia, he says, when he’s talking there, not in Ephesia, but he was at Ephesus, but in the book of Acts where he talks about, he said, I was among you for three years, every day and night with tears. He was quite a man. And then later on in his life, he says, they’ve all forsook me.

Everybody left Paul. And Paul’s carrying on doing what he can until the day he died. But when he got to heaven, do you think everybody’s gonna know the truth? All these people that said all these things against him, now they know, huh? Now they know. And that’s why Paul says he was a patient man. He could wait. When he gets to heaven, God’s gonna tell him, they’re gonna know. And I believe they’ll know the harm that they did, the shame they brought on, the cause of Christ, all these things.

So important. Look at number 10. They were coming to the Lord’s table drunk. They were carnal who drank and carnal who tolerated it. 1 Corinthians chapter 11, 20. Yeah, what I want you to see is there in chapter 11 of 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, excuse me, 2 Corinthians. No, let’s write you in 1 Corinthians. I want you to see this. See there in 1 Corinthians chapter 14, we talk about the church coming together and people think, Well, you don’t have to come together.

You know, I can worship God in the mountains. Yeah, I know. I can worship God out there on the lake when I’m fishing. Yeah, I know. But God still says we’re supposed to come together. Well, what he says in this word. See, they’re in 1 Corinthians in chapter 14, looking verse 23. If therefore the whole church, he’s sitting on the mountains side, everybody in his own little valley in our little mountains. Now he says, when you come together and do what?

One place. So does God want His people to come together into one place? That’s what the book says. I didn’t write it, I’m just telling you. There’s people saying, well, I don’t need church. God says you do. When does a man get so smart he don’t have to do what God says. He sets himself in judgment against God. Hello, this is Peter Amato with Bibleline, and we hope that you’ve enjoyed today’s program. We’re so thankful for those of you who support Bibleline and would like to offer you a gift.

During the month of October, for your donation of any amount, we’re going to send to you, Dr. Arnold’s pamphlet, on why we cannot believe in evolution. We’re also going to include his prophecy chart titled, The Prophetic Survey of Time. And lastly, we’re going to include a CD that features Dr. Arnold’s funny jokes and sayings that we hope will tickle your spirit. So for your gift of any amount, we’ll send the three items, the pamphlet on evolution, The full color prophecy chart and the CD of Dr.

Arnold’s funny jokes and quotes. Our mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. And don’t forget to include your mailing address as well. Once again, thank you for supporting Bibleline and may God richly bless you. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. And now, a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen.

The trumpet will sound. And we will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.