I. WHY YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN (v. 14)
I) You must be born again because the unregenerate do not accept the things of the Spirit of God (v. 14a)
II) You must be born again because the unregenerate see the things of the Spirit of God as foolish (v. 14b)
III) You must be born again because the unregenerate are not able to understand the things of the Spirit of God (v. 14c)
II. THE COUNTERFEITS OF THE NEW BIRTH
I) Mere education is a counterfeit of the new birth
II) Moral reformation is a counterfeit of the new birth
III) Being dutiful in religious activities is a counterfeit of the new birth
III. THE BLESSINGS OF THE NEW BIRTH (vv. 15-16)
I) Those who have been born again are able to discern the things of the Spirit of God (v. 15a)
II) Those who have been born again are not to be judged by the unregenerate (v. 15b)
III) Those who have been born again have the mind of Christ (v. 16)
IV. THE MEANS OF THE NEW BIRTH
I) Regeneration is accomplished BY God the Holy Spirit sovereignly working to make a dead sinner alive
II) Regeneration is accomplished THROUGH the proclamation of the gospel as revealed in the Scriptures
III) Regeneration is accomplished AS Christ crucified is held forth
INFERENCES
I) See the sad state of all those who are unregenerate
II) See how utterly dependent sinners are on God to save them by sheer mercy
III) See the hopeful prospect of all those we preach to and pray for
EXHORTATION
I) You who believe, praise God for causing you to be born again (1 Peter 1:3a)
II) You who believe, do not neglect the fact that you have been born again
III) You who believe, if God has caused you to be born again, He will never cause you to die again (1 Peter 1:3b-5)
IV) You who believe, make it your business to preach and pray, pray and preach
QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND DISCUSSION
1. Read verse 14. What does Paul mean by “natural person”? What does the “natural person…not accept”? What are “the things of the Spirit of God,” that Paul refers to? Why does the natural man not accept them, according to verse 14? How does this verse highlight the radical depravity of man? Do you praise God, believer, that you now freely accept God’s Law and Gospel?
2. Read verse 15. What does Paul mean by “the spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one”? How does the end of verse 16 help clarify?
3. Read verse 16. What passage of Scripture does Paul quote? Does “we have the mind of Christ” mean that saints already understand everything? Does it mean we do not need teachers? Does it mean Bible study is easy? How do Deuteronomy 29:29, Ephesians 4:11-12, and 2 Timothy 2:15 help clarify? How is Luke 24:45 an illustration of what Paul is really getting at in this verse?
THE NECESSITY AND BLESSING OF THE NEW BIRTH: 1 Corinthians 2:14-16
1 Corinthians 2:14-16
October 10, 2021 • Brett Baggett • 1 Corinthians 2:14–16
CHRIST LOVES HIS MESSY BRIDE: Acts 18:1-11
July 4, 2021 • Brett Baggett
OUTLINE I. Because Christ loves His people, He got the gospel to Corinth (v. 1) II. Because Christ loves His people, He gave Paul new friends so that he would not grow discouraged as he preached the gospel (vv. 2-4) III. Because Christ loves His people, He made it so that Paul could preach the gospel everyday (v. 5) IV. Because Christ loves His people, though many opposed and reviled Paul at first, God overcame their hard hearts and saved them (vv. 6-8) V. Because Christ loves His people, He protected, commanded, & encouraged Paul so that His people would hear the gospel & be saved (vv. 9-11) PERSONAL APPLICATION I) If you are one of His people, the Lord Jesus Christ will never give up on you. II) Christians grow more slowly than we would like. III) When God reproves, rebukes, and exhorts you through His word, do not be surprised—He is doing it for your good, so that you may be holy and happy. EVANGELISTIC APPLICATION I) Though sinners may oppose and revile you at first, God can overcome their animosity in an instant II) Nothing can happen to hurt us without the Lord Jesus’ permission III) You must not give up preaching the gospel, for God surely has many of His people in our cities also QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND DISCUSSION 1. Read verses 1-4. Where did Paul come from and where did he end up? What happened when he arrived at Corinth and how was this a kindness of God toward Paul? What kind of activity did Paul engage in once he arrived at Corinth? When did he engage in it and what, therefore, is Luke trying to tell us? What can we learn from Paul’s example here? 2. In verse 4, what two verbs are used to describe Paul’s method of evangelization to these Bible-believing Jews? 3. The NASB translation says, in verse 5, “But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word…” How does this help us understand what Silas and Timothy brought with them when they came to Corinth from Macedonia? How do Philippians 4:15 and 2 Corinthians 11:9 help clarify? What does this teach us concerning the importance of supporting pastors, church planters, and missionaries? 4. According to verse 6, how did the Corinthians initially respond to the preaching of the gospel? How does 1 Corinthians 1:22-23 shine light on why they initially responded in this way? How did Paul then respond to their opposition and reviling? What does Paul mean by, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent”? How does 1 Kings 2:37 help clarify? 5. What happened immediately following Paul saying, “From now on I will go to the Gentiles” according to verses 7-8? How does this highlight the sovereignty of God in saving sinners? How do 1 Corinthians 1:24 and 1 Corinthians 3:7 help clarify what happened here? 6. Read verses 9-11. Why did Jesus appear to Paul in a vision? What can we learn in these verses concerning the Lord Jesus’ love for His people? According to verse 11, how well did Paul know this church that he writes the letter of 1 Corinthians to?
SANCTIFIED IN CHRIST JESUS: 1 Corinthians 1:1-3
July 11, 2021 • Brett Baggett
OUTLINE I. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A CHRISTIAN? (v. 2b) I) To be a Christian means that you have been “sanctified in Christ Jesus.” If you are a Christian, you have been sanctified through being made holy by God with the righteousness of Jesus (1 Cor. 1:2). If you are a Christian, you have been sanctified by being set apart by God Himself for holy service to Him (John 17:19). If you are a Christian, you are being sanctified through being transformed by God the Holy Spirit to be more holy in your thoughts, affections, and actions (1 Pet. 1:2; Phil. 2:12-13) II) Therefore, to be a Christian means you have received a new identity and are now a “saint.” II. HOW DO I KNOW IF I AM A CHRISTIAN? (v. 2c) I) A Christian calls upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for mercy (1 Cor. 1:2c; Luke 18:11-13) II) A Christian submits to Jesus as Lord (1 Cor. 1:2c; John 14:15) III. WHAT IS PROMISED TO ME IF I AM A CHRISTIAN? (v. 3) I) If you are in Christ, you are promised "http://grace...from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (v. 3) II) If you are in Christ, you are promised "peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (v. 3) STUDY AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. According to verse 1, who wrote this letter? What is Paul, and why should these Christians listen to him? How does 1 Thessalonians 2:13 help clarify? Do you accept the word of Jesus’ Prophets and Apostles as the word of men or the word of God? 2. Who is Paul writing to, according to verse 2? Who does the church belong to? What has God done to the church? What has God effectually called the church to be? Who does the church submit to as Lord? 3. In verse 3, what does Paul pronounce upon the saints at Corinth? What does grace mean? What does peace mean? According to verse 3, who does grace and peace come from?
SAINTS ARE ENRICHED IN CHRIST JESUS: 1 Corinthians 1:4-7
July 18, 2021 • Brett Baggett
OUTLINE I. IN CHRIST, YOUR PAST LIFE IS PAID FOR BY THE GRACE OF GOD (v. 4) II. IN CHRIST, YOUR PRESENT LIFE IS PROVIDED FOR BY THE GRACE OF GOD (v. 5-7a) I) As a saint, you are richly provided for in every way (v. 5a) II) As a saint, you are enriched in all speech to speak the truth, especially the gospel (v. 5b) III) As a saint, you are enriched in all knowledge to understand the gospel (v. 5c-6) IV) As a saint, you are enriched in every gift you need to build up the body of Christ (v. 7a) III. IN CHRIST, YOUR FUTURE LIFE IS PROMISED BY THE GRACE OF GOD (v. 7b) QUESTIONS FOR STUDY AND DISCUSSION 1. According to verse 4, why does Paul give thanks to God? How frequently does Paul give thanks for the Corinthians? How did the Corinthians receive grace? Who did this grace come through? 2. According to verse 5, in how many ways were the Corinthians enriched in Christ? Was does it mean to be “enriched…in all speech and all knowledge”? 3. Read verse 6. What is “confirmed among” the Corinthians? What is “the testimony about Christ”? Do you personally confirm the testimony about Christ and trust in Him alone or do you still rely on your own works or the works of someone else? 4. For what reason are the saints “enriched…in all speech and knowledge” according to verse 7? What does Paul remind these believers of at the end of verse 7? How should this both sober and encourage you as you use the gifts God has given you to serve Him and His church?