YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH
Series: 1 Corinthians 6 (The Hell List Chapter)
INTRO: There is a classic movie called a Few Good Men. The plot doesn’t matter so much, other than to know that there is a defense attorney trying to get an impossible not guilty verdict from a judge in a case that has really no chance to win. But during the movie, the defendant, played by Jack Nicholson (I know kids you have no idea who that is, the only stars you know rhyme with the word Feeber or RaRa), is ordered by the attorney to tell the truth, to which he responds in a violent fashion with the now epic line, “You Can’t Handle the Truth.”
TRANSITION: So as summer is near and our group dwindles a bit until the fall, we look at some serious issues that are a bit more detailed than normal. One of them involves judging/arguing/ruling, as we keep the courtroom theme for the rest of this lesson.
LEADER’S NOTE: I am going to refer 1 Corinthians 6 to as the “Hell List” chapter, since verses 9-11 give a list of sins committed by those who “will not see the face of God.” Again, I am trying to leave a lasting memorized impression, so please play along with memorizing it in this way. Some day, in college, in marriage, in life in general, some youth is going to need to recall the “list of sins” that will keep them “out of the kingdom of God” as they work out their salvation with fear as trembling as the Bible asks us to do so.
CURRENT MEMORIZED CHAPTER LIST:
Matthew 5-7 Sermon on the Mount
Acts 2 Church Chapter
Ephesians 6 Armor of God Chapter
1 Corinthians 6 The Hell List
BIBLE: 1 Corinthians 6:1-6
6 If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? 2 Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? 5 I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 6 But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers.
CORINTHIAN NOTE: This is a reminder to all that the book of 1 Corinthians was written to the church in Corinth—the most sinful of all churches described in the Bible. They had grievous sins being allowed inside the confines of their walls, and whenever you have that, you have lots of petty arguments (so, I guess one could say its like the typical American church—ouch).
QUESTION #1: WHAT DOES THIS VERSE MEAN BY “DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT WE WILL JUDGE THE ANGELS?”
Here is the basic history lesson here (and by the way ahead of time, this verse means exactly what it means).
A. God’s government is created. This takes place in Genesis 1:1. It’s perfect, it is without sin (a lot of people think that Satan’s rebellion had already taken place, that is not true, remember, Satan had not yet been created either). Colossians 1:16 speaks to this as well.
B. Satan rebels against God’s government. That comes from Isaiah 14 specifically. This is where Satan wanted to take over heaven and was sliced down, I would say that this would be one of the most historically dumb things to ever have done. I would have to say trying to jump the Grand Canyon would be a more intelligent decision.
C. God stopped the awful rebellion by making a place called hell (leaders, most of the kids probably think that the Devil is in hell and running it—please make sure they know that hell was made for the Devil, and he doesn’t want to go there as badly as you and I do not want to go there—of course, we have a choice, he doesn’t anymore).
D. God denies Satan access to heaven. Luke 10:18 states that Satan fell like lightning from the sky.
E. The New Government. Today, there is a heaven under the leadership of God and his holy angels, AND then there is Earth, under the God-limiting leadership of Satan and his angels (yeah, God is that fair, it’s amazing to me too).
F. The New Heaven and New Earth. This is where it gets tricky, because it is confusing and not clear to our mortal minds. But, this is where God’s government—led by his believers, will judge. Technically, I have no idea why we would be qualified to do this task, not sure I understand it, not even sure I would ever want to do it. But, rest assured, in the future, we will be judges. Over what, I really have no idea. But that’s the truth.
QUESTION #2: WHY IS PAUL SO FRUSTRATED HERE?
Leaders, I know that by reading the words it is not 100% positive that Paul is frustrated. Thus, there really is no way that a question such as this one would come up void of being led to come up. But if we study the number of rhetorical questions Paul uses not just here, but in the first 11 verses, it is actually quite remarkable.
A. “Do you dare…”
B. “Or do you not know…”
C. “Are you not competent…”
D. “Do you not know that we will judge…”
E. “Do you ask for a ruling…”
F. “Is it possible that there is no one among you…”
Think about it. Paul in an open letter to be read aloud is absolutely slamming the entire congregation including the phrase “shame on you.” It’s unbelievable really. Why? Because Christians are supposed to act in a certain way, and that way is obvious. And the very thought of two people inside the very same church suing each other in a public of heathen people is unthinkable.
Seriously, in a congregation this size, no one could mediate the issue? Think about the contrast…men and women who someday will judge the angels cannot make a decision among their own peers. It’s embarrassing.
LIFE APPLICATION. I know that this lesson so far is more about wisdom thus far and has very little to do life application so far. So here is the tough questions….(leaders these will be the discussion questions).
ARE YOU MAKING GOOD JUDGMENTS? (NOT ABOUT SIN…BUT ABOUT OTHER ISSUES). Leaders what I mean by this is, if we are capable of someday judging angels, are you currently using the correct amount of wisdom to handle our parents well? Handle our words well as Pastor Jeremy has been preaching in accordance with James 3? Handle life well?
I SAID EARLIER THAT THE CHURCH OF CORINTH WAS EMBARASSING…SO…IS IT POSSIBLE THAT I HAVE AN ASPECT OF OUR LIVES COULD BE CONSTRUED AS EMBARASSING?
*For the record, Paul is going to go in two separate directions coming up soon, he is A) going to insult them further with Biblical truth about their sins and B)going to teach them once again about their freedom in Christ—which seems like something you wouldn’t do to a group that is abusing their freedoms already (we will teach on that at a different time).
QUESTION #3: SO WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THIS SO WE CAN AVOID DUPLICATING THIS?
There is a lot assumed here. Some people assume that the issue cannot be settled. Some people assume that we should assume our God given wisdom, when in all reality that often times fails us. There is actually often times a pressing concern when fights in a church arise to this level—it involves our rights.
DISCUSSION QUESTION: WHAT RIGHTS DO WE HAVE IN CHURCH?
Leaders, this is the crux of the entire message, and if the small group spends time on this issue, one could spend the entire lesson putting together a list of rights that we have. I seriously challenge you to do this.
After the list is complete, teach a bit about what it means to be a bond-servant—or a slave servant if that word makes sense.
DISCUSSION QUESTION: WHAT RIGHTS DOES A SLAVE HAVE?
Leaders, talk a bit about this too. Ask the students what rights are guaranteed to a slave. Most of them would have had some type of quality background on slavery so this should be a quality discussion.
DISCUSSION QUESTION: SO, ARE YOU A “DEMANDER OR RIGHTS” OR A SLAVE TO CHRIST?
This question is the stone cold stunner of the day. See, the real reason one person can sue another person, or how one person can avenge another person in the church—it has to do with rights. The children’s pastor didn’t get the necessary vote to paint the nursery so they sabotage the vote to help pay for the youth mission trip. Or, the nursing home ministry didn’t get the vote to pay for a quality transport vehicle so they wish to veto the pastor on an evangelism project. Because “I didn’t get my rights” leads into a “you can’t get yours either.”
CLOSE: We started today talking about an impossible court case. Does anyone know if Tom Cruise actually wins his case (high school kids probably know this, but probably not 5 years from now). He does win. And how does he win? When the defendant publicly acknowledges an admission of guilt. How about you? You, like me, who some day will be so solid in our just knowledge that we will be judging angels, can we give our admission of guilt and give this area of judging over the Lord. We all do it. We are always better in our eyes and others are always so not so better. Are we able to “handle the truth?”
Sources:
Nance, Greg. Whose Are You?, August 2005, Signal Mountain Church of Christ.
Shirley, Jerry. Believers Judging Angels: Angels Among Us, April 27, 2006, Grace Baptist Church.
EXTRAS (QUESTIONS FROM GOTQUESTIONS.ORG ABOUT DEMONS AND LIKE CONTENT):
Question: "Are demons fallen angels?" Answer: When exactly God created angels is open for debate, but what is known for sure is that God created everything good because God, in His holiness, cannot create something sinful. So when Satan, who was once the angel Lucifer, rebelled against God and fell from heaven (Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28), one third of the angelic host joined his insurrection (Revelation 12:3-4, 9). There is no doubt these fallen angels are now known as the demons. We know that hell was prepared for the devil and his angels, according to Matthew 25:41: “Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’” Jesus, by using the possessive word his makes it clear that these angels belong to Satan. Revelation 12:7-9 describes an end-times angelic battle between Michael and "his angels" and the devil and "his angels." From these and similar verses, it is clear that demons and fallen angels are synonymous. Some reject the idea that the demons are the fallen angels due to the fact that Jude verse 6 declares the angels who sinned to be "bound with everlasting chains." However, it is clear that not all of the angels who sinned are "bound," as Satan is still free (1 Peter 5:8). Why would God imprison the rest of the fallen angels, but allow the leader of the rebellion to remain free? It seems that Jude verse 6 is referring to God confining the fallen angels who rebelled in an additional way, likely the "sons of God" incident in Genesis chapter 6. The most common alternate explanation for the origin of the demons is that when the Nephilim of Genesis 6 were destroyed in the Flood, their disembodied souls became the demons. While the Bible does not specifically say what happened to the souls of the Nephilim when they were killed, it is unlikely that God would destroy the Nephilim in the Flood only to allow their souls to cause even greater evil as the demons. The most biblically consistent explanation for the origin of the demons is that they are the fallen angels, the angels who rebelled against God with Satan.
Question: "How, why, and when did Satan fall from heaven?" Answer: Satan’s fall from heaven is symbolically described in Isaiah 14:12-14 and Ezekiel 28:12-18. While these two passages are referring specifically to the kings of Babylon and Tyre, they also reference the spiritual power behind those kings, namely, Satan. These passages describe why Satan fell, but they do not specifically say when the fall occurred. What we do know is this: the angels were created before the earth (Job 38:4-7). Satan fell before he tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden (Genesis 3:1-14). Satan’s fall, therefore, must have occurred somewhere after the time the angels were created and before he tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Whether Satan’s fall occurred a few minutes, hours, or days before he tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden, Scripture does not specifically say. The book of Job tells us that, for a time at least, Satan still had access to heaven and to the throne of God. “One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. The LORD said to Satan, ’Where have you come from?’ Satan answered the LORD, ‘From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it’” (Job 1:6-7). Apparently at that time, Satan was still moving freely between heaven and earth, speaking to God directly and answering for his activities. At what point God discontinued this access is unknown. Why did Satan fall from heaven? Satan fell because of pride. He desired to be God, not to be a servant of God. Notice the many “I will...” statements in Isaiah 14:12-15. Ezekiel 28:12-15 describes Satan as an exceedingly beautiful angel. Satan was likely the highest of all angels, the most beautiful of all of God's creations, but he was not content in his position. Instead, Satan desired to be God, to essentially “kick God off His throne” and take over the rule of the universe. Satan wanted to be God, and interestingly enough, that is what Satan tempted Adam and Eve with in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-5). How did Satan fall from heaven? Actually, a fall is not an accurate description. It would be far more accurate to say God cast Satan out of heaven (Isaiah 14:15; Ezekiel 28:16-17). Satan did not fall from heaven; rather, Satan was pushed out of heaven.
Question: "How much power does Satan possess?" Answer: Satan was an angel created by God who turned against God’s authority (Isaiah 14:13) and became the head of a kingdom of evil spirits called demons, his “angels” (Matthew 25:41). His power both in the heavenly realm and on earth is great and should not be underestimated. However, while Satan and his forces are formidable enemies, Jesus Christ crushed Satan’s power, fulfilling the prophecy of Genesis 3:15. The cross of Christ won the victory (John 12:31). “The prince of this world now stands condemned” (John 16:11), and Jesus will one day destroy Satan’s power completely and purify creation (2 Peter 3:10). Satan’s power in the heavenly realm / spirit world: Satan’s power has repute in the spiritual realm (Jude 9), where he has access to the presence of God (Job 1:6). The book of Job provides insight into the relationship between God and Satan. In Job 1:6-12, Satan stands before God and reports that he has been “walking up and down” on the earth (v. 7). God asks Satan if he has considered godly Job, and Satan immediately accuses Job of insincerity—he only loves God for the blessings God gives. “Stretch out your hand,” Satan says, “and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face” (v. 11). God grants Satan permission to affect Job’s possessions and family, but not his person, and Satan leaves. (The rest of the book is from Job’s perspective, providing an example of how to deal with suffering.) This is an important passage because it shows Satan’s place in the spiritual realm. He is able to accuse God’s people in His very presence, and Jude 9 shows that even Michael the archangel needs the Lord’s help in overcoming him. However, Satan is obviously restrained from enacting his full fury; he is still a created being under God, and his power is limited. Satan’s power on the earth: Job 1 also reveals that Satan does enact evil and cause direct harm on the earth. The most well-known and important of his actions on earth occurred in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3 tells of Satan’s temptation of Eve, the “mother of all the living” (v. 20), and her subsequent first sin. It was this act, and that of Eve’s husband Adam, that brought sin into the world, and it is the reason all humankind must be redeemed from sin in order to be with God. One day, Jesus met a woman who had been “crippled by a spirit for eighteen years” (Luke 13:11). Jesus attributes the infirmity to Satan, who had kept her “bound” (verse 16). Satan’s power was real, but it was easily overcome by our Lord: “he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God” (v. 13). Jesus’ miracle was a clear demonstration of His authority over Satan. Since his instigation of evil on earth, Satan has been named as the “prince,” “god” or “ruler” of this world (John 14:30; cf. John 12:31; 16:11; 1 Corinthians 2:6, 8; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4; Ephesians 2:2; Colossians 1:13). He is the enemy of God and truth (Matthew 13:24-30; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12), and he does everything he can to tempt individuals (Genesis 3, Luke 22:31; Matthew 2:3; 1 Timothy 3:7). and larger groups of people (1 Thessalonians 3:5; Revelation 2:10). He “leads the whole world astray” (Revelation 12:9). Satan accomplishes this by various means, including appealing to man’s pride (1 Timothy 3:6; 1 Corinthians 4:6), interfering with the transmission of truth (Matthew 13:18-22, 38-39) and placing false believers within the church (1 Timothy 4:1-2; 2 Timothy 3:1-9; Revelation 2:9; 3:9). In John 8:44, Jesus says that Satan “is a liar and the father of it.” God still grants Satan some authority in this world, which means that his power is not yet completely broken—except in one area: his power of death. Hebrews 2:14-15 says that Jesus came as a man to die in order to “destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil,” a power Satan had held “from the beginning” (John 8:44). The salvation Jesus provides has released us from Satan’s stranglehold. Death has lost its sting (1 Corinthians 15:55). Satan’s power – the conclusion: The Bible says that “the whole world is under the control of the evil one” (1 John 5:19), and we must “be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Yet Christians have a great hope, for Jesus Christ (John 16:33) and our faith in Him (1 John 5:4) have overcome Satan’s evil. “The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).