You Can't Handle The Truth Series

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.