Recognize the Good Food of a True Disciple

Introduction

In the program 7 to 9: The Thirsty Ones' Gathering, broadcast by ICC TV Montreal, Pastor Freslet Germain took the time to ask the congregation a very simple question: what is a good disciple, a true disciple? His answer does not revolve around appearances. It fits into an image everyone understands: the disciple who grows is the one who eats, and who eats the right food.

The starting text is 1 Corinthians 3, where Paul rebukes the Christians in Corinth for staying at the baby stage because of their divisions, their jealousy, and their quarrels over Paul, Apollos, and Cephas. Then comes 1 Corinthians 2:14, where Paul distinguishes the natural man, who does not receive the things of the Spirit, from the spiritual man, who discerns all things.

From there, Freslet Germain unpacks a very personal conviction: there is good spiritual food, and there is bad food. He himself ate the bad kind for years, and he knows what it does when it stays inside you. This message is for you if you want to move from the baby stage to the spiritual man, without pretending in front of God.

Outline of the Message

1. Staying a Baby Means Refusing to Grow

Paul writes to Corinth: "You are still children; you cannot yet eat solid food." Why? Because there is division, jealousy, and groups claiming allegiance to a man rather than to Christ. Being born again is a step you must go through, but staying in the baby state means never becoming firm. Milk is for children; solid food is for those who want to move forward.

2. The Carnal Man and the Spiritual Man

"The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him... but the spiritual man discerns all things" (1 Corinthians 2:14-15). It is not because you are not a Christian that you stay carnal. It is because you are not eating. And to eat, you have to grow. To grow, you have to eat.

3. The Bad Food That Disturbs the Spiritual Being

Here, the preacher opens up about his own journey. In certain congregations, he was taught that if a woman wore men's clothing, she was not a Christian. That if she wore a wig or braids, she was not saved. That trousers, a chain, or a pair of earrings disqualified a sister. "It bothered me, I'm telling you, it really bothered me," he repeats, because he had eaten the bad food. When you eat something poorly prepared, your body gets upset. It is the same for your spirit.

4. Good Food Prepares You for a Long Walk

Jesus answered Satan: "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). The walk with the Lord is long. Along the way, some people abandon the faith. If you do not eat, you cannot walk the road. It is as simple as that. The preacher gives thanks for the spiritual fathers and mothers who, at ICC, prepare good food every day to give to the children.

5. Joshua 1:8: Meditate Day and Night

"Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night... then you will have success in your ways" (Joshua 1:8). When you eat this kind of food, your future is secure. You may see failure next door, but there is no failure in your own house, because you are eating the good food. And when you eat the bad food, you fall into distraction, disputes, quarrels, bickering, and the pride of "my church is the best."

6. Ask for a Spiritual Appetite

The message ends with a prayer. The food is there, in abundance, in the house. But if you have no spiritual appetite, you will not eat. You can suffer spiritual malnutrition with a full fridge. You cannot pretend either: the enemy sees you as you really are, and God sees you as you really are. You must ask for grace, because the natural man cannot, on his own, practice the Word of God.

Key Takeaways

• Division and jealousy are signs that the congregation has stayed at the baby stage (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).
• The true disciple does not settle for milk; he seeks solid food to become firm.
• Not all doctrines are equal: those that turn salvation into a matter of clothing, wigs, or jewelry disturb the spiritual being.
• Without regular spiritual food, the long walk of faith becomes impossible (others have abandoned it before us).
• Meditating on the Word day and night, as Joshua was commanded, is the condition for the success God promises.

Personal Application

• What spiritual food did you receive before coming to ICC? Are some things still bothering you when you see a brother or sister?
• Have you stayed at the baby stage, claiming allegiance to a man or a chapel rather than to Christ?
• Do you take time each day to eat the Word, or do you live off food from one Sunday to the next?
• When a message is recorded on YouTube, do you listen to it again the way you reheat a meal, or do you move on to something else?
• Is there a moment in your life when you go through the motions in front of the pastor while God sees you exactly as you are?

Verses Cited

• 1 Corinthians 3:1-3: the Corinthians, still carnal, stuck at the child stage.
• 1 Corinthians 2:14-15: the natural man and the spiritual man.
• Matthew 4:4: "Man shall not live on bread alone..."
• Joshua 1:8: meditate on the Book of the Law day and night.
• Psalm 119:105: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."
• 1 Kings 19: Elijah panicking because of Jezebel's threat.

FAQ

Why does Paul call the Corinthians "babies"?

Because they were dividing over Paul, Apollos, and Cephas, even though these are all men, and it is Christ who died for them. For Paul, division and jealousy are proof that they cannot yet receive solid food.

Does the preacher condemn every rule about clothing?

He mostly tells his own story: he was taught that a sister's salvation depended on trousers, a wig, or a chain, and this bad food bothered him every time he saw a woman dressed differently. What he is targeting is the doctrine that replaces salvation in Christ with a dress code.

How do you ask for a spiritual appetite?

The preacher invites the congregation to raise their voice and ask for God's grace, because the natural man, on his own, cannot practice the Word. The food is already in the house; the Holy Spirit needs to open up the appetite so it can be eaten morning, noon, and evening.