Sunday, January 22, 2012, 10:00 a.m.
Allendale Baptist Church, Allendale, MI
Pastor Jonathan DeCou
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
INTRO:
o Someone has said:
o “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.“
o “The only thing history teaches us is that history teaches us nothing.”
o “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.”
o Now, living in the past is one thing and ignoring the past all together is something else, but they do have one thing in common.
o Those who live in the past have not learned from it.
o And those who ignore the past have not learned from it either.
o So, we don’t want to live in the past, but neither do we want to totally ignore it.
o The balance is to learn from the past…learn the good from those who have gone before us, but learn from the mistakes of the past as well.
BIG IDEA: We can learn from those who’ve gone before us.
“Now these things took place as examples for us…”
1 Corinthians 10:6a (ESV)
Spiritual blessings don’t guarantee spiritual success. (v 1-5)
o Developing his thoughts about “disqualification”/ ”disapproval” from the end of the previous chapter, Paul goes on to warn about this danger by using the nation of Israel as a graphic illustration.
o Notice how Paul powerfully describes the massive disconnect between the dramatic spiritual blessings the nation of Israel enjoyed and their tragic lack of spiritual success.
o BLESSINGS (note the repeated us of “all” in these verses, remember 9:24):
o “all under the cloud” – the cloud by day and pillar of fire by night; the very Shekinah glory of God among the people…a sign of His visible presence; direct prolonged supernatural guidance from God.
· The cloud went before them – it served as a guide (Exodus 13:21, 22)
· The cloud went behind them – it served as a defense (Exodus 14:20)
· The cloud went above them – it served as a shelter (Numbers 10:34; 14:14)
o “all passed through the sea” – This describes the 2nd blessing Paul has in mind: Israel’s supernatural deliverance by God through the Red Sea when the armies of Pharaoh were in hot pursuit of the nation (Exodus 13:21, 22; 14:19).
o “all were baptized into Moses…” – Their 3rd blessing/ privilege here refers to their union with their leader who under God provided them with supernatural leadership; this reference to baptism describes their identification with God through Moses as His representative (Exodus 14:21).
o “all ate the same spiritual food” – The eating of manna, “angels’ food” (Psalm 78:25), actual food provided by the supernatural power of God, was their 4th blessing .
· You might think of it this way: “supernatural food”
o “all drank the same spiritual drink” – The 5th blessing mentioned here refers to the vents mentioned in Exodus 17:1-9 & Numbers 20:1-13, water from the rock; actual water provided by the supernatural power of God.
· Since the people of Israel received this water in the beginning years of their wilderness experience and in the closing years, it is right to infer that He, Christ, the Supplier of the water, was with them all along the way.
· Again: “supernatural drink”
o RESULTS:
o “Nevertheless” – This word introduces the sad contrast between God’s great spiritual blessings and the pathetic spiritual response of the people.
· All of these spiritual blessings/privileges/provisions did not keep the Jews from sin and being disqualified from entering the Promised Land (more on that in our next point).
o “most of them” – what an understatement…of the approx. 2,000.000 of the generation leaving Egypt 20 years-old and older, only Caleb & Joshua were qualified/approved/allowed to enter the Promised Land.
· Not even Moses & Aaron were allowed to enter the Promised Land.
o “God was not pleased” – what another intense understatement…God was not only displeased, but He also severely judged an ENTIRE generation for their disregard toward His grace, mercy and providence.
· How frustrating to think that those who were delivered from Egypt by God’s mighty power were brought into the dessert only to die and never see their children enjoy the blessing of God’s promise.
o “overthrown” – better translated “strewn”, a vivid picture of a wilderness paved with the dead bodies of those who had been filled with the food & drink of angels.
APPL:
o Some among us may be quick to say, “How could the Israelites have been so daft?
o Before we judge them to harshly, let me make some observations about the spiritual blessings you and I enjoy.
o First, we don’t have a cloud directing, defending and sheltering us, that’s true.
o But we do have the Holy Spirit IN US!
o He is such a gracious gift to us from God there really is no excuse for us to miss spiritual success.
o Perhaps we are not facing a “Red Sea” moment, but God is more than willing and able to deliver us and provide salvation for us.
o See 1 Peter 1:18-21
o We don’t identify with Moses or any other mere human figure.
o We have the opportunity and privilege to identify with the Lord Jesus Christ and His Great Church…the Company of the Redeemed.
o See Romans 6:1-10.
o None of us probably have a daily provision of supernatural food and drink to sustain us.
o But we do have the Lord Jesus and His Word.
o Jesus described Himself as the Bread of Life.
o Jesus described Himself as the Living Water.
o His Word is described as bread and pure milk.
o No, we don’t have the same spiritual blessing as the nation of Israel, but we do have exceptional and excellent spiritual blessings.
o So what is the result?
o Are we marked by spiritual success or is God displeased with us?
Harboring evil desires leads to trouble. (v 6-11)
o Now Paul reminds us that the events of Israel’s tragic history are examples…examples of how NOT to be in thought, word and deed.
o He says in v 6 that the overarching problem facing the Israelites, and us, is our persistent and willful desire for what is evil,
· The original language means to crave and set one’s heart on that which is intrinsically worthless, wicked, harmful and corrupt.
o Paul warns of 4 such wicked evil desires that bring disqualification.
o IDOLATRY (v 7) – This is the first way we can be disqualified.
o Here Paul is referring to the events of Exodus 32:1-14, 30-35, when Moses went up on Mount Sinai to receive the Law from God, he was gone for 40 days and nights.
o The people who waited at the foot of the mountain grew impatient, so they had a big feast.
o Then someone suggested they dance.
o Now there’s nothing wrong with feasting and dancing necessarily, but that’s not where it ended.
o In their dancing and indulgence they got carried away.
o The innocence of feasting and dancing turned erotic and vulgar behavior.
o Before long, the Israelites were worshipping a golden calf that Aaron claimed had simply come out of the fire when he threw in some gold.
o The Israelites started with feasting and dancing, but they ended up in idolatry, forsaking the One true God who had so marvelously manifested Himself to them and blessed them in so many ways.
o SEXUAL IMMORALITY (v 8) – Another way we can be disqualified is through a desire for sexual immorality.
o Paul has already addressed the seriousness of this problem earlier in the letter and mentions it again by way of Israel’s failed example.
o Paul refers to Numbers 25, where some of the Israelites objected to God’s direction, and the women of Moab and Midian tempted them into sexual immorality.
o A plague broke out in the camp that was not halted until Phinehas, Aaron’s grandson, took a spear and executed a couple engaged in the very act of sexual immorality.
o TESTING GOD (v 9) – And yet another way we can be disqualified is through presumptuously testing God.
o This refers to Numbers 21 where we read how the Israelites presumed to charge God with unfaithfulness.
o They dared God to live up to His promise to discipline them if they doubted His Word.
o In effect they said, “You brought us out of Egypt, and we are going to die in this wilderness. It’s your fault, God! Why did you bring us out of Egypt?”
o The Scriptures call this presumptive attitude testing God, and it’s a dangerous thing to do.
o Ultimately, it can lead to disqualification.
o In the life of the nation of Israel, the people were assaulted and killed by snakes – and the only way the snake attacks could be stopped was by lifting up a brass serpent on a pole (a symbol of the crucifixion) (see John 3:14).
o GRUMBLING (v 10) – And there is yet a 4th evil desire that brings God’s judgment and disapproval.
o Numbers 14 & 16:41-50 describes a dark moment in the history of Israel when they complained against God’s authority.
o As the story goes, Korah, Dathan and Abiram, 3 young men who complained against the authority that God had invested in Moses, felt they had a right to exercise the same authority as Moses.
o So, they spread unrest in the camp of Israel.
o And on the spot God called them to account.
o The ground opened up and swallowed up the rebels.
o The Scripture tells us God’s avenging angel of destruction killed them.
· This is the same Destroyer who killed the firstborn of the Egyptians (Exodus 12:23)…
· The 70,000 men because of David’s census (2 Samuel 24:15, 16)…
· And the entire Assyrian army that was besieging Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 32:21).
o v 11, Paul’s sober warning: Learn from the past; don’t repeat the same mistakes. End well!
ILLUS:
o Dietrich Bonhoeffer, writing on temptation, had this to say: “In our members there is a slumbering inclination towards desire which is both sudden and fierce.
o With irresistible power, desire seizes mastery over the flesh.
o All at once a secret, smoldering fire is kindled.
o The flesh burns and is in flames.
o It makes no difference whether it is sexual desire or ambition or vanity or desire for revenge or love of fame and power or greed for money or, finally, that strange desire for the beauty of the world, of nature.
o Joy in God is…extinguished in us and we seek all our joy in the creature.
o At this moment God is quite unreal to us, He loses all reality, and only desire for the creature is real; the only reality is the devil.
o Satan does not fill us with hatred of God, but with forgetfulness of God…
o The lust thus aroused envelops the mind and will of man in deepest darkness.
o The powers of clear discrimination and of decision are taken from us.
APPL:
o 1 John 5:21 – “Keep yourselves from idols.”
o Paul is warning us against the ease with which we can be lured away from faithfulness to God.
o Most of us here would never think of bowing down to some carved idol of wood or stone, but the lure of idolatry is usually so subtle that we don’t even realize we are being seduced.
o We may not worship a golden calf – but we may end up worshipping our careers, our homes, our cars, our possessions or any other idol that would usurp God from His place in our lives.
o The Scripture (both OT & NT) is replete with warnings about sexual immorality.
o We’ve come across some of those in our study of 1st Corinthians.
o These are warnings that should get our attention here in the U.S., a society and culture obsessed with sex.
o It bears repeating to us as it did to the Corinthians to avoid this sin…a sin that can lead to disqualification.
o Let me ask you, have you ever accused God of harming you and leading you into the wrong place?
o Have you ever asked God, “Why did you bring me to this place in my life?”
o “God, it’s your fault I’m in this mess!”
o Again, let me remind you the Scriptures call this testing God, and it’s a dangerous thing to do.
o Grumbling and murmuring has become something of a spectator sport in our culture…even among the church.
o And if this passage and the OT ones referenced don’t tell us anything else, they tell us that grumbling and murmuring against God appointed and anointed authority will get us into trouble…it can disqualify us from His reward in our life.
o What God ordained authorities are in our lives?
· Parents
· Teachers
· Employers
· Governmental leaders
· Church leaders
· The Lord Jesus Christ Himself!
Don’t take pride in yourself. (v 12)
o v 12 & 13, are two sides to the same coin.
o First, Paul speaks of overconfidence and pride in the face of sin.
o This is a nearly proverbial statement in virtually every arena of human existence.
§ Sports
§ Business
§ Politics
§ Relationships
o When it comes to sin overconfident pride manifests itself in at least two ways.
o Someone says, “I can handle it.”
o Another says, “That would never happen to me.”
o Both reveal an attitude of prideful overconfidence.
No matter how hard it gets, God’s got your back. (v 13)
o If the one side of the coin is overconfidence, the other side of the coin is abject defeat…becoming overwhelmed and defeated by the onslaught of temptation toward any or all of the evil desires mentioned here (and others).
o Temptation, trial and testing are common to us all.
o When these come, we often think, “Why is this happening to me?”
o The simple reason: It’s our turn.
o Welcome to the human race.
o Everybody goes through these…no one gets a pass.
o But…and this is the good news…God is faithful.
o He will never allow you to be tempted beyond your ability to withstand…whether it’s related to some idolatrous pursuit, your sexuality, questions and doubts about God’s goodness and providence, or the temptation to grumble against God’s authority in your life.
o And He will ALWAYS provide you with an exit out of the temptation challenging you.
o When you are tempted, He will provide a way for you to withstand the pressure and win the prize.
o But know this, in that hour of testing God strips away all human support in order that we may learn that He is sufficient.
o He is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in time of trouble.
o He is our way of escape when the temptations come… and they will…and they seem more than we can bear.
BIG IDEA: We can learn from those who’ve gone before us.
CONCL:
o Just as there are negative examples like these we’ve considered today in our text, there are positive examples as well.
o Enoch
o Joseph
o Esther
o Abigail
o Daniel
o Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego
o The Lord Jesus
o That’s a message for another time.
o But for today, let’s learn from the past…particularly Israel’s past…it’s past sinful mistakes…let’s do better.
Read: Re-read 1 Corinthians 10:1-13.
Think: Think about Paul’s history lesson, and then ask yourself the following questions: What one event in history would you like to have been at? Why? What one event in history are you glad to have avoided? Why? After reminding the Corinthians of the discipline needed to “run the race” and finish well (9:24-27), Paul cites this example of Israel’s past (10:1-5). Why were these reminders necessary? To what spiritual blessings is he pointing by the example of Israel? What point is Paul making by showing that these blessings failed to protect Israel from God’s anger? How do the 4 examples from Israel’s past relate to the Corinthian situation (v 6-11)? What is the main principle of v 12-13?
Do: What is a contemporary parallel of the way these examples and warnings apply to you? What temptations do you most consistently face? Does v 13 encourage or frustrate you? How can you go forward this week in the strength God provides?
