I Corinthians 10.1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
Listen to the warnings
My daughter, Theresa, told me that over the summer, she had met with a friend who has 2 children at the beach. There was a rip tide warning. There were yellow flags posted. Still, the lifeguards had to pull 6 people out of the water that day because they didn’t pay attention to the warnings. Paul is urging us in the passage to look out for certain sins, sins that can easily entangle God’s people. Israel is our example. We need to heed the warning.
The children of Israel
They enjoyed many spiritual blessings.
They also enjoyed many material blessings.
God was present. In the Pillar of Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night. They could see these signs 24-7.
They got to see the evidence of God with them each day. He provided for all their needs. He took care of them. He parted the Sea, worked miracles and did what no one else could do, through the Desert. I have been across that desert in a Mercedes bus. Cannot imagine it on foot with children and animals and possessions. But He brought them across. They celebrate that every spring!
Verses one through four tell of the blessings. Similarities to our faith. Very similar!
Verse 5 Judgment because of sin among the people God blessed.
God had been good to this nation, His people.
6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.
Watch out for these evil things, watch out if your heart is drawn to them.
Be on your guard. Watch over your soul.
I thought that us what Pastors are supposed to do. We are... but read the warning...
Acts 20. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood.
We are to all watch over our own souls.
Mark 13.33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”
Watch out for these specific sins of Israel on their journey to the Promised Land, of which they never got to.
1. Idolatry
a worshipper of false gods, a covetous man as a worshipper of Mammon
Houses, cars, money are be idols today.
Even position can be.
The iPhone 11 Pro is an idol. Not saying if you bought it it is an idol to you but it is to many... to those who waited overnight outside the Apple Store in the Walt Whitman Mall on Tuesday night.
I wrestled over a flat screen TV. It was going to be the first time I bought an appliance when the current one was still working fine. I walked away first time when I was ready to purchase it.
Status can be an idol.
Even Christian leaders can be... we are only servants
Anything that comes before the LORD is an idol.
2. Sexual Immorality
Hebrews 12.16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.17 Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.
Watch out for wolves in sheep’s clothing!
Warnings against the adulteress. Proverbs 5,6 and 7
A man who commits adultery lacks judgement Proverbs 6.32
Conscience, heart and soul
3. Testing the LORD
Complaining about His Care for us... not trusting His Promises when He has proved Himself faithful.
Psalm 95.7
Today, if only you would hear His voice,
8
“Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,
as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness,
9
where your ancestors tested Me;
they tried me, though they had seen what I did.
10
For forty years I was angry with that generation;
I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray,
and they have not known My ways.’
11
So I declared on oath in My anger,
‘They shall never enter My rest.’”
Psalm 78.40-43 How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness
and grieved Him in the wasteland!
41
Again and again they put God to the test;
they vexed the Holy One of Israel.
42
They did not remember His power—
the day He redeemed them from the oppressor,
43
the day He displayed His signs in Egypt,
His wonders in the region of Zoan
Testing the LORD. We are not to do this. God does not need to prove Himself. We prove Him as we trust Him. We grow in our faith
as we live by faith.
Another sin that is mentioned here is
4. Grumbling
Our faith will be tested. We will go through difficulties to obtain the promises of God. That is life in the middle. Waiting... and in the midst troubles.
We are going to have trouble. If your goal as a Christian is to have a trouble free life you are going to be frustrated. You are certainly not following Christ. Remember the words of Jesus... John 16.33 “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
It is so easy to find faults! We all have them!
Love covers a multitude of sins.
"Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world" (Phil. 2:14-15). "Be hospitable to one another without grumbling" (1 Pet. 4:9). It causes one to perish (1 Cor. 10:10).
5. Be Aware
12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!
We grow in Christ. We become mature in Him. We begin to realize that there are areas where we no longer struggle like we used to.
to stop, stand still, to stand immovable, stand firm, like the foundation of a building
Here is the danger. We are not exempted from falling until we are home. If we look at ourselves as being strong, standing firm we must be careful that we do not fall.
Guard your heart. It is the well spring of life.
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