FAITHFULNESS IS DILIGENCE, NOT INDULGENCE
1 CORINTHIANS 10:1-13
INTRODUCTION: The passage before us this morning is one to ponder. It is a passage that challenges the reality of our Christian faith, the diligence of our walk with Christ, and the error we may harbor in our minds concerning our security in Christ, and His blessings towards us.
Two of the greatest problems facing the church today are false security and over confidence. Both are related to our standing in Christ. Many in the church have a false sense of security in Christ. They base this on many things; they said the sinners pray, and therefore think they are saved. But saying and thinking are not the evidence of salvation. They may be baptized and a member of a church. Yet, once again, baptism and membership are not the evidence of salvation. Finally, they may have participated in communion, or sense a supreme being, or are highly gifted and as such, are active in the church. Once again, these things do not provide the security in Christ that is necessary for salvation.
The problem with the church is that we feel safe and secure, but we really are not. In this passage, Paul says that the nation of Israel was to be an example to us of how not to be in the church. What not to trust in, how not to act, and what attitude not to have. The people of Israel flaunted their relationship with their God, and it was their downfall and doom.
TRANSITION: It is important for us all to understand that when the Lord said the road is narrow and tough, or many are called but few are chosen, or when we put our hands to the plow and look back we are not fit for heaven, HE MEANT IT
I SOME FOUNDATIONAL THOUGHTS ¡V 9:27 ¡V 10:1
A Paul was concerned that he would be disqualified himself, EVEN after EVERYTHING he had done.
1 That should be a sobering thought to us
2 As godly a man as Paul was he was in concerned about his life in Christ.
3 Paul understood that in order to win the race he had to be diligent, not indulgent.
B All of Israel had the privileges of God
1 Not one was left out
2 All the people were blessed
3 Most did not respond well
a The people of Israel believed the report of the ten spies and would not enter the land
b The people of Israel did not believe the report of the two spies ¡V Joshua and Caleb
4 Moses led the people of Israel for 40years in the wilderness
a In the end only two entered the land 40 years later
b Even Moses was disqualified
C Now Paul says to the church at Corinth, and the church at Pemberton ¡V ¡§I do not want you to be ignorant about this, ¡Kthese thing happened as an example to us, and a warning for us¡¨!
II GOD¡¦S FIVE BLESSING TO ALL ISRAEL ¡V 10:1-4
Notice that the word, ¡§ALL¡¨ is emphasized! God wanted to make sure that we knew that what He did He did for everybody. No one could cry fowl!
A All Israel had the supernatural guidance and presence of God
1 Pillar of cloud by day
2 Pillar of Fire by night
3 God presence and guidance provided
a Comfort
b Protection
c Security
4 Today the believer in Christ experiences the presence of God
a We are indwelt by the Spirit of God
b We are filled with the Spirit of God
c We are sealed with the Spirit of God
d We are illuminated by the Spirit of God
e We are comforted by the Spirit of God
f We are protected by the Spirit of God
No Israelite could ever say that did not have the presence of God. God¡¦s supernatural presence was visible for some 40 years of their lives!
No believer today can say that they were ever without the presence of God, are without the presence of God, or ever will be without the presence of God
B All Israel experienced the supernatural deliverance by God
1 Israel stood by and God parted the Red Sea.
2 Israel walked away from the Egyptians on dry land
3 God swallowed the whole Egyptian army up, leaving no one in His wake!
4 The believer in Jesus Christ has experienced a miraculous deliverance
a Greater than that of Israel
b Israel was delivered from a physical foe capable of killing the body
c We have been delivered from one capable of killing the soul
1) Came through the shed blood of Christ
2) Came through the satisfaction of God¡¦s justice
No Israelite could ever say that they did not experience God¡¦s divine and miraculous deliverance. They witnessed it directly, and they had a monument to remember it by.
No believer in Christ can ever say that they have not experienced God¡¦s deliverance. When we trusted Christ as our Savior, we were delivered from sin, and we were delivered to God!
C All of Israel had been baptized into Moses
1 They had been united with the spiritual head ¡V Moses, God¡¦s servant
2 They put their trust in Moses to deliver them
3 The believer in Christ has been baptized into Christ
a The Believer has the leadership of Christ
b The Believer has the headship of Christ
c The Believer has the lordship of Christ
No Israelite could say that they did not have a leader and that they did not trust in Him
Exodus 14:31 (NIV) Ex 31 And when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.
John 5:45 (NIV) Jn 45 "But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set.
No Believer can ever say that they do not have, nor continue to have the leadership of Christ in their lives
D All Israel ate the same spiritual food
1 For Israel the spiritual food from heaven was manna
2 For the church ¡V the spiritual food from heaven was Jesus
John 6:31-34 (NIV) Jn 31 Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ’He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’"
32 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 34 "Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread."
Neither Israel or the Christian can ever say that God has not fed them!
E All Israel had spiritual drink
1 Christ was the source of water for Israel
2 Christ is the supernatural water for the believer
John 4:10-14 (NIV) Jn 10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
11 "Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?" 13 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,
14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
Israel can never say God did not provide water for them, and the believer can never say that they have never tasted of God¡¦s supernatural water!
III ISRAEL¡¦S FIVE FAILURES BEFORE GOD ¡V 1 COR 10:6-10
A Israel craved the evil of Egypt
1 Wanted the food of Egypt even as God provided
2 Wanted to go back to Egypt when thing were not to their liking
3 Paul had already exhorted the church in this area -- 1 Corinthians 8:13 (NIV) 1Co 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.
a Want what we want
b Afraid we are missing out on something
c Lusting after things of our old life
We have believer in the church today that want it both ways. They want the deliverance God has given them and the indulgence of their old ways. We want God to do His part, and we do not want to do our part.
We want to grumble about how bad we have it, or how bad things are, or how things would be different if we were running things. Like the people of Israel, we do not see all of the advantages we have under God¡¦s hand. We pick, as Israel did, at the weaknesses of our leaders, and the frailty of other believers. We gossip, and backbite, not thinking who it may hurt. Then we come here to communion as if we have done nothing wrong and drink judgment on ourselves
Guess what:
The church isn¡¦t perfect
The pastor isn¡¦t perfect
The deacons are not perfect
The committee people are not perfect
You¡¦re not perfect either!
JESUS IS ¡V and when he come here he will sort it all out.
You are not in the sorting business, you¡¦re in the diligence business.
If we were doing what we are suppose to be doing, we would not have time to grumble!
B Israel participated in idolatry
1 Notice what the Scripture says here ¡V the people of Israel, ¡§sat down¡¨ in the idolatry.
2 Nobody forced them. They deliberately sat down themselves.
Wanna know what an idol is ¡V let me tell you
„Ï An idol is a TV show when you should be a prayer meeting
„Ï An idol is a fork filled with food when you should have prayed first
„Ï An idol is when you ¡§trick¡¨ yourself into believing that what you¡¦re doing, or where you¡¦re going is more important than spending time with God, and you really know that it isn¡¦t. You know that you could have adjusted your schedule, and done both. You chose to make that whatever it is more important than God. You ¡§SAT DOWN¡¨!
C Israel participated in immorality
1 The form was compromise with those who did not believe the word of God ¡V idolaters
2 They literally threw away their God-given special-ness.
How often do we treat the most special thing we have from God ¡V our eternal life tritely! We do not value it, in fact the longer we have it, the more tarnished it becomes. Scripture tells us that we were bought with a price, that we are not our own. We are God¡¦s. But we slip back. We lose our fire. We do not do the things anymore that got us excited for Christ, or kept us excited for Christ, and pretty soon we look no different that the world around us. We talk a good game to those who will listen, but in reality, not part of Christ shows through. This is most evident in our witness. Men maybe impressed by our lifestyle, but a good life never got anybody to heaven. The world has lots of ways to achieve ¡§peace and contentment¡¨, but no way to achieve eternal life!
D Israel tested God
1 Literally the word means to try the patience (of God)
2 How far can I go before God acts
3 Like a kid testing his or her limits
4 As believers we
a Look a little at things we should not ¡V God will for give us
b Visit a little at places we should not ¡V God will forgive us
c Keep a little for ourselves that belongs to God ¡V God will forgive us
d Grumble a little ¡V God will forgive us
e We stir things up a little ¡V God will forgive us
f We act unloving ¡V God will forgive us
g We refuse to forgive ¡V God will forgive us
h We do not seek forgiveness ¡V God will forgive us
5 God has limits on what He will tolerate
a Israel realized God¡¦s limits when the snakes came
b We realize God¡¦s limits when the discipline comes
c We cannot live on the edge between our Relationship with God and the world He saved us from and not expect to incur God¡¦s wrath
E Israel grumbled against God
1 Every page in the Old testament seems to contain the word grumble
2 Israel grumbled at everything. Nothing was good enough
3 The church today is full of dissatisfied people
a We grumble
b We grumble against leadership
c We grumble against direction
d We grumble against God Word
In short we would rather indulge ourselves in sinful activities than be diligent in following Jesus!
„Ï OUR STANDING IN CHRIST DOES NOT ALLOW US TO SIN WITHOUT IMPUNITY
„Ï WE ARE DEPENDANT ON THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD
„Ï GOD IS LOOKING FOR OUR ENDURANCE OF SPIRITUAL THINGS OVER OUR INDULGENCE OF SINFUL THINGS
This is why Paul warns us about, ¡K.
IV THE EXAMPLE OF ISRAEL ¡V 1 COR 10:11-13
Israel fell because they thought they were untouchable
A Our most dangerous time is when we think we have done nothing wrong, or can do nothing wrong, and everybody else is wrong.
B Our most dangerous time is when we think we are above the temptations that Israel fell into
C Our most dangerous time is when we think we can resist the temptations Israel succumbed to by ourselves.
D Our most dangerous time is when we will not seek God to:
1 Help us recognize our own failures
2 Help us run from our temptations
3 Aid us in choosing the right attitudes, actions, and courses
4 Provide his way of victory over temptation
5 Bring others alongside to encourage us through temptation
The church today is anything but perfect. We are filled with imperfect people, imperfect leaders, and imperfect pastors. But our imperfection is not a reason for grumbling and personal dissention. In fact ¡V even all the blessings of God will not keep us from failure if we are more committed to the failures of Israel then we are to the endurance of a life lived for Christ.
So, as we prepare for communion, I want to ask you, ¡§do you sense in your own life a slip into the failures of Israel. Do you crave what you were saved out of? Do you have an idol? Have you compromised your special-ness in Christ to the point that you look no different than the unbeliever in your everyday life? Are you testing and trying the patience of God by pushing the limits of God¡¦s grace by your thoughts and actions? Are you a grumbler, one who would rather complain about perceived wrongs, than endure in God¡¦s faithfulness?
The biggest of spiritual fish never made it to the promised land of God. In fact, out of all the people who started on the journey to the Promised Land, some 2,000,000 people, only 2 actually set foot in the land.
Now let me ask you ¡V is it worth it to indulge rather than endure?
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