Text: 1 Cor 10:1-5, Title: Spiritual, But Not Pleasing, Date/Place: NRBC, 5/29/11, AM
A. Opening illustration:
B. Background to passage: Paul just finished up an inspirational and admonitional passage about running to win the race. This was to encourage them to work hard and be willing to sacrifice much to build up their brothers and sisters in Christ, and to win the unbelievers, and to gain the prize of everlasting life. But remember he is primarily speaking to a group of moderately spiritually mature, biblically literate, committed group of Christians who were eating in the temples of idols because theologically, there is no such thing as idols, and they felt liberty to do so. And so in response they were probably going through their list of spiritual things that they do: gather with the church, do the Lord’s supper, read their bibles, witness to their friends, maintain their morals…And in evangelical culture, we also keep tabs on ourselves, put spiritual notches in our belt, gauge our spirituality on such external things. It makes us feel justified, committed, and “OK.” But Paul says that you can experience God or be a part of the group of the people that experience God regularly and yet not necessarily be pleasing to God.
C. Main thought: Paul gives us five blessings of God around you that may not indicate His favor upon you
A. The Presence of God (v. 1)
1. Paul reminded the believers there of the reality that the children of Israel had the manifest presence of God in the form of a pillar of a cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night (Ex 13:21). All they had to do was walk outside the tent and they could see God’s presence abiding with the people of Israel. He would lead them through the wilderness with great care and concern. They could go to sleep at night by His light knowing they are safe. They could follow God’s leading clearly. But he says in v. 5 that most of them did not were not pleasing to God. They brought Him no pleasure, and He killed them in the wilderness. Strong adversative placed at the beginning of verse five for emphasis.
2. Heb 6:4-6, 11:6
3. Illustration: Some of you in the congregation today are not truly following Him, kinda like Rick Warren being in Barak Obama’s presence at the inauguration in 2008,
4. You can be among the presence of God and not be His child, or pleasing to Him? You may be with the people of God who are led by the Spirit of God, and not be pleasing to Him. You can be in a room where God shows up (you may even get glory bumps), but that doesn’t mean that He is pleased with you. This is one of the reasons that if you come here and feel His presence, don’t leave here feeling fine about yourself. Great, you went to church, unlike 25,000 people in Tift Co., you are better than them, but still not pleasing to God.
B. The Deliverance of God (v. 1)
1. Next Paul reminds them of the next event in the Exodus story – the Red Sea deliverance. These three million people were backed up to the sea with mountainous terrain on two sides and Pharaoh on the other. And God told Moses to step into the water with the rod of God and BOOM a 47 lane hwy through the ocean with walls of water hundreds of feet high either side. And then days later they were cursing God, Moses and his deliverance. And God killed them all. They saw the most awesome deliverance in the history of Israel, but they did not see it in faith.
2. Acts 27:33-34,
3. Illustration: think about all the “God stories” that come out of a natural disaster,
4. You can see God do awesome, supernatural things, and not be pleasing to God. You can be in the middle of miracles, and not be in the middle of God’s will. You can experience God’s deliverance and protection from death or disaster and not be pleasing in His sight. Unbelievers and wayward Christians see the miraculous, such as a divine healing, all the time. Don’t think that just because God answered a prayer of yours, that He is showering you with His relational favor.
C. The Man of God and Mission of God (v. 2)
1. Then Paul reminds them of all those millions (who were not self-controlled enough to refrain from idolatry and obtain the prize, but were destroyed of God in the wilderness) who followed Moses, did what he said, and were in some sense on the “mission of God.” Now there were several times they openly rebelled (more on that next week), but they followed Moses out of Egypt and through the wilderness for 40 years.
2. Rom 9:6, Matt 7:22-23
3. Illustration: Benjamin Franklin was enthralled with the preaching of George Whitefield, “in the spring of 1740 Whitefield was in Philadelphia preaching outdoors to thousands. Benjamin Franklin attended most of these messages. Franklin, who did not believe what Whitefield was preaching, commented on these perfected sermons: ‘His delivery...was so improved by frequent repetition, that every accent, every emphasis, every modulation of voice, was so perfectly well turned, and well placed, that without being interested in the subject, one could not help being pleased with the discourse: a pleasure of much the same kind with that received from an excellent piece of music.’ (emphasis added) (Harry Stout, The Divine Dramatist, 104)”
4. You can know the man of God, and not be pleasing to God. You may be following the greatest preacher ever, but is not pleasing God. You may be with the people who are on the mission of God, and not be pleasing to God, even if you are doing good things with them. Things not done in faith are of little value, as far as individuals obtaining favor with God. So don’t assume that you are pleasing God because you enjoy a good sermon. God is looking at your heart. Stop justifying yourself with “spiritual” behaviors and religious habits, or even lack thereof.
D. The Provision of God (v. 3-4)
1. Next Paul reminds them of the provision of meat and manna to the children of Israel after their complaint. For 40 years bread and quail appeared on the ground at first light, enough for each day’s provision, and 2X that on Friday. Hundreds of thousands ate of divine provision for years, while harboring idolatry in their hearts.
2. Matt 5:45, Mark 10:23, Luke 16:25, Jer 12:1
3. Illustration: I remember before I got saved at 17 years old praying prayers that got “answered” and having those experiences of things happening just in the nick of time, and me thinking about the “man upstairs”
4. You may be provided for in every way, but not be pleasing to God. Common grace blesses every man and woman on the planet. Financial provision, provisions of food and clothing, jobs, children, etc, are all from God (every good and perfect gift), but they are not necessarily indicators of divine favor and acceptance. Missionaries suffer hunger, lack, and even death, but are numbered among the “others” without whose faith and testimony, we would be incomplete.
E. The Life of God (v. 4)
1. Finally Paul speaks of them drinking spiritual water from the Rock. They partook in the blessing of the life-giving water from God. Notice that many of these things allude to the practices of church: baptism, spiritual eating, gathering, etc. Their lives were impacted by those around them who were part of believing Israel, and all drank the spiritual water.
2. Argumentation
3. Illustration: tell about Derek and his divorce, and the comfort he received from Jeff and others, but was not really saved,
4. You may be religious, even in the service of God, dolling out spiritual sustenance, but not pleasing to God. All of these things are blessings that are bestowed upon the body of believers, the community of followers. And many shall be among the number of people who associate with the church, but are not genuine followers. You may be blessed along with His children, and you may benefit from His blessings upon them, but not necessarily bring pleasure to the heart of God. You may leave here blessed every week, and yet you have not be saved, born again, and are not bringing pleasure to the heart of God.
A. So what pleases God? Faith, desire, obedience – your heart!
a. You must exercise faith and trust in God. You must believe that He is, and that He is the Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb 11:6). You must completely rely and depend on Him for salvation.
b. You must love Him with all of your being. Being a Christian is not necessarily about performance or behavior, it is about a love relationship with God Himself.
c. Your faith and love will lead you to obedience. This is the fruit of genuine faith and love. It is not the basis for gaining salvation or the love of God (God loves you in spite of your behavior), but it is something that brings God pleasure
d. All these things are fueled by a desire for Him, a hunger for Him, and longing to be with Him. This is the most indicative sign of a changed heart—what you really WANT. This is also why it is required to be born again, renewed, redeemed, transformed, changed into a new creature with new desires and given a new heart, because you can’t do these things alone.
B. Closing illustration: tell about Andrew going to church with his wife and family for his wife and family, but not being touched of God, then getting saved,
C. Trust in Christ.
D. Draw near to Him again like once before.
Additional Notes
• Is Christ Exalted, Magnified, Honored, and Glorified?
