HoHum:
What do you think of when you hear the following names: Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Bakker, and Ted Haggard? Most people think: How in the world could these people let themselves do this? Why did they give up so much for so little? What would make them compromise their dreams?
WBTU:
Paul is dealing with several issues in 1 Corinthians. Chapter 8 he talked about how it is fine to eat meat sacrificed to idols with this warning: “For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, won’t he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols?” 1 Corinthians 8:10, NIV. In chapter 9 Paul talks about giving up his right to receive payment from preaching the gospel. This goes back to chapter 8 where we might have to give up eating meat, a right, to keep our brother from stumbling. Toward the end of chapter 9 Paul says this: “No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:27, NIV. Even though lead others to Christ, Paul does not want to be disqualified himself from the prize.
This brings us to chapter 10 where Paul lets the Corinthians know that even though it is okay to eat meat sacrificed to idols, it is not okay to worship at a pagan temple. “The sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.” 1 Corinthians 10:20, 21, NIV. To illustrate the importance of this Paul goes back into the OT and talks about the exodus from Egypt.
Thesis: Let’s talk about the privileges, the punishments and the payoffs
For instances:
The privileges- 5 privileges the Israelites enjoyed
1. Vs 1- under the cloud: “By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.” Exodus 13:21, NIV.
God’s protection and guidance is a great privilege. The Israelites were helpless and defenseless; but they were stronger than the strongest because God was with them.
2. Vs. 1- All passed through the sea: “and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.” Exodus 14:22, NIV.
3. Vs. 2- Baptized into Moses: They were immersed into his leadership. They were identified with him. It was Moses’ people, it was Moses crowd. They were one with their leader, that’s what that is saying. They were united as a community with one leader.
4. Vs. 3- Ate the same spiritual food: “The Israelites ate manna for forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.” Exodus 16:35, NIV. A table was spread for them in the wilderness- and a good table too and included meat. “That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.” Exodus 16:13, NIV.
5. Vs. 4- Drank the same spiritual drink: “I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.” Exodus 17:6, NIV.
Transition to us: Christian baptism is a break with the past, as the Israelites were breaking with their past when they went through the sea. Christian baptism turns the face toward a new future, as the Israelites were turned to a new future in the exodus. Christian baptism is a commitment to follow a new leader- Jesus- just as the decision to go through the sea was a commitment to Moses’ leadership. Christian baptism united people not only with Jesus, but with one another, and those who went through the sea were united with one another for the years ahead and with whatever experiences they might encounter. Christian baptism is a freedom from the slavery to sin, and the exodus was a freedom from over 400 years of slavery. Christian baptism reminds us that someone died to give us that freedom, and the exodus was a continual reminder of the death of the firstborn in Egypt.
The point of all of this is that the privileged can fall into sin, regardless of how privileged they are. Even though these people had participated in God’s blessings, vs. 5
It is not enough to claim we are the right people, with the right God, with the right name, with the right forms, and with the right experiences. Just because God may pour his grace upon our lives does not mean He is pleased with us. Some people use the fact that God has done special things in their lives to prove that anything they do is okay with God. The Corinthians were having this difficulty. They thought that whatever they did was okay with God. But as that was not true with God’s people in the wilderness, so it is not true with God’s people today, although many may receive God’s finest blessings.
Punishments- 5 punishments the Israelites endured
Before give the punishments, we see that they set their hearts on evil things (Vs. 6). The words set their hearts comes from the Greek word for desire. “but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.” James 1:14, NIV. God gave us all of our desires, and God also gives us a world in which those desires can be fulfilled. However, God also has boundaries within which those desires are to be fulfilled. And when we seek to fulfill them beyond the boundaries, we hurt other people as well as ourselves. The devil understands our desires and the world that God has created. So the devil tempts us by luring and enticing us to fulfill those desires beyond God’s boundary lines.
1. In Vs. 6 some see Numbers 11: “The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost--also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”” Numbers 11:4-6, NIV. In response the Lord sent many quail: “But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the LORD burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague.” Numbers 11:33, NIV.
2. Vs. 7- This is the incident of the Golden Calf. While Moses was away, the people gave Aaron gold and he fashioned a calf. They began to worship the calf. Moses came down and this was the punishment: “The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died.” Exodus 32:28, NIV.
3. Vs. 8- Many in our society think sexual sins are nothing. Numbers 25. Over 23,000 died.
4. Vs. 9- “They travelled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go round Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.” Numbers 21:4-9, NIV.
5. Vs. 10- Many instances of where the Israelites grumbled, complained. “So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”” Hebrews 3:7-11, NIV. And they did not enter God’s rest. As vs. 5 says God was not pleased with most of them, to be exact only with 2 of them, Joshua and Caleb. The rest had their bodies scattered all over the desert.
The payoff, what are the consequences if we fail to please the Lord?
Physically: Bring harm to our bodies
Mentally: Memories and flashbacks will haunt us for the rest of our lives
Emotionally: We could venture down a path that leads to addiction, as we fall prey to temptation, repeating the wrongful behavior repeatedly.
Personally: Lose our self respect and our reputation because of our sin
Professionally: With some sins, we may lose our job, forfeit our status, and waste years of training and experience.
Relationally: Destroy our example and credibility with our family
Spiritually: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30, NIV.
The enemy makes sin look inviting, but the payoff is devastating. We need to think past the temporary pleasure and recognize the long term pain of disobedience.
A leader in a Christian organization fell into immorality. Asked, “What could have been done to prevent this?” he said with haunting pain and precision, “If only I had really known, really thought through, what it would cost me and my family and my Lord, I honestly believe I never would have done it.” The next time we are tempted to cross the line, rehearse the possible consequences of our actions.
This could cost our soul. Several who were like Peter, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”” Luke 22:33, NIV. but in the end they denied the Lord and walked away from it all. “how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?” Hebrews 2:3, NIV.
