March 10, 2004
Title: Rugged Individualism? Rugged Surrender!
Text: 1Co_10:1-13
Introduction
1. One of my favorite radio personalities preaches a doctrine of "rugged individualism"...
if we work hard...anything is possible
we are responsible for our own actions...
we take care of ourselves...
in other words, "ever man for himself"...
our confidence is in ourselves...
we don’t rely on the government to take care of us...
we don’t believe in government subsidies...
this land was founded by pilgrims who were willing to step out on their own...
this land was further populated by people travelling west to make their own way...
rugged individualism is the "American Way"
in fact, this radio personality didn’t originate the doctrine...
Herbert Hoover gave a speech in 1928 that talked about it...
2. And to be honest..."rugged individualism" is an attractive idea...
I think there is a lot to be said about having self-confidence...
being responsible for our own actions...
and so on...
3. But there is a very real problem if you make this your life’s philosophy...
if "rugged individualism" is the creed you live by...
you can find yourself in trouble...
the radio personality I referred to...
recently got into some significant trouble...
when he became addicted to pain medication...
and got into legal trouble as a result.
4. In fact, although it isn’t specifically mentioned...
we see rugged individualism referred to in our text.
Read Text: 1Co_10:1-13
1. The Deliverance of the Israelites 1Co_10:1-4
A. The Children of Israel were in bondage to the Egyptians...
And God raised up Moses to be the deliverer for the Chosen People
And through Moses, God lead the people to a new land...
B. In our text, Paul says, "our forefathers were all under the cloud" 1 Cor 10:1 (NIV)
This is a reference to how the Lord led and guided them through the wilderness...
Exodus 13:21 says, "During the day the LORD went ahead of his people in a thick cloud, and during the night he went ahead of them in a flaming fire. That way the LORD could lead them at all times, whether day or night." (Exo 13:21 CEV)
This cloud served as a guide...
showing them the way to go...
It also served as protection...
Psa 105:39 says God hid them under a cloud and guided them by fire during the night.
This protected them from their enemies...
This cloud represented the actual presence of God in their midst.
C. Our text goes on to says, "they all passed through the sea" 1 Cor 10:1 (NIV)
you are familiar with the story about the Crossing of the Red Sea....
the Egyptian army was bearing down upon the Children of Israel...
they were surrounded...
But God opened up a path to cross through the Red Sea...
and when the Egyptians tried to follow...
the Sea closed again...
and the Egyptians drowned.
D. Paul tells us in 1Co_10:2 that this is an example of Baptism.
This event served as a turning point in the lives of the Israelites...
they made a break with their previous life...
their life of bondage under the Egyptians...
and now embraced a new life of freedom...
under the leadership of Moses...
In the same way, baptism represents a turning point in our lives...
we make a break with our previous life of sin...
and we now embrace our new life in Jesus Christ.
E. And God didn’t just leave them to make their own way...
He didn’t expect them to be "rugged individualists"...
Not only did He provide guidance and protection from the cloud and the pillar of fire...
but our text tells us that God provided them spiritual food and drink as well...
we know that God provided manna in the wilderness...
and we know that God provided water from a rock...
we know that manna and water were provided for physical food...
we Paul is telling us that this was more than just physical food...
it was spiritual food as well...
The manna and the water represented what was to become the Lord’s Supper in the New Testament...
And as such, they represented Jesus Christ...
in fact, Paul says, in verse 4, that the Rock was Jesus Christ.
F. I’m sure that the Israelites had to have some "rugged indivdualism"...
in that they had to gather the manna themselves...
they had to make their way through the wilderness...
but, the deliverance was not provided by their own efforts...
nor was it because of the efforts of Moses...
Moses was just a tool in the Hand of God...
God provided the guidance...
God provided the sustenance...
God provided the nourishment...
so the Children of Israel were dependent upon God.
2. The Disaster of "Doing Our Own Thing" 1Co_10:5-10
A. But, in spite of God’s provision in their lives...
the Children of Israel disobeyed God...
they wanted to go their own way...
they wanted to do their own thing...
they got tired of being dependent upon God...
so they did what we Nazarenes call "backsliding"
B. in verse 7, it tells us that the Israelites became idolaters...
in other words...in stead of following the One True God...
they started worshipping false gods...
C. Verse 8 tells us that they got into trouble with sexual immorality...
and as a result, 23,000 of them died.
This is told about in Numbers 25.
In Numbers, we see that their worship of other gods...
actually served as a catalyst for their delving into the sin of sexual immorality.
D. Verse 9 tells us that they tested Christ...
and as a result, they were hit with a plague of poisonous snakes...
In Numbers 21, we see that God provided a miraculous deliverance...
when the Israelites were attacked and captured by a Canaanite king...
Israel cried out to God...
and God answered...
allowing the Israelites to totally destroy their captors...
but instead of praising God...
they started complaining...
they complained about the food...
they complained about the conditions...
they tested God...in other words...
they tried His patience...
so God sent the poisonous snakes that bit them...
and many of them died...
and Moses cried out again to God...
and God provided a way of escape...
once again...
E. The Israelites foray into "rugged individualism"...
resulted in failure...
sin...
and death...
3. Application 1Co_10:11-13
A. Paul tells the Corintians that these things that happened to the Children of Israel...
serve as an example to them.
Paul wrote this letter to the CHURCH in Corinth...
in fact, he says, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ--their Lord and ours" 1 Cor 1:2 (NIV)
They had been wonderfully delivered from the bondage of sin...
just like the Children of Israel had been delivered from Egyptian bondage...
they didn’t accomplish it on their own...
it was through the power of Christ...
that they were set free from their sin...
but some of them backslid...
some of them got involved in idolatry--just like the Children of Israel did...1Co_10:20
some of them had fallen into the sin of sexual immorality--just like the Children of Israel did...1Co_6:12-20
some of them were testing God’s patience with their behavior...
so Paul writes these things as a word of warning...
warning those who have backslidden...
that they need to straighten up...
because there is a heaven to gain...
and a hell to shun...
but it is also a warning to those who haven’t fallen...
Paul says, "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!" 1 Cor 10:12 (NIV)
Then Paul reminds them that God is faithful...
and that He won’t allow you to be tempted beyond your ability to withstand...
and He will provide a way of escape....
so they didn’t have to fall into idolatry...
they didn’t have to fall into sexual immorality...
He didn’t promise that it would be easy...
that’s why he warns them...
and tells them to be very careful.
B. You probably see where I’m going with this...
these words aren’t just for the Corinthian church...
they are for the Church at Belleview too...
Paul said, in 1 Corintians 10:1, "I don’t what you to be unaware"...
and, I don’t want you to be unaware either...
that’s why I’m drawing your attention to this passage of Scripture tonight.
these things are serving as an example,...
not only for the Corinthians...
but for us as well...
there’s a real danger...
if we put our trust and strength into our own efforts...
and our own abilities...
in fact, that is a type of idolatry...
it is putting ourselves in the place of God...
effectively making ourselves the gods we worship...
instead of the One True God.
If we put our faith in rugged individualism...
we will fail...
God has miraculously provided for our deliverance...
God leads us and guides us...
He provides for our sustenance and our nourishment...
Let us not grumble and complain about what God is doing in our lives...
let us not try to take over control of our lives...
it will lead to idolatry...
immorality...
and ultimately death...
Maybe you haven’t delved into sin...
you are living a strong Christian life...
Paul says, "great"!!!
Just be careful...
if you think you are standing firm...
watch out...
it is when we are standing firm that we are in danger of thinking that we are doing it under our own efforts.
Conclusion
1. Rugged Individualism...it is a provocative philosophy...
but we must not let it be the ideology we live by...
because it will get us into trouble...
2. Instead of "rugged individualism"...let’s pursue what I call "Rugged Surrender" (for lack of a better term)...
rugged individualism preaches "self-control"...
rugged surrender teaches "God-control"...
rugged individualism preaches "self-reliance"...
rugged surrender teaches "God-reliance"...
rugged individualism says, "I can do and be anything I want...if I’m willing to apply myself"...
rugged surrender says, "I can do nothing apart from Christ"...
rugged individualism says, "It is the individual that’s important"...
rugged surrender says, "It is God that’s important"...
rugged individualism says, "it’s how hard I work"...
rugged surrender says, "it’s how much I trust in God"...
3. rugged individualism leads to failure...
it did for many of the Israelites...
it did for some of the Corinthians...
and it will for us too.
3. Rugged Surrender...
sure it’s tough...
that’s why I call it "rugged"...
but it’s the only way to go.
