Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

Dwell in the past and you’ll lose an eye.

Forget the past and you’ll lose both eyes.

Russian proverb

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.

Douglas Adams

Remember

The Living God didn’t give us that story of the Exodus just to entertain us.

He didn’t give us that story just to encourage us.

He gave us the story to inform us.

He also gives us a cautionary tell to warn us.

Don’t use God’s goodness as an excuse for

sinful indulgence.

Remember God’s goodness.

Who can describe the tokens of God’s goodness that are extended to the human race even in this life?

Augustine

Notice how Good God had been to them.

1. God personally guided them and often guarded them in their journey.

(10:1)

2. They were brought through the waters of judgment by God’s mediator Moses.

(10:2)

3.

They ate Manah and drank water from the Rock.

(10:3-4)

They experienced God’s goodness in a profoundly way.

God had been so good to them!

He had been so very good.

His power and glory and loving kindness was on full display.

Remember that in the face of God’s goodness they rebelled.

1 Corinthians 10:7 (ESV)

7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.”

Remember the Golden Calf

Remember their immorality

Numbers 25 tells the story of Israel’s last rebellion which involved sexual immorality with Moabite women (Numbers 25).

The immorality was so grotesque that at one point, as Moses was rebuking the people for their sin, an Israelite man took a Midianite woman into his tent in full view of the congregation; the pair ended up being skewered by the spear of Phinehas while having sex a few minutes later.

Remember how they complained.

Remember how they complained about God provision and leadership in the wilderness.

Remember how they hated the manna and how God sent the snakes to bit and kill them.

(NUMBERS 21:5 & 11:1)

1 cor 10 6

1 Corinthians 10:6 (ESV)

6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.

1 Corinthians 10:11 (ESV)

11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.

Remember that defying God is deadly.

Look at the carnage!

Look at the wreckage!

Look at the destruction!

Look at the bodies!!

Remember to check yourself.

No matter my story.

No matter my position.

No matter my level of influence.

Remember you are vulnerable to the destructive power of sin.

The word “Take Heed) is from the Greek work βλέπω which means to see, to pay attention.

Paul is saying we need to watch our step.

Fred Smith said in his Book Leading With Integrity

The worst flaw is to believe we are not vulnerable.

We must always pray, “Lord, lead us not into temptation,” and when in temptation must believe that he has provided a way of escape.

Where am I most vulnerable to temptation?

The enemy of our souls knows where our flesh is the weakest and he will put temptations in our paths at our most vulnerable points.

Stormie Omartian

Remember God has provided everything you need to deal with temptation.

1 cor 10 13

You might be taken by temptation.

But you don’t have to be overtaken by temptation.

Remember that when you are tempted to be unfaithful that the way to overcome that is to rely on the faithfulness of God.

Remember the local church

We need the body of Christ to help us spot sin because we all have blind spots.

Remember the limits on temptation.

Remember the path of righteousness.

James 5:16 (ESV)

16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another...