Examples, Part 2
1 Corinthians: Order in the Church • Sermon • Submitted
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Verses 1-13 dealt with Israel’s experience in the wilderness, God’s protection, Israel’s failures, and God’s dealing with them.
The purpose of the opening verses is to teach us what not to do.
Having learned this we move forward to the next section of chapter 10 which deals with some practical reasons Christians should distance themselves from worldly practices.
Previously...
Previously...
We have seen that “idols” are “nothing”
Something made by man from wood, stone, or precious metals
Even though idols are “nothing” that does not mean they are not dangerous!
God has commanded that we be holy! 1 Peter 1:16
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Outline
Outline
Reasons we should keep ourselves from the world:
God’s People Are to be Separate From the World v. 14-15
God’s People Are Not of the World v. 16-18
God’s People Are to Only Worship Him v. 19-22
God’s People Are to be Separate From the World v. 14-15
God’s People Are to be Separate From the World v. 14-15
14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.
Wherefore = based on what we just read in verses 1-13, we are to realize some very important truths”
We are to “flee” from Idolatry
Flee = run away from, to shun
Why? Because of how dangerous idols are, this is exemplified in the history of Israel
We are wise
Wise = intelligent
Bottom line we are capable of making right decisions, and wrong ones too if we’re not spirit led.
We are to judge = discernment
The Corinthians were told to “try” what Paul was saying to them
We, like them, are able to understand the truth and distinguish truth from error.
Keep in Mind the Context
Keep in Mind the Context
We are still dealing with Christian liberty
Previously in this section we learned that idols are nothing and meat offered to them is simply meat to be bought, eaten, and enjoyed - b/c the idol is not a real god
Tonight we are going a step further....
Even though the idols themselves maybe lifeless, there is in fact a real living demon behind every dead idol
For this reason Paul admonished the Corinthians to stay away from feasts meant to honor these idols.
The next reason we are to be holy is...
God’s People Are Not of the World v. 16-18
God’s People Are Not of the World v. 16-18
Imagine the difficulty...
The Christians in Corinth were surrounded by idolatry and licentiousness (so glad it’s not like this today)
Today we are faced with making a decision: “Go with the flow” or remain faithful to the Savior and the Word of God?
Paul uses the illustration of the Lord’s supper to demonstrate to the Corinthians the seriousness of befriending the world:
16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
The word “communion” = partnership
12 times the word is translated as “fellowship”
Partaking of the Lord’s Table demonstrates fellowship with Christ and fellowship with one another
It is an ordinance to remember the death of our Lord
We are then reminded that we are not part of the world because of our fellowship and should not partake in its practices 1 Cor. 10:17
17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
The next illustration offered by Paul is that of the Israelites partaking of the sacrifice at the altar in the tabernacle and later the temple 1 Cor. 10:18
18 Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?
This was part of the fellowship that God desired from His people
They were expected to feel deeply for their sins and the sacrificial animal was to have meaning to them
The point Paul was trying to make to the Corinthians and to us as well is this:
God is a holy and jealous God
God has prescribed certain ways in which He is to be worshiped, and they cannot be violated. Which brings us to the final point of our lesson...
God’s People Are to Only Worship Him v. 19-22
God’s People Are to Only Worship Him v. 19-22
What’s the big deal? The idols are fake and there is nothing to them...
The idol may be fake, but the demon behind them it is very real! 1 Corinthians 10:19-20
19 What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? 20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
The Gentiles in Paul’s day were sacrificing not just to idols, but to “devils”
“Devils” = demons
Paul was warning the Corinthians that by going to the temple and participating in the feasts they were in fact fellowshiping with demons.
21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. 22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
These verses have a strong resemblance to Jesus’ words in Luke 16:13
13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Jesus meant you cannot serve God and money, but here the application is that we cannot serve God and demons
Christian, you cannot live like the devil Monday through Saturday and the try to worship God on Sunday
Do not make the mistake of thinking “I can do both” see verse 22!
Take Away
Take Away
The Corinthians, like us today, had some difficulty in the area of liberty...
There is nothing a Christian can do that will cost them their salvation, but there are things that will rob us of our joy.
Rubbing shoulders with the world is one thing that will rob us of God’s blessing
This was Paul’s warning to the Corinthians and to us today as well