Beware Of Spiritual Overcondifence

BEWARE OF SPIRITUAL OVERCONDIFENCE

1 COR. 10:1-13

INTRO: (EX: STORY OF MY 6TH GRADE BASKETBALL TEAM—WON TOURNEY OVER HEAVIL FAVORED NICHOLSON—THEY HAD PICTURES TAKEN, SHIRTS, RESERVATIONS AT RESTAURANT—SO SURE OF VICTORY—BUT WE WON! (EX: ARNOLD PALMER AT 1961 MASTERS)  A SURE WAY TO FALL INTO SIN’S TRAP IS TO GET OVERCONDIFENT. WE KNOW ITS NOT WISE TO STRETCH OUR FREEDOM OR TEST GOD’S GRACE TO SEE HOW CLOSE TO EVIL WE CAN COME WITHOUT GETTING HURT.  PEOPLE TALK ABOUT LIVING “CLOSE TO THE EDGE”—TRYING RISKY, DANGEROUS ACTIVITIES—SPIRITUALLY WE CAN DO THE SAME THING---KIDS BUILDING BLOCKS—JUST ONE MORE BLOCK AND THEN THEY WATCH IT FALL—THAT’S OK WITH BLOCKS BUT ITS NOT OK WITH PEOPLE’S SOULS—WE SHOULD HEED THE WARNINGS

I.                  LEARN FROM THE PAST EXAMPLES (V.1-5)

PAUL WENT BACK TO ISRAEL’S HISTORY TO SHOW PRIVILEGES DON’T QUARANTEE BLESSINGS---REVIEW 9:24-27—THIS SHOULD BE CONNECTED TO 10:1 “FOR”---DON’T PRESUME ON GOD’S GRACE (ROM.6:1-4)—PRIVILEGE INVOLVES RESPONSIBILITY. LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED TO ISRAEL IN WILDERNESS—GOD’S GRACE & POWER BROUGHT THEM OUT OF SLAVERY OF EGYPT. NOTICE EMPHASIS ON “ALL”—ALL ISRAEL RECEIVED THESE BLESSINGS!

·        GUIDANCE—LED BY PILLAR OF CLOUD (DAY) AND FIRE (NIGHT)—THEY JUST LOOK UP AND KNOW TO MOVE OR STAY.

·        DELIVERANCE—SEA PARTED & THEY WALKED ON DRY GROUND—THEY WENT THRU THE SEA

·        LEADERSHIP—“BAPTIZED INTO MOSES”—ISRAEL IDENTIFIED WITH & PUT THEMSELVES UNDER AUTHORITY OF MOSES (EX. 14:31)—THAT TOOK FAITH.  SO OUR PAST SINS ARE COVERED BY BLOOD OF JESUS (FAITH)—WE ARE RAISED UP TO NEW LIFE/NEW HOPE/NEW FUTURE/NEW HOME. ISRAEL WAS COMMITTED TO MOSES’ LEDAERSHIP AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO JESUS AS LORD. ISRAEL WAS FREE FROM PHYSICAL SLAVERY WHILE WE ARE FREE FROM SLAVERY OF SIN—EGYPT PAID PRICE IN DEATH OF FIRSTBORN—JESUS PAID PRICE ONCE FOR ALL

·        PROVISIONS (V.3,4)—MANNA—ISRAEL COLLECTED THIS TILL THEY ENTERED PROMISED LAND—GOD ALSO GAVE THEM MEAT TO EAT (AFTER THEIR WHINNING) (PS. 78:24-29)—JESUS PROVIDED FOOD MIRACULOUSY TWICE IN HIS MINISTRY (5,000 IN GALILEE & 4,000 IN DECAPOLIS). PAUL EXPLAINED THE ROCK THAT FOLLOWED THEM WAS JESUS (EX: JEWISH LEGEND SAYS ROCK MOSES STRUCK FOLLOWED ISRAEL THRU WILDERNESS—BUT IT WASN’T A PHYSICAL ROCK—A SPIRITUAL ROCK (MESSIAH)—THE WORD ROCK HERE IS “MASSIVE ROCK CLIFF”---SO WE ARE TO LOOK AT ALL THE PRIVILEGES/BLESSINGS WE HAVE THRU CHRIST—LEARN FROM THESE LESSONS

II.               LIVE IN THE PRESENT WITH WISDOM (V.6-12)

ISRAEL TOOK GODS PRESENCE FOR GRANTED—THEY GRUMBLED/COMPLAINED AND PUT GOD TO THE TEST. YOU WOULD THINK WITH ALL THE MIRACLES ISRAEL WOULD BE THANKFUL/OBEDIENT—BUT NO!  “NEVERTHELESS”---GOD WAS NOT PLEASED WITH THEM! WITH ALL GOD’S GRACE/FORGIVENESS WE ARE TO LIVE WISELY WITH SELF-DISICPLINE (9:24-27)—A WHOLE GENERATION OF ISRARLITES DIED IN DESERT (LIT. “SPREAD OVER THE DESERT” (HEB.3:19) THEY TRIED LIVING ON THE EDGE OF FREEDOM & FELL INTO TEMPTATION/SIN---PICTURE OF OVERCONFIDENCE! THEY INDULGED THEIR DESIRES/LUSTS WITHOUT THINKING HOW IT WOULD AFFECT THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD OR OTHERS (EX: SITE OF DACHAU CONCENTRATION CAMP IN MUNICH, GER. IS MUSEUM---THERE IS SIGN NEAR EXIT “THOSE WHO DON’T LEARN FROM HISTORY ARE COMDEMNED TO REPEAT ITS MISTAKES”)—SO PAUL GAVE SOME WARNINGS:

·        DON’T CRAVE EVIL THINGS (AS ISRAEL DID!) (NUM.11:1-9—THEY LONGED FOR EGYPT AND FIRE BROKE OUT IN CAMP—MOSES PRAYED. THEY CRAVED FOOD OF EGYPT & GOD GAVE MANNA. THEY CRIED FOR MEAT AND GOD BROUGHT QUAIL BUT PLAGUE CAME. THEY REJECTED LORD (NUM.11:20)  (PS. 106:15—GOD GAVE THEM WHAT THEY WANTED BUT SENT “LEANNESS” TO THEIR SOUL.

·        IDOLATRY---MANY IN COR. BELIEVED THEY COULD ASSOC. WITH PAGAN ACTIVITIES & NOT BE HARMED SPIRITUALLY. SOME HAD SLIPPED BACK INTO IDOLATRY.  THIS IS WHAT ISRAEL DID  WITH THE GOLDEN CALF (EX.32)—GOD SAID NO OTHER GODS AND SOON AS MOSES WAS GONE THEY WENT TO AARON—“GIVE US GODS”---OUT CAME THE CALF AND THEY FEASTED & ENGAGED IN SEXUAL ORGIES (WORD “PLAYED” IN HEB. HAS THIS MEANING)—3,000 WERE PUT TO DEATH---WORSHIPPING ANYONE OR ANYTHING BESIDES GOD IS IDOLATRY.  AND WE HAVE OUR SHARE OF IDOLS THAT PULL US FROM GOD—FROM HIS PROVISION & CARE—SOMETIMES THEY WILL WHISPER & OTHER TIMES YELL FOR OUR LOVE/WORSHIP. JOHN’S LETTER WARNS “GUARD YOURSELVES FROM IDOLS”

·        SEXUAL IMMORALITY—(NUM. 25:3) THIS WAS ISRAEL’S SIN WITH MOABITE WOMEN.  IN COR. WAS TEMPLE TO APHRODITE—IT HAD 1000 TEMPLE PROSTITUTES. PAUL HAD EARLIER WARNED IN CH.6 –FLEE IMMORALITY!  BUT MANY IN COR. WERE OVERCONFIDENT—THEY THOUGHT THEY COULD LIVE AROUND ALL THAT CORRUPTION AND NOT BE CORRUPTED—BUT WE CANT AFFORD TO FLIRT WITH OR DEBATE WITH THIS KIND OF EVIL.  ( PULL FROM MOVIES/INTERNET/MUSIC) THIS TAKES DISCIPINE!

·        TESTING/TRYING GOD—(NUM.21:4-9) HERE IS REF. TO ISRAEL SPEAKING AGAINST GOD & MOSES—THEY WERE NOT SATISFIED & COMPLAINED—THIS TIME SNAKES CAME INTO THE CAMP—THAT WOULD CONVERT ME RIGHT QUICK!—I WOULD NOT BE HAPPY CAMPER!—I CONFESS TO THINGS I NEVER DID!---BUT INSTEAD OF THANKING GOD & SERVING HIM THEY WANTED HIM TO SERVE THEM BETTER.  THIS ATTITUDE SAYS, “HOW MUCH OF WORLD CAN I HAVE & STILL HAVE AT LEAST SOME OF GOD?” SOME IN COR. THOUGHT IT WAS NO BIG DEAL TO ATTEND THE FESTIVALS AT THE TEMPLES—SO THEY KEPT GOING AND SO WERE TEMPTING GOD—THEY WERE FORGETTING & MISSING HIS LOVE & BLESSINGS.

·        GRUMBLING/COMPLAINING—(NUM.16:32-35; 41-50) THIS IS ACCOUNT OF KORAH & HIS REBELS WHO WERE DESTROYED FOR CHALLENGING MOSES. THE WHOLE CAMP GRUMBLED (V.41)—THERE WAS A PLAGUE (14,700 KILLED)—GRUMBLING IS BEING DISSATISFIED WITH GODS WILL FOR OUR LIVES & OTHERS—IT DRIVES A SHARP WEDGE IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS (JUDE 14-16)—PAUL LEARNED TO BE CONTENT IN WHATEVER CIRCUMSTANCES (PHIL.4:11)

III.           LOOK TO THE FUTURE WITH STRENGTH (V.13)

(EX: DOC CAMPBELL ON  HEE HAW)  HERE IS STRONG WARNING NOT TO TAKE BLESSINGS/PRIVILEGES FOR GRANTED—DON’T GET OVERCONFIDENT!  (COL. 1:10-12) THE ENEMY IS ON PROWL LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO DEVOUR.  MANY IN COR. CHURCH WERE PROUD—THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD ARRIVED SPIRITUALLY & THAT MADE THEM VULNERABLE  (EX: SUNDEW PLANT IN AUSTRALIA)  BUT PRIDE COMES BEFORE A FALL.  (EX: GOLAN HEIGHTS IN 1967 WAR)  HAMAN WAS PROUD/OVERCONFIDENT IN HIS PLAN TO DESTROY THE JEWS—HE WAS HANGED ON  HIS OWN GALLOWS.  SARDIS WAS TAKEN BY AN UNGUARDED FOOTPATH—SOLDIER CLIMBED UP & OPENED GATES FOR THE ENEMY TROOPS TO COME IN.  PETER WAS READY TO DIE WITH JESUS (AS ALL DISCIPLES WERE BUT THEN HE DENIED HIM 3 TIMES. THE MORE CARELESS WE ARE SPIRITUALLY THE MORE TEMPTATION INCREASES AND MORE RESISTANCE DECREASES. BUT NO TEMPTATION IS UNIQUE TO ANY PERSON. WE ALL HAVE THIS IN COMMON. GOD IS FAITHFUL AND WE CAN BEAR UP UNDER ITS PRESSURE. GOD WILL NOT TEMPT YOU & DEVIL CANT MAKE YOU SIN. THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY OF ESCAPE.  (EX: LLAMA PROTECTING SHEEP